Rare Seahorses Breeding in the Thames
Experts at London Zoo have announced that rare short-snouted seahorses are living and breeding in the River Thames. The announcement coincided with news laws coming into force to protect the species. The rare short-snouted seahorses are native to the Canary Islands and Italy, and have been found at Dagenham in east London and Tilbury and Southend in Essex over the last 18 months during routine monitoring work. No one knows for sure how endangered short-snouted seahorses are because there is little data known, particularly in the UK, so every scrap of information is valuable.
The seahorses, or Hippocampus hippocampus, are now protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. They are usually found in shallow muddy waters, estuaries or seagrass beds and conservationists said their presence in the Thames is a good sign that the water quality of the river is improving.
Both the short-snouted and long-snouted seahorse are kept and bred in the aquarium at London Zoo in Regents Park. Aquarists are studying their life history and behaviour so their wild habitats and requirements can be effectively protected.
Source: BBC News, April 2008
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