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Partial fin-clipping as an effective tool for tissue sampling seahorses, Hippocampus spp.

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2011

Lucy C. Woodall ,
Rachel Jones ,
Brian Zimmerman ,
Samantha Guillaume ,
Teague Stubbington ,
Paul Shaw  and
Heather J. Koldewey
Lucy C. Woodall*
Affiliation:
Zoology Department, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, FK9 4LA
Rachel Jones
Affiliation:
Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY
Brian Zimmerman
Affiliation:
Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY
Samantha Guillaume
Affiliation:
Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY
Teague Stubbington
Affiliation:
Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY
Paul Shaw
Affiliation:
Zoology Department, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD
Heather J. Koldewey
Affiliation:
Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: L.C. Woodall, Zoology Department, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Partial fin-clipping is a non-lethal sampling technique commonly used to sample tissue for molecular genetic studies of fish. The effect of this technique was tested on seahorses (Hippocampus spp.) as they have several peculiar biological characteristics when compared with other fish and are on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Partial fin-clipping of the seahorse dorsal fin was evaluated on Hippocampus kuda. The fish were assessed for short-term effects (fin re-growth time) as well as the longer term effects (growth and mortality) of partial fin clipping over a four month period. Total fin re-growth occurred between 2 and 4 weeks with no significant difference observed in the fin re-growth time between sexes. There was no significant difference between the mortality rate/growth rate of clipped versus unclipped seahorses. Results indicate partial fin-clipping has no significant effect on seahorses, and should be considered as a useful method for tissue sampling.

Keywords

partial fin-clippingseahorseHippocampus kudasamplinggenetics
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 92 , Issue 6 , September 2012 , pp. 1427 - 1432
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2011

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