I've been researching strategies for the humane genetic engineering of a freshwater seahorse for some time now. I've found some research into developing an artificially convergently evolved specimen based on freshwater pipefish with scoliosis, however, it seems this is a dead project. These animals will likely suffer severe health issues and other unknown consequences.
I'm now curious if it's possible to approach this from the opposite direction. The H. kuda is a euryhaline organism, capable of surviving in dilute seawater ~15 ppt [G. V. Hilomen‐Garcia 2003]. This same study showed it was feasible to push this down to even 10ppt and 5ppt. Is it possible to selectively breed specimens which show adaptations to the lower salinity (most likely represented by a lower increase in total body water) while simultaneously decreasing the salinity to < 2.5%?
If possible, has this been attempted in a controlled environment? It seems vastly more feasible to prepare a saltwater species for a more dilute environment than vice versa.
Moon Jellies have adapted to survive in completely freshwater lakes (which is counterintuitive when their organs rely so strongly on a proper salinity).
In addition, I'm curious the biological affects of different salts on saltwater fish: particularly between Marine Salt vs Aquarium Salt. It would be interesting to know if a euryhaline would function the same in a saltwater environment comprised of Aquarium Salt, rather than Marine Salt. If they do, then a very slightly brackish salinity (which several freshwater fish can thrive in) could bridge the gap between a hybrid estuary environment and freshwater. (I recognize these are vastly different and Marine Salt has other components besides NaCl.)
This thought came from calculating the salinity (ppt) of slightly more than the recommend 1tbsp Aquarium Salt per 5gal -- which comes out to about 1ppt (1.25tbsp per 5gal).
Definitely not, as tides and waves cannot be replicated in artificial system, due to which the parameters change
Where fish blood has been accurately measured for concentrations of salts in it, all fish I am familiar with have a salt concentration in the blood between 14 and 18 (the units used to be "parts per thousand") no matter whether they are marine or freshwater species. Freshwater species have to dispose of extra water and retain salts while marine species have to dispose of excess salt while retaining water. Estuarine species have some ability, often limited, to do either as needed. Several species of pipefishes are estuarine and capable of persisting, or even thriving, over a wide range of salinity with a few species capable of living their whole life cycle in either freshwater or marine water. None of the seahorses seem to have this capability. From what I have read, even H. kuda is not truly an estuarine species. They die in water where the salinity is less than 18 which suggests to me that they are incapable of switching their kidney function to retain salt and expel excess water. I think that without a major change in genes (mutation) controlling renal function no amount of selective breeding will get them over the threshold.
Sir, Please contact Ratnagiri Fisheries College, Maharashtra, India They had one project on seahorse
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