ESM 3. Balanophyllia europaea. Pair-wise comparisons among populations for the Young’s elastic modulus (stiffness), based on the term Pop x Age x Zone of the Permanova results. Population codes: CL = Calafuria, PL = Palinuro, PN = Pantelleria. Significant effects (p < 0.05) are indicated with an asterisk. The column “details” reports a textual description of the trend of stiffness highlighted by the pair-wise comparisons in relation to the observed values reported in ESM 1.

Groups compared / Pseudo-t / P (perm) / Details
Within aboral zones of immature individuals
CL vs PL / 1.7703 / 0.103 / Stiffness homogeneous among populations
CL vs PN / 0.57884 / 0.571
PL vs PN / 1.4227 / 0.169
Within middle zones of immature individuals
CL vs PL / 1.4447 / 0.135 / Stiffness homogeneous among populations
CL vs PN / 0.39475 / 0.727
PL vs PN / 1.4546 / 0.166
Within oral zones of immature individuals
CL vs PL / 3.8806 / 0.002* / Stiffness decreases from Calafuria to Pantelleria
CL vs PN / 2.7129 / 0.010*
PL vs PN / 1.5226 / 0.137
Within aboral zones of mature individuals
CL vs PL / 2.0329 / 0.061 / Stiffness decreases from Calafuria to Pantelleria
CL vs PN / 4.6642 / 0.001*
PL vs PN / 1.3607 / 0.204
Within middle zones of mature individuals
CL vs PL / 4.1407 / 0.002* / Stiffness decreases from Calafuria to Pantelleria
CL vs PN / 3.7524 / 0.001*
PL vs PN / 1.8309 / 0.072
Within oral zones of mature individuals
CL vs PL / 0.86443 / 0.369 / Stiffness decreases from Calafuria to Pantelleria
CL vs PN / 4.5571 / 0.001*
PL vs PN / 4.3785 / 0.001*
Within aboral zones of old individuals
CL vs PL / 3.7034 / 0.002* / Stiffness decreases from Calafuria to Pantelleria
CL vs PN / 4.9289 / 0.001*
PL vs PN / 1.5599 / 0.133
Within midle zones of old individuals
CL vs PL / 3.1623 / 0.003* / Stiffness decreases from Calafuria to Pantelleria
CL vs PN / 2.8430 / 0.004*
PL vs PN / 1.7146 / 0.098
Within oral zones of old individuals
CL vs PL / 1.3512 / 0.177 / Stiffness homogeneous among populations
CL vs PN / 0.2467 / 0.805
PL vs PN / 1.3262 / 0.189