Artificial reproduction of rare seahorses

Nha Trang Institute of Oceanography has successfully produced artificial breeding of rare and precious seahorses named in the Red Book of Vietnam and the World Conservation Organization (IUCN).

This is the first scientific study of the successful breeding of seahorses (Hippocampus spinosissimus). Previously, in Vietnam, there were successful researches on raising black seahorses (Hippocampus kuda) and zebrafish (Hippocampus comes).

Engineer Ho Thi Hoa, Department of Aquaculture Technology, said spiny seahorses were chosen to study because this is a species with a very rich color, meeting the demand for domestic and export ornamental fish. This seahorse has a sharp decline in production in recent years.

Thousands of prickly seahorses were born and there are still over 1,000 healthy animals raised. The survival rate of 50%, according to engineer Hoa, is quite high because the species of prickly seahorses are difficult to breed, as well as difficult to mate and breed compared to other seahorses.

In Europe and America, ornamental seahorses, each 12 cm long, currently cost about 100,000 VND. Barbed seahorses are also considered a precious medicine in China, Japan, Taiwan (China) . /.