Seadragon genome analysis provides insights into its phenotype and sex determination locus

The iconic phenotype of seadragons includes leaf-like appendages, a toothless tubular mouth, and male pregnancy involving incubation of fertilized eggs on an open brood patch. We de novo-sequenced male and female genomes of the common seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) and its closely related species, the alligator pipefish (Syngnathoides biaculeatus). Transcription profiles from an evolutionary novelty, the leaf-like appendages, show that a set of genes typically involved in fin development have been co-opted as well as an enrichment of transcripts for potential tissue repair and immune defense genes. The zebrafish mutants for scpp5, which is lost in all syngnathids, were found to lack or have deformed pharyngeal teeth, supporting the hypothesis that the loss of scpp5 has contributed to the loss of teeth in syngnathids. A putative sex-determining locus encoding a male-specific amhr2y gene shared by common seadragon and alligator pipefish was identified.

Automated summary

The study reveals that the iconic features of seadragons have evolved through co-option of genes, including leaf-like appendages, a toothless tubular mouth, and male pregnancy involving incubation of fertilized eggs. Additionally, the loss of a specific gene, scpp5, may contribute to the tooth loss in syngnathids, and a putative sex-determining locus encoding a male-specific gene shared by common seadragon and alligator pipefish has been identified.