I'm not up on fish taxonomy, but it looks like it's possible Syngnathus leptorhynchus and S. californiensis might have been lumped? Is that your interpretation of this?
Ah ha! Okay, I'll look for a copy of the new key to see how they handle it.
Thanks for the lead!
Jackie
P.S. And I just noticed this paper (below), which might be the answer. After examining several species of pipefish along the West Coast, it sounds like most were not distinguishable --
"When S. leptorhynchus, S. californiensis, S. euchrous and S. exilis were analysed, there was little evidence for morphological separation and no detectable molecular distinction."
Garcia E, Rice CA, Eernisse DJ, Forsgren KL, Quimbayo JP, Rouse GW. Systematic relationships of sympatric pipefishes (Syngnathus spp.): A mismatch between morphological and molecular variation. J Fish Biol. 2019; 95: 999–1012. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.14073
I think it is more likely to be Syngnathus leptorhynchus but it would be nearly impossible to tell for sure.
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear from you, Matt!
ReplyDeleteI'm not up on fish taxonomy, but it looks like it's possible Syngnathus leptorhynchus and S. californiensis might have been lumped? Is that your interpretation of this?
https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=275226
And in that case, maybe the common names are confused? What used to be called Bay Pipefish and Kelp Pipefish are now one species?
Any thoughts are welcome!
:) Jackie
Hi Jackie, you raise a good point. I'm not sure, but there is a relatively new key that would be the definitive answer:
ReplyDeletehttps://shop.friendsofcabrilloaquarium.org/products/miller-and-lea-s-guide-to-the-coastal-marine-fishes-of-california
Ah ha! Okay, I'll look for a copy of the new key to see how they handle it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the lead!
Jackie
P.S. And I just noticed this paper (below), which might be the answer. After examining several species of pipefish along the West Coast, it sounds like most were not distinguishable --
"When S. leptorhynchus, S. californiensis, S. euchrous and S. exilis were analysed, there was little evidence for morphological separation and no detectable molecular distinction."
Garcia E, Rice CA, Eernisse DJ, Forsgren KL, Quimbayo JP, Rouse GW. Systematic relationships of sympatric pipefishes (Syngnathus spp.): A mismatch between morphological and molecular variation. J Fish Biol. 2019; 95: 999–1012. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.14073