Serial monogamy in the European long-snouted seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus |
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Authors: | Lucy C Woodall Heather J Koldewey and Paul W Shaw |
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Institution: | (1) School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, TW20 0EX, UK;(2) Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, UK;(3) Institute of Biological, Environmental & Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DA, UK;(4) School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK |
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Abstract: | Seahorses (Hippocampus spp.) are non-sex-role-reversed members of the Syngnathidae family that provide extensive brood care. Previous studies of
seahorses have revealed monogamy within a single brood, but their longer term mating system had not been comprehensively evaluated.
The parental contribution to 29 wild-born broods of Hippocampus guttulatus, sampled from six Portuguese populations with differing seahorse densities and sex ratios, was assessed using microsatellite
DNA markers. To assess the longer term genetic mating system of this species parentage was determined in eleven broods sampled
from a captive population over two breeding seasons. Genetic data suggest that this socially polygamous seahorse is serially
monogamous across breeding seasons, i.e. monogamous within a season but may switch mates between seasons, and that differing
population densities and sex ratios do not affect the mating system. |
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Keywords: | |
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