Occurrence of Seahorses Hippocampus spp. in the Southernmost Part of Western Europe: A New Maximum Depth Record

Achieving sustainable resource use is a priority to meet future challenges. The Gulf of Cádiz, located in the Atlantic waters of southern Europe, is home to a significant fishing fleet due to the richness and diversity of its ecosystems. Managing this area is complex due to the diversity of variables, including social, ecological, and oceanographic factors. Therefore, multidisciplinary approaches are proposed for implementing conservation strategies. One strategy for defining area-based management measures is through the use of flagship species, such as seahorses. These emblematic animals can assist in defining such measures. However, there is currently scarce information on the occurrence of seahorses in the Gulf of Cádiz. In this study, we present the first occurrence data of two species of the genus Hippocampus (H. hippocampus and H. guttulatus) in this area. The Gulf of Cádiz is not only described as the southernmost region of their distribution in continental Europe, but it is also a significant landmark for the genus Hippocampus, as one adult was captured at a depth of up to 101 m. Five management areas based on differentiated benthic habitats are proposed. We believe that our study has the potential to significantly improve conservation of seahorses and induce a positive impact on the ecosystem.

This study was supported by the Hippo–DEC project funded by the Spanish Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITERD, 20233TE008). This study was also partially supported by funds from the PADI Foundation (HippoCAMPUS, App # 82438) and from the Ramon y Cajal Fellowship (RYC2021-032451-I, Ministry of Science and Innovation, also financed by EU NextGeneration funds) to I.R.-J. This study was also supported by the Spanish Oceanographic Institute as part of the sampling programme co-funded by the European Union through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) within the National Programme for the Collection, Management, and Use of Data in the Fisheries Sector and Support for Scientific Advice on the Common Fisheries Policy.

Peer reviewed