Geographic Patterns of Head Morphology in <i>Syngnathus typhle</i> Across Marine Regions

Geographic patterns in head morphology can reveal important aspects of population structure and phenotypic differentiation in marine species. We investigated these patterns in the broad-nosed pipefish Syngnathus typhle Linnaeus, 1758, a coastal species widely distributed across distinct marine regions (Baltic, North, East Atlantic, and Mediterranean seas). Using landmark-based geometric morphometrics, we quantified head morphology variation in 241 live, wild-caught adults. Analyses revealed consistent geographic patterns in snout elongation, head depth, and eye position. Multivariate comparisons showed significant morphological separation among marine regions, with high classification success based solely on head morphology. These results indicate that S. typhle populations are spatially structured and not morphologically homogeneous across their range. Our findings demonstrate the utility of geometric morphometrics to detect subtle geographic variation in morphologically conservative taxa such as pipefish and provide a quantitative baseline for future research on phenotypic diversity and conservation management. Importantly, the study is based on non-invasive monitoring protocols using live animals.

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Publication Details

Journal
Integrative Zoology
Published
2026-03-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.70080
Primary Topic
Aquatic life and conservation
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Geographic Patterns of Head Morphology in Syngnathus typhle Across Marine Regions

E. Feunteun, Tamara Lazic, Vincent Bels, Nuno Namora Monteiro et al.
Integrative Zoology
Aquatic life and conservation
article

Geographic Patterns of Head Morphology in Syngnathus typhle Across Marine Regions

E. Feunteun, Tamara Lazic, Vincent Bels, Nuno Namora Monteiro, Marco Spoto, Bruno Serranito, Charlotta Kvarnemo, Michele Gristina, A. G. Guerra, Raphaël Cornette, Miriam Ravisato, Glenn Le Floch, Luca Giannattasio, José J. Castro‐Hernandez, Cataldo Pierri, Patrick Louisy, Beatriz Staboada
article en

Abstract

Geographic patterns in head morphology can reveal important aspects of population structure and phenotypic differentiation in marine species. We investigated these patterns in the broad-nosed pipefish Syngnathus typhle Linnaeus, 1758, a coastal species widely distributed across distinct marine regions (Baltic, North, East Atlantic, and Mediterranean seas). Using landmark-based geometric morphometrics, we quantified head morphology variation in 241 live, wild-caught adults. Analyses revealed consistent geographic patterns in snout elongation, head depth, and eye position. Multivariate comparisons showed significant morphological separation among marine regions, with high classification success based solely on head morphology. These results indicate that S. typhle populations are spatially structured and not morphologically homogeneous across their range. Our findings demonstrate the utility of geometric morphometrics to detect subtle geographic variation in morphologically conservative taxa such as pipefish and provide a quantitative baseline for future research on phenotypic diversity and conservation management. Importantly, the study is based on non-invasive monitoring protocols using live animals.

Integrative Zoology
Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ES), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), École Pratique des Hautes Études (FR), Universidade do Porto (PT), Université du littoral côte d'opale (FR), Sorbonne Université (FR), AGIR à dom (FR), Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (FR), Biologie des Organismes et Écosystèmes Aquatiques (FR), Grieg Seafood (Canada) (CA), National Research Council (IT), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (FR), University of Bari Aldo Moro (IT), University of Gothenburg (SE)
Life below water
Openalex Percentile: Top 5%
Aquatic life and conservation
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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