Temperature Effects on Growth Performance, Fecundity and Survival of <i>Hippocampus guttulatus</i>
This experiment aimed to determine the temperature limits beyond which seahorse growth and reproduction become suboptimal due to climate change. Four temperatures (16, 20, 24, and 28 °C) were tested to evaluate their effect on juvenile (1–56 days post-parturition (DPP)) and adult (one year old) long...
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2024-11-01
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| author | Jorge Palma Miguel Correia Francisco Leitão José Pedro Andrade |
| author_facet | Jorge Palma Miguel Correia Francisco Leitão José Pedro Andrade |
| author_sort | Jorge Palma |
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| description | This experiment aimed to determine the temperature limits beyond which seahorse growth and reproduction become suboptimal due to climate change. Four temperatures (16, 20, 24, and 28 °C) were tested to evaluate their effect on juvenile (1–56 days post-parturition (DPP)) and adult (one year old) long-snout seahorses, <i>Hippocampus guttulatus</i>. Additionally, the reproductive performance of adults was observed. Another experiment measured oxygen consumption (MO<sub>2</sub>) in the same age groups and temperatures. Adults showed significantly higher growth rates at 20 and 24 °C compared to 16 and 28 °C. Adult mortality rates were 0%, 0%, 6.2%, and 62.5% at the respective temperatures. Juvenile growth performance was higher at 20 °C and 24 °C but significantly lower at 16 °C and null at 28 °C, with survival rates of 8%, 62%, 10%, and 0%, respectively. Oxygen consumption increased with temperature, ranging from 106.3 ± 3.1 to 203.3 ± 3.1 μmol O<sub>2</sub>/g BW/h at 16 °C, and from 127.6 ± 3.5 to 273.3 ± 3.1 μmol O<sub>2</sub>/g BW/h at 28 °C for adults and 1 DPP juveniles, respectively. The study highlights that juvenile and adult <i>H</i>. <i>guttulatus</i> have narrow thermal boundaries, beyond which reproduction, growth, and survival are seriously affected. Under climate change, the species appears unable to cope, potentially leading to their rapid disappearance. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-49907d74dc08466ca8dea61567039ab5 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-49907d74dc08466ca8dea61567039ab52025-08-20T02:57:13ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182024-11-01161271910.3390/d16120719Temperature Effects on Growth Performance, Fecundity and Survival of <i>Hippocampus guttulatus</i>Jorge Palma0Miguel Correia1Francisco Leitão2José Pedro Andrade3Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), University of the Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, PortugalSeahorse, Pipefish, and Seadragon Specialist Group, IUCN Species Survival Commission, 1196 Gland, SwitzerlandCentre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), University of the Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, PortugalCentre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), University of the Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, PortugalThis experiment aimed to determine the temperature limits beyond which seahorse growth and reproduction become suboptimal due to climate change. Four temperatures (16, 20, 24, and 28 °C) were tested to evaluate their effect on juvenile (1–56 days post-parturition (DPP)) and adult (one year old) long-snout seahorses, <i>Hippocampus guttulatus</i>. Additionally, the reproductive performance of adults was observed. Another experiment measured oxygen consumption (MO<sub>2</sub>) in the same age groups and temperatures. Adults showed significantly higher growth rates at 20 and 24 °C compared to 16 and 28 °C. Adult mortality rates were 0%, 0%, 6.2%, and 62.5% at the respective temperatures. Juvenile growth performance was higher at 20 °C and 24 °C but significantly lower at 16 °C and null at 28 °C, with survival rates of 8%, 62%, 10%, and 0%, respectively. Oxygen consumption increased with temperature, ranging from 106.3 ± 3.1 to 203.3 ± 3.1 μmol O<sub>2</sub>/g BW/h at 16 °C, and from 127.6 ± 3.5 to 273.3 ± 3.1 μmol O<sub>2</sub>/g BW/h at 28 °C for adults and 1 DPP juveniles, respectively. The study highlights that juvenile and adult <i>H</i>. <i>guttulatus</i> have narrow thermal boundaries, beyond which reproduction, growth, and survival are seriously affected. Under climate change, the species appears unable to cope, potentially leading to their rapid disappearance.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/16/12/719seahorses<i>Hippocampus guttulatus</i>temperaturegrowthreproductionoxygen consumption |
| spellingShingle | Jorge Palma Miguel Correia Francisco Leitão José Pedro Andrade Temperature Effects on Growth Performance, Fecundity and Survival of <i>Hippocampus guttulatus</i> Diversity seahorses <i>Hippocampus guttulatus</i> temperature growth reproduction oxygen consumption |
| title | Temperature Effects on Growth Performance, Fecundity and Survival of <i>Hippocampus guttulatus</i> |
| title_full | Temperature Effects on Growth Performance, Fecundity and Survival of <i>Hippocampus guttulatus</i> |
| title_fullStr | Temperature Effects on Growth Performance, Fecundity and Survival of <i>Hippocampus guttulatus</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Temperature Effects on Growth Performance, Fecundity and Survival of <i>Hippocampus guttulatus</i> |
| title_short | Temperature Effects on Growth Performance, Fecundity and Survival of <i>Hippocampus guttulatus</i> |
| title_sort | temperature effects on growth performance fecundity and survival of i hippocampus guttulatus i |
| topic | seahorses <i>Hippocampus guttulatus</i> temperature growth reproduction oxygen consumption |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/16/12/719 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jorgepalma temperatureeffectsongrowthperformancefecundityandsurvivalofihippocampusguttulatusi AT miguelcorreia temperatureeffectsongrowthperformancefecundityandsurvivalofihippocampusguttulatusi AT franciscoleitao temperatureeffectsongrowthperformancefecundityandsurvivalofihippocampusguttulatusi AT josepedroandrade temperatureeffectsongrowthperformancefecundityandsurvivalofihippocampusguttulatusi |