Proposal and Validation of a Body Condition Score System for the Evaluation of Energy Reserves in the Long-Snouted Seahorse Hippocampus reidi (Ginsburg, 1933).

Given the morphological conformation of seahorses, there are several difficulties associated with the evaluation of body reserves and physical condition. This study proposes the development and validation of a body condition scoring system (BCS) applicable to Hippocampus reidi. This study comprises two phases: first, the development of the BCS methodology, followed by its application to a group subjected to an experimental diet, which serves to validate our findings. Weight gain and biometric parameters of 31 seahorses were weekly monitored for a period of 90-150 days. Additionally, histological analysis of organs of the digestive and reproductive tract was carried out to characterize and validate the scoring system, as well as a skin lipid profile evaluation as a measure of lipid mobilization. It is proposed that animals should be evaluated for abdominal muscle coverage, thoracic narrowing, contrast between the dorsal and abdominal region and muscle coverage between dorsal rings. We found significant differences between size and accumulation of fat in the liver as well as the degree of development of the gonads in the animals evaluated. Better energy reserves and reproductive potential are therefore expected for animals with a higher BCS. Our BCS methodology presents itself as an alternative of high practicality, simplicity and low cost, being an innovative tool for the evaluation of energy reserves in Syngnathids.