Meeting Abstract

P2.153  Sunday, Jan. 5 15:30  Morphology as a predictor of female reproductive investment in the sex role reversed Gulf pipefish, Syngnathus scovelli FRAKER, T.L.*; WALLACE , J.A.S.; NAVARRO, A.; DEATON HAYNES, R.; SCOBELL , S.K.; St. Edward’s University; St. Edward’s University; St. Edward’s University; St. Edward’s University; St. Edward’s University; Brooklyn College tamfraker@gmail.com

Gulf pipefish (Family Syngnathidae) exhibit a phenomenon known as sex role reversal, where polyandrous females compete intensely for males and place eggs into a male brood pouch, resulting in male pregnancy. Because males are the limiting sex, females show elaborate courtship and display behaviors, and possess ornaments such as iridescent lateral bars to attract mates. It is known that males prefer larger females with higher bar numbers and a larger total bar area, but it remains unknown whether other female characters influence male mate choice, female-female competitive interactions, and female reproduction. Using a multivariate approach, this study will characterize several additional, but less explored, morphological characters of female pipefish as potential predictors of female reproductive investment. To date, 150 mature female Gulf pipefish have been dissected, measured, photographed and weighed. In addition, ovaries have been removed and weighed to obtain gonodosomatic index (as a measure of reproductive investment). ImageJ will be used to assess several phenotypic characters that may be indicators of reproductive investment (e.g. number and area of bars, size of the dorsal fin, body depth and length, and others). Using these data, we will determine what characters (or combinations of characters) are most predictive of female fecundity. This study represents the first step in a series of studies investigating potential population-level morphological and reproductive life history differences in Gulf pipefish.