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Ruiz-Jarabo I, Hernández-Urcera J, Pereira S, Sobrino I, López JA, Planas M. Occurrence of Seahorses Hippocampus spp. in the Southernmost Part of Western Europe: A New Maximum Depth Record. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:2328. [PMID: 39199862 PMCID: PMC11350901 DOI: 10.3390/ani14162328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2024] [Revised: 07/31/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Achieving sustainable resource use is a priority to meet future challenges. The Gulf of Cádiz, located in the Atlantic waters of southern Europe, is home to a significant fishing fleet due to the richness and diversity of its ecosystems. Managing this area is complex due to the diversity of variables, including social, ecological, and oceanographic factors. Therefore, multidisciplinary approaches are proposed for implementing conservation strategies. One strategy for defining area-based management measures is through the use of flagship species, such as seahorses. These emblematic animals can assist in defining such measures. However, there is currently scarce information on the occurrence of seahorses in the Gulf of Cádiz. In this study, we present the first occurrence data of two species of the genus Hippocampus (H. hippocampus and H. guttulatus) in this area. The Gulf of Cádiz is not only described as the southernmost region of their distribution in continental Europe, but it is also a significant landmark for the genus Hippocampus, as one adult was captured at a depth of up to 101 m. Five management areas based on differentiated benthic habitats are proposed. We believe that our study has the potential to significantly improve conservation of seahorses and induce a positive impact on the ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Ruiz-Jarabo
- Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia—Spanish National Research Council (ICMAN-CSIC), 11519 Puerto Real, Spain
| | - Jorge Hernández-Urcera
- ECOBIOMAR Research Group, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas—Spanish National Research Council (IIM-CSIC), 36208 Vigo, Spain;
| | - Sira Pereira
- Department of Marine Ecology and Resources, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas—Spanish National Research Council (IIM-CSIC), 36208 Vigo, Spain;
| | - Ignacio Sobrino
- Centro Oceanográfico de Cádiz, Instituto Español de Oceanografía—Spanish National Research Council (IEO-CSIC), 11006 Cádiz, Spain;
| | - Juan A. López
- Fundación Aula del Mar Mediterráneo, 29140 Málaga, Spain;
| | - Miquel Planas
- Department of Marine Ecology and Resources, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas—Spanish National Research Council (IIM-CSIC), 36208 Vigo, Spain;
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Camins E, Stanton LM, Correia M, Foster SJ, Koldewey HJ, Vincent ACJ. Advances in life-history knowledge for 35 seahorse species from community science. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2024; 104:1548-1565. [PMID: 38408838 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Marine community science presents an important route to gather valuable scientific information while also influencing local management and policy, thus contributing to marine conservation efforts. Because seahorses are cryptic but charismatic species, they are good candidates for engaging diverse people to help overcome the many gaps in biological knowledge. We have synthesized information contributed to the community science project iSeahorse from October 2013 to April 2022 for 35 of 46 known seahorse species. We then compared the obtained results with information in existing IUCN Red List assessments, executed from 2014 to 2017, to explore the potential of iSeahorse in expanding seahorse knowledge. Our results show updated geographic ranges for 7 seahorse species, new habitats described for 24 species, observations outside the previously recorded depth range for 14 species, and new information on sex ratio for 15 species and on pregnancy seasonality for 11 species. As one example of the power of iSeahorse, contributed observations on Coleman's pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus colemani) indicated that its geographic range is thousands of square kilometers larger, its habitat more diverse, and its depth range shallower than previously known. It is clear that iSeahorse is expanding knowledge on seahorses to a level that will help improve IUCN Red List assessments. The power of community science for marine conservation in general needs to be fully explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsa Camins
- Project Seahorse, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Seahorse, Pipefish, and Seadragon Specialist Group, IUCN Species Survival Commission, Gland, Switzerland
| | - Lily M Stanton
- Project Seahorse, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Seahorse, Pipefish, and Seadragon Specialist Group, IUCN Species Survival Commission, Gland, Switzerland
| | - Miguel Correia
- Project Seahorse, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Seahorse, Pipefish, and Seadragon Specialist Group, IUCN Species Survival Commission, Gland, Switzerland
| | - Sarah J Foster
- Project Seahorse, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Seahorse, Pipefish, and Seadragon Specialist Group, IUCN Species Survival Commission, Gland, Switzerland
| | - Heather J Koldewey
- Seahorse, Pipefish, and Seadragon Specialist Group, IUCN Species Survival Commission, Gland, Switzerland
- Project Seahorse, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, UK
| | - Amanada C J Vincent
- Project Seahorse, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Seahorse, Pipefish, and Seadragon Specialist Group, IUCN Species Survival Commission, Gland, Switzerland
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Boehm JT, Bovee E, Harris SE, Eddins K, Akahoho I, Foster M, Pell SK, Hickerson MJ, Amato G, DeSalle R, Waldman J. The United States dried seahorse trade: A comparison of traditional Chinese medicine and ecommerce-curio markets using molecular identification. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291874. [PMID: 37788253 PMCID: PMC10547177 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Tens of millions of dried seahorses (genus Hippocampus) are traded annually, and the pressure from this trade along with their life history traits (involved parental care and small migration distances and home ranges) has led to near global population declines. This and other forms of overexploitation have led to all seahorse species being listed in Appendix II under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The signatory nations of CITES recommended a 10-cm size limit of seahorses to ensure harvested individuals have reached reproductive maturity, and have thus had the chance to produce offspring, to maintain a more sustainable global seahorse fishery. We assessed adherence to CITES recommendations using DNA barcoding and size measurements to compare two prominent U.S. dried seahorse markets: (1) traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and (2) non-medicinal ecommerce and coastal curio (ECC). We also estimated U.S. import abundance from CITES records. Of the nine species identified among all samples (n = 532), eight were found in the TCM trade (n = 168); composed mostly (75%) of the Indo-Pacific species Hippocampus trimaculatus, and Hippocampus spinosissimus, and the Latin American Hippocampus ingens. In contrast, ECC samples (n = 344) included 5 species, primarily juvenile Indo-Pacific Hippocampus kuda (51.5%) and the western Atlantic Hippocampus zosterae (40.7). The majority of TCM samples (85.7%) met the CITES size recommendation, in contrast to 4.8% of ECC samples. These results suggest non-size discriminatory bycatch is the most likely source of imported ECC specimens. In addition, CITES records indicate that approximately 602,275 dried specimens were imported into the U.S. from 2004-2020, but the exact species composition remains unknown as many U.S. imports records list one species or Hippocampus spp. from confiscated shipments due to difficulties in morphological identification and large numbers of individuals per shipment. Molecular identification was used to identify the species composition of confiscated shipment imports containing undesignated species, and similar to TCM, found H. trimaculatus and H. spinosissimus the most abundant. By combining DNA barcoding, size comparisons, and CITES database records, these results provide an important glimpse into the two primary dried U.S. seahorse end-markets, and may further inform the conservation status of several Hippocampus species.
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Affiliation(s)
- J T Boehm
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biology, City College of New York, New York, New York, United States of America
- Subprogram in Ecology, Evolution Biology and Behavior, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Eric Bovee
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Stephen E Harris
- Subprogram in Ecology, Evolution Biology and Behavior, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, New York, United States of America
- School of Natural and Social Science, SUNY Purchase College, Purchase, New York, United States of America
| | - Kathryn Eddins
- The New School, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Ishmael Akahoho
- Brooklyn Academy of Science and the Environment High School, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
| | - Marcia Foster
- Brooklyn Academy of Science and the Environment High School, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
| | - Susan K Pell
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
| | - Michael J Hickerson
- Department of Biology, City College of New York, New York, New York, United States of America
- Subprogram in Ecology, Evolution Biology and Behavior, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, New York, United States of America
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - George Amato
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Rob DeSalle
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, United States of America
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - John Waldman
- Subprogram in Ecology, Evolution Biology and Behavior, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, New York, United States of America
- Biology Department, Queens College, City University of New York, New York, United States of America
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Borges AKM, Alves RRN, Oliveira TPR. Mapping seahorses in a Brazilian estuary: mangrove structures as key predictors for distribution and habitat preference. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15730. [PMID: 37489120 PMCID: PMC10363342 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Planning for effective conservation demands an accurate understanding of the ecological aspects of species, particularly their distribution and habitat preferences. This is even more critical in the case of data-poor, rare, and threatened species, such as seahorses, mainly when they inhabit vulnerable ecosystems like estuaries. Given the importance of better understanding these parameters to design seahorse conservation strategies, we mapped the distribution and assessed habitat preferences of longsnout seahorses (Hippocampus reidi) in a mangrove estuary in a Brazilian protected area. Using generalised linear mixed-effects models we found that dense mangrove cover macro-habitats and shallow depths predicted seahorse sightings and higher densities. Furthermore, the selective index of micro-habitats used by seahorses showed that seahorses exhibited a preference for mangrove structures as holdfasts (i.e., fallen branches). Due to the significant importance of mangroves in providing suitable habitats for H. reidi in estuaries, it is crucial to enforce the protection of these ecosystems in conservation and management strategies for the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Karolina Martins Borges
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Etnobiologia e Conservação da Natureza, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
- LAPEC—Laboratório de Peixes e Conservação Marinha, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil
| | - Rômulo Romeu Nóbrega Alves
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Etnobiologia e Conservação da Natureza, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil
| | - Tacyana Pereira Ribeiro Oliveira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Etnobiologia e Conservação da Natureza, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
- LAPEC—Laboratório de Peixes e Conservação Marinha, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil
- Centro de Ciências Biológicas e Sociais Aplicadas, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brasil
- International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission, Seahorse, Pipefish and Seadragon Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland
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Qu M, Zhang Y, Gao Z, Zhang Z, Liu Y, Wan S, Wang X, Yu H, Zhang H, Liu Y, Schneider R, Meyer A, Lin Q. The genetic basis of the leafy seadragon's unique camouflage morphology and avenues for its efficient conservation derived from habitat modeling. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2023:10.1007/s11427-022-2317-6. [PMID: 37204606 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-022-2317-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The leafy seadragon certainly is among evolution's most "beautiful and wonderful" species aptly named for its extraordinary camouflage mimicking its coastal seaweed habitat. However, limited information is known about the genetic basis of its phenotypes and conspicuous camouflage. Here, we revealed genomic signatures of rapid evolution and positive selection in core genes related to its camouflage, which allowed us to predict population dynamics for this species. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that seadragons have the smallest olfactory repertoires among all ray-finned fishes, suggesting adaptations to the highly specialized habitat. Other positively selected and rapidly evolving genes that serve in bone development and coloration are highly expressed in the leaf-like appendages, supporting a recent adaptive shift in camouflage appendage formation. Knock-out of bmp6 results in dysplastic intermuscular bones with a significantly reduced number in zebrafish, implying its important function in bone formation. Global climate change-induced loss of seagrass beds now severely threatens the continued existence of this enigmatic species. The leafy seadragon has a historically small population size likely due to its specific habitat requirements that further exacerbate its vulnerability to climate change. Therefore, taking climate change-induced range shifts into account while developing future protection strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Qu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (GML, Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China
- Sanya Institute of Oceanology, SCSIO, Sanya, 572000, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yingyi Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (GML, Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China
- Sanya Institute of Oceanology, SCSIO, Sanya, 572000, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zexia Gao
- College of Fisheries, Key Lab of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Zhixin Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (GML, Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China
- Sanya Institute of Oceanology, SCSIO, Sanya, 572000, China
- Global Ocean and Climate Research Center, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Guangzhou, 510301, China
| | - Yali Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (GML, Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China
- Sanya Institute of Oceanology, SCSIO, Sanya, 572000, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Shiming Wan
- College of Fisheries, Key Lab of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Xin Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (GML, Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China
- Sanya Institute of Oceanology, SCSIO, Sanya, 572000, China
| | - Haiyan Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (GML, Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China
- Sanya Institute of Oceanology, SCSIO, Sanya, 572000, China
| | - Huixian Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (GML, Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China
- Sanya Institute of Oceanology, SCSIO, Sanya, 572000, China
| | - Yuhong Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (GML, Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China
- Sanya Institute of Oceanology, SCSIO, Sanya, 572000, China
| | - Ralf Schneider
- Marine Evolutionary Ecology, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, 24118, Kiel, Germany
| | - Axel Meyer
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464, Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Qiang Lin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (GML, Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China.
- Sanya Institute of Oceanology, SCSIO, Sanya, 572000, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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Alfaro-Shigueto J, Alfaro-Cordova E, Mangel JC. Review of threats to the Pacific seahorse Hippocampus ingens (Girard 1858) in Peru. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2022; 100:1327-1334. [PMID: 35420161 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Illegal wildlife trade has been identified as a major source of global commerce of seahorses. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora listed the genus Hippocampus in Appendix II in 2004, when several countries that commercialized these species also banned transactions through domestic legislation, Peru being one of them. Nevertheless, since the 2004 ban was decreed in Peru, transactions have continued, including international commerce, as well confiscations of illegal seahorse Hippocampus ingens (Girard 1858) products. The authors reviewed three official government sources for information on seahorse trade in Peru, identifying differences in the reporting of the two agencies that monitor exports and imports of seahorses, likely due to non-standardized use of product categorization codes (Partidas Arancelarias). Confiscations reported by one of the agencies confirmed that illegal trade continued despite the ban and in similar amounts of what was exported by Peru before the ban (1053 kg confiscated in 2019 vs. 1460 kg exported in 2004, an estimated 437,888 and 607,067 seahorses, respectively). This review highlights gaps in seahorse conservation in Peru, which include research gaps (e.g., taxonomy, biology and use of habitats) as well as the identification of fisheries impact and improvements in by-catch reporting. This review also highlights areas for possible improvement in international trade (e.g., standardized descriptions of Partidas) that ultimately would allow the country to follow the Convention for Illegal Trade of Endangered Species regulations for seahorses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Alfaro-Shigueto
- ProDelphinus, Lima, Peru
- Carrera de Biologia Marina, Universidad Cientifica del Sur, Lima, Peru
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Seahorse, Pipefish & Seadragon Specialist Group IUCN SSC, Peru
| | - Eliana Alfaro-Cordova
- ProDelphinus, Lima, Peru
- Carrera de Biologia Marina, Universidad Cientifica del Sur, Lima, Peru
| | - Jeffrey C Mangel
- ProDelphinus, Lima, Peru
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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Stadtländer CTK. The role of zoological institutions in a changing world: A review of
the ark and beyond: The evolution of zoo and aquarium conservation
Ben A.Minteer,JaneMaienschein, andJames B.CollinsChicago, IL.University of Chicago Press,2018,528pp., US$38.00, softcover, ISBN: 978‐0‐226‐53846‐4. Zoo Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Allan SJ, O'Connell MJ, Harasti D, Klanten OS, Booth DJ. Searching for seadragons: predicting micro-habitat use for the common (weedy) seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) based on habitat and prey. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2022; 100:935-943. [PMID: 35229283 PMCID: PMC9311067 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Habitat associations can be critical predictors of larger-scale organism distributions and range shifts. Here the authors consider how a critical habitat, kelp (Ecklonia radiata) and prey (mysid crustacean swarms), can influence small- and large-scale distribution on the iconic common (weedy) seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus:Syngnathidae). P. taeniolatus are charismatic fish endemic to the temperate reefs of southern Australia, reported to range from Geraldton, Western Australia (28.7667°S, 114.6167°E) around southern Australia to Port Stephens, New South Wales (32.614369°S, 152.325676°E). The authors test a previously developed model of seadragon habitat preferences to predict P. taeniolatus occurrence within four sites from Sydney to the northern limit of their range in eastern Australia. They determined that P. taeniolatus associations with Ecklonia and mysid shrimp can be extrapolated across multiple sites to predict the occurrence of individual P. taeniolatus within a location/site. For instance, the authors demonstrated a significant positive relationship between the density of mysid swarms and the density of P. taeniolatus, evident across all sites despite large differences in the density of mysid swarms among sites. The findings are the first to model P. taeniolatus habitat associations across multiple sites to the northern limit of their range and have applications in protecting P. taeniolatus populations and how they may respond under climate change scenarios, such as poleward kelp retractions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam J. Allan
- Fish Ecology Lab, School of Life SciencesUniversity of Technology SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Max J. O'Connell
- Fish Ecology Lab, School of Life SciencesUniversity of Technology SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - David Harasti
- Fisheries Research, NSW Department of Primary IndustriesPort Stephens Fisheries InstituteTaylors BeachNew South WalesAustralia
| | - O. Selma Klanten
- Fish Ecology Lab, School of Life SciencesUniversity of Technology SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - David J. Booth
- Fish Ecology Lab, School of Life SciencesUniversity of Technology SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
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Stiller J, Short G, Hamilton H, Saarman N, Longo S, Wainwright P, Rouse GW, Simison WB. Phylogenomic analysis of Syngnathidae reveals novel relationships, origins of endemic diversity and variable diversification rates. BMC Biol 2022; 20:75. [PMID: 35346180 PMCID: PMC8962102 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01271-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Seahorses, seadragons, pygmy pipehorses, and pipefishes (Syngnathidae, Syngnathiformes) are among the most recognizable groups of fishes because of their derived morphology, unusual life history, and worldwide distribution. Despite previous phylogenetic studies and recent new species descriptions of syngnathids, the evolutionary relationships among several major groups within this family remain unresolved. RESULTS Here, we provide a reconstruction of syngnathid phylogeny based on genome-wide sampling of 1314 ultraconserved elements (UCEs) and expanded taxon sampling to assess the current taxonomy and as a basis for macroevolutionary insights. We sequenced a total of 244 new specimens across 117 species and combined with published UCE data for a total of 183 species of Syngnathidae, about 62% of the described species diversity, to compile the most data-rich phylogeny to date. We estimated divergence times using 14 syngnathiform fossils, including nine fossils with newly proposed phylogenetic affinities, to better characterize current and historical biogeographical patterns, and to reconstruct diversification through time. We present a phylogenetic hypothesis that is well-supported and provides several notable insights into syngnathid evolution. We found nine non-monophyletic genera, evidence for seven cryptic species, five potentially invalid synonyms, and identified a novel sister group to the seahorses, the Indo-Pacific pipefishes Halicampus macrorhynchus and H. punctatus. In addition, the morphologically distinct southwest Pacific seahorse Hippocampus jugumus was recovered as the sister to all other non-pygmy seahorses. As found in many other groups, a high proportion of syngnathid lineages appear to have originated in the Central Indo-Pacific and subsequently dispersed to adjoining regions. Conversely, we also found an unusually high subsequent return of lineages from southern Australasia to the Central Indo-Pacific. Diversification rates rose abruptly during the Middle Miocene Climate Transition and peaked after the closure of the Tethys Sea. CONCLUSIONS Our results reveal a previously underappreciated diversity of syngnathid lineages. The observed biogeographic patterns suggest a significant role of the southern Australasian region as a source and sink of lineages. Shifts in diversification rates imply possible links to declining global temperatures, the separation of the Atlantic and Pacific faunas, and the environmental changes associated with these events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josefin Stiller
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, USA.
- Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Copenhagen, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Graham Short
- Ichthyology, Australian Museum, Sydney, Australia
- Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, USA
- Ichthyology, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Seattle, USA
| | | | - Norah Saarman
- Department of Biology and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Sarah Longo
- Department of Biological Science, Towson University, Towson, MD, 21252, USA
| | - Peter Wainwright
- Department of Evolution & Ecology, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Greg W Rouse
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, USA
| | - W Brian Simison
- Center for Comparative Genomics, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, USA
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