Although seahorse males appear to mate monogamously
within each brood, research by Kvarnemo et al. (2000)
indicates that male Hippocampus subelongatus may switch
mates between broods. H. subelongatus males who choose
new mates have a longer refractory period than males who
remate with the same partner, presumably due to the time
necessary to locate and synchronize with their new mate.
If mate-switching occurs in wild H. abdominalis, as has
been shown in laborataory populations (Woods 2000),
promiscuous courtship behaviour in this species may
enable males to minimize time spent searching for a new
mate, reducing the interbrood interval and maximizing
reproductive output. Future research should investigate
whether unmated females involved in promiscuous courtship
have a higher likelihood of contributing to subsequent
broods. As the factors involved in mate choice within
each brooding period are also unknown in H. abdominalis,
detailed behavioural investigations of reproductive males
will also be critical to identify the importance of the female
aggregations observed here.