Fig. 3. Illustrations and photomicrographs depicting morphological differences in the Syngnathus fuscus (A,B) and Syngnathus floridae (C,D) male brood pouch. (A) Syngnathus fuscus are distinguished by their shorter snout length (I) and enclosure of developing embryos underneath a pouch-derived epithelium (II). Males form an enclosed brood pouch by the attachment of each flap to the ventral surface of the animal (III). (B) Blood vessels (asterisk) transverse the pouch flaps in close proximity to embedded developing embryos (arrow). (C) Syngnathus floridae, with the longer snout (I), attach embryos on only one face (II) to the pouch flap. The two flaps that form the pouch seal at the midline (III). (D) Lipid droplets (double-sided arrow) are distinguishable in the pouch secretions, and blood vessels (asterisk) pass below the embryo connection to the pouch flap (arrow).