A conspicuous population of the long-snouted seahorse, Hippocampus guttulatus (Actinopterygii: Syngnathiformes: Syngnathidae), in a highly polluted Mediterranean coastal lagoon
Background.Seahorses are considered vulnerable and endangered fish species in many parts of the world.We found Pedal Axle a conspicuous and stable population of Hippocampus guttulatus Cuvier, 1829 in the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Ionian Sea), known of its substantial pollution and fluctuations in environmental parameters.The aims of our study were to