Diseases of captive yellow seahorse Hippocampus kuda B leeker, pot‐bellied seahorse Hippocampus abdominalis L esson and weedy seadragon Phyllopteryx taeniolatus ( L acépède)

Abstract

Seahorses, pipefish and seadragons are fish of the F amily S yngnathidae. From 1998 to 2010, 172 syngnathid cases from the T oronto Z oo were submitted for post‐mortem diagnostics and retrospectively examined. Among the submitted species were yellow seahorses Hippocampus kuda Bleeker ( n = 133), pot‐bellied seahorses Hippocampus abdominalis Lesson ( n = 35) and weedy seadragons Phyllopteryx taeniolatus ( L acépède; n = 4). The three most common causes of morbidity and mortality in this population were bacterial dermatitis, bilaterally symmetrical myopathy and mycobacteriosis, accounting for 24%, 17% and 15% of cases, respectively. Inflammatory processes were the most common diagnoses, present in 117 cases. Seven neoplasms were diagnosed, environmental aetiologies were identified in 46 cases, and two congenital defects were identified.

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