Dr. Adam Jones studies the sexual selection and functional genomics of fish in the Syngnathidae family that includes seahorses, pipefishes, and seadragons.

The Genomics of Seahorses and Pipefishes

The fish family Syngnathidae includes pipefishes, seahorses, and seadragons. These species are unique among animals in that the males become pregnant. That is, during mating, the female transfers eggs to the male's body, where they are fertilized. The offspring are carried by the male until they are born as free-swimming, independent young. The phenomenon of male pregnancy has made these fishes a group of special interest for the study of sexual selection. These fishes also exhibit striking variation in overall morphology. These unique characteristics, including substantial divergence and convergent evolution, make this group appealing for comparative purposes. I will discuss how basic research on syngnathid fishes, combined with recent technological advances, have allowed us to turn the family Syngnathidae into a model system for comparative genomics and sexual selection research.

3:50 Snacks & Socializing
4:10 Talk Begins