In situ behavior of wild long-snouted seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus Cuvier, 1829

The study of behavior is one of the fundamental aspects of conservation biology. While for animals such as mammals there are well-defined protocols that have been applied for a long time, for marine animals, and fish in particular, studies are available for a limited number of species. The behavior of seahorses, for example, is poorly studied and in this work, we made a first attempt of using video recordings to analyze behavior of these endangered species in Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Southern Italy). The study presents preliminary data on behavioral activities and their comparisons among different life stages of Hippocampus guttulatus, namely females, males, and juveniles. Juveniles and females appeared to be highly active and invested more time in searching activities. Males, on the contrary, were less active and spent more time in inactive behavior. The results of the present study were promising and the differences in behavior between males and females are confirmed by biology of the species. However, it will be necessary to further investigate their behavior over a longer period, including for example courtship and gestation periods.