title: Genetic evidence for monogamy in the dwarf seahorse, Hippocampus zosterae.
abstract: Syngnathid fishes (pipefishes, seahorses, and seadragons) exhibit a wide array of mating systems ranging from monogamy with long-term pair bonds to more promiscuous mating systems, such as polyandry and polygynandry. Some seahorses, including the dwarf seahorse Hippocampus zosterae, have been found to be socially monogamous. Although several seahorse species have also been shown to be genetically monogamous, parentage analysis has not yet been applied to the dwarf seahorse. We developed 8 novel microsatellites for the dwarf seahorse to conduct genetic parentage analysis to confirm that this species is indeed monogamous. Using 4 selected loci and a total of 16 pregnant male seahorses, with 8 collected in Florida and 8 sampled in Texas, we genotyped all of the offspring within each male's brood to determine the maternal contributions to each brood. We found a maximum of 4 alleles per locus segregating within each pregnant male's brood, a pattern consistent with each brood having exactly 1 mother and 1 father. These results support previous laboratory-based behavioral studies and indicate that the dwarf seahorse, H. zosterae, is genetically monogamous.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843 (Rose, Small, Saucedo, Harper, and Jones); and the Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403 (Small). erose@bio.tamu.edu.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843 (Rose, Small, Saucedo, Harper, and Jones); and the Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403 (Small).
authors.forename: Clayton M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Small
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843 (Rose, Small, Saucedo, Harper, and Jones); and the Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403 (Small).
authors.forename: Hector A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Saucedo
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843 (Rose, Small, Saucedo, Harper, and Jones); and the Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403 (Small).
authors.forename: Cristin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harper
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843 (Rose, Small, Saucedo, Harper, and Jones); and the Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403 (Small).
authors.forename: Adam G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D012098:Reproduction / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D023701:Smegmamorpha / Q000235:genetics*
keywords: Syngnathidae; mating system; microsatellite; parentage analysis; sexual selection