CLASSIFICATION OF HIPPOCAMPUS (SEA HORSE)
Phylum :- CHORDATA (Notochord and dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill-slits present).
Group :- CRANIATA (Cranium with brain present).
Subphylum :- VERTEBRATA (Vertebral column present).
Division :- GNATHOSTOMATA (Jaws and paired appendages present).
Super class :- PISCES (Paired fins , gills and skin with scales)
Class :- OSTEICHTHYES (Bony fishes).
SUB-CLASS :- ACTINOPTYERGII (Ray finned fish).
SUPER ORDER :- TELEOISTEI (Bony fish proper).
Order :- SOLENICHTHYES (Pipe-fish and sea horses. Mouth at the end of a tubular snout. Male with brood pouch. Fins minute).
FAMILY :- SYNGNATHIDAE
GENUS :- Hippocampus
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
Hippocampus has cosmopolitan distribution, found in almost all warm sea waters, specially in India, Japan, China and Malaysian Archipelago. Cretaceous to Recent. It is represented by several species in the Indian Ocean.
HABIT AND HABITAT
- They swim upright swaying their tails and gyrating their trunks in graceful manner, holding a weed with their tails.
GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF HIPPOCAMPUS (SEA HORSE)
- Commonly called as sea-horse because its anterior end is shaped like the neck and head of a horse.
- Body is divided into head, trunk and tail. Size varies from 5 to 17 cm.
- Head is produced anteriorly into tubular snout and backwardly into a crest. Mouth is found at the end of snout. Eyes are situated on the upper side of head. There are two super orbital spines backwards directed and outwards.
- Some species have fine trailing filaments over the body.
- Body is covered by a rigid exoskeletal armour of ring-like bony plates.
- Gill clefts are reduced to a small opening. Gills are of special type in the form of special tufts and covered by operculum.
- Dorsal fin is single, ventral and caudal fins are absent.
- A small transparent pectoral fin is found on either side of head.
- Females have a small anal fin. Males contain brood pouches, which carry eggs until they hatch.
- Tail is prehensile.
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Hippocampus is a vertically swimming fish. It has strongly deviated from fish-like appearance with arching neck and snout like horse, abdomen like pigeon and prehensile tail like Langur monkey. Sea horse is a very amusing and most familiar fish. It swims vertically with its majestic snout
IDENTIFICATION
- This fish has horse shaped head and snout and above features, hence it is Hippocampus.
OUR POSTS
COLUMBA LIVIA : PIGEONCOLUMBA LIVIA : PIGEON CLASSIFICATION OF PAVO COLUMBA LIVIA : PIGEON PHYLUM :- CHORDATA (Notochord, dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill slits present ) Group :- CRANIATA ( Definite head. ...READ MORE
MOLOCH (THORNY DEVIL)MOLOCH(THORNY DEVIL) CLASSIFICATION OF MOLOCH (THORNY DEVIL) PHYLUM :- CHORDATA (Notochord, dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill slits present) GROUP :- CRANIATA (Definite head. Cranium with ...READ MORE
HERDMANIA SLIDESHERDMANIA SLIDES Herdmania : Metamorphosis : Tadpole Larva Larva of Herdmania is called as tadpole larva. After hatching it leads a free-swimming life for 90-180 seconds and then undergoes ...READ MORE
VIPERA : PITLESS VIPERVIPERA : PITLESS VIPER CLASSIFICATION OF VIPERA : PITLESS VIPER PHYLUM :- CHORDATA (Notochord, dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill slits present ) Group :- CRANIATA ( Definite head. Cranium ...READ MORE
PLEURONECTES (FLAT FISH)PLEURONECTES(FLAT FISH) CLASSIFICATION OF PLEURONECTES (FLAT FISH) Phylum :- CHORDATA (Notochord and dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill-slits present). Group :- CRANIATA (Cranium with brain ...READ MORE
Pelvic GirdlePELVIC GIRDLE IN VERTEBRATES SCOLIODON :- PELVIC GIRDLE Comments : Pelvic girdle :- Made up of a simple flattened and transverse cartilaginous rod called ischiopubic bar, having a small blunt iliac ...READ MORE
Comparative Account of Urinogenital Systems of VertebrateComparative Account of Urinogenital Systems of Vertebrate Urinary system of vertebrates includes kidneys and their ducts, while reproductive system includes male and female gonads and their ducts. ...READ MORE
MANGOOSE : HERPESTESMANGOOSE : HERPESTES CLASSIFICATION OF MANGOOSE : HERPESTES PHYLUM :- CHORDATA (Notochord, dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill slits present) Group :- CRANIATA (Definite head. Cranium with ...READ MORE
ACIPENSER : STURGEONACIPENSER : STURGEON CLASSIFICATION OF ACIPENSER : STURGEON Phylum :- CHORDATA ( Notochord and dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill-slits present). Group :- CRANIATA ( Cranium with brain ...READ MORE
PONGO : ORANG-UTANPONGO : ORANG-UTAN CLASSIFICATION OF PONGO : ORANG-UTAN PHYLUM :- CHORDATA (Notochord, dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill slits present ) Group :- CRANIATA ( Definite head. Cranium with brain ...READ MORE
