Spiny seahorse reassessed as 'Vulnerable'

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has reassessed the spiny seahorse (H. histrix) as 'Vulnerable,' thanks in part to research undertaken by Project Seahorse. From the official statement:

"Widespread but relatively rare throughout the Indo-Pacific, the Spiny Seahorse (H. histrix), previously Data Deficient, has been reassessed as Vulnerable. A population decline of at least 30% over the last 10–15 years is suspected, and these declines are expected to continue into the future. As well as targeted fishing for the aquarium and traditional medicine trades, there are also concerns about habitat destruction and capture of seahorses as bycatch throughout the species’ range."

The Red List species profile can be found here.

Posted on July 3, 2013 08:15 PM by projectseahorse projectseahorse

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