A synthesis of European seahorse taxonomy, population structure, and habitat use as a basis for assessment, monitoring and conservation.

ABSTRACT: Accurate taxonomy, population demography, and habitat descriptors inform species threat assessments and the design of effective conservation measures. Here we combine published studies with new genetic, morphological and habitat data that were collected from seahorse populations located along the European and North African coastlines to help inform management decisions for European seahorses. This study confirms the presence of only two native seahorse species (Hippocampus guttulatus and H. hippocampus) across Europe, with sporadic occurrence of non-native seahorse species in European waters. For the two native species, our findings demonstrate that highly variable morphological characteristics, such as size and presence or number of cirri, are unreliable for distinguishing s

SUBMITTER: Woodall LC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5717113 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature