Phylogenetic Correlation Between Male Nuptial Color and Behavioral Responses to Color Across a Diverse and Colorful Genus of Freshwater Fish (<i>Etheostoma</i> spp., Teleostei: Percidae)

Ciccotto, Patrick J.; Mendelson, Tamra C.

doi:10.1111/eth.12465

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 64 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This is consistent with the idea that red fluorescent fins could act as an enhancer of sexual signals in mate choice and male-male competition (e.g., in haremic systems), and generalizes earlier findings that orange and red fin displays are important in within-species intrasexual communication in wrasses (Braun et al, 2014;Gerlach et al, 2014). The degree to which male fluorescent color displays are indeed preferred by females should be tested in experiments similar to those that revealed phylogenetic associations between male coloration and female preference in darters (Ciccotto and Mendelson, 2016b), and then be matched with measurements of spectral sensitivity to assess co-evolution between color pattern and sensory capacities (Pauers et al, 2016).…”

Section: Hypothesis 5: Red Fluorescence Associated With Sexual Dimorpsupporting

confidence: 62%

Diversity and Ecological Correlates of Red Fluorescence in Marine Fishes

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Marine environments at depths below −10 to −25 m are almost devoid of ambient red sunlight because water quickly attenuates long wavelengths. This stenospectral light environment presents unique opportunities for organisms that can transform ambient blue-green light into red light by fluorescence. Numerous marine fish species display intricate patterns of fluorescence. Because color vision is a key component of fish sensory ecology, several putative visual functions of red fluorescence have been proposed but are difficult to test experimentally. Here, we follow a comparative approach to assess the consistency between the phylogenetic distribution of red fluorescence with its presumed functions. We collected and analyzed the largest data set of red fluorescence in fishes to date, consisting of confirmed cases in 272 primarily diurnal fish species from 49 out of 90 surveyed fish families and 12 out of 21 surveyed fish orders, contrasted to 393 fish species with confirmed absence of red fluorescence. Based on a priori hypotheses on adaptive function, we compare the prevalence of red fluorescence among pre-defined sets of species based on ecological or biological characteristics while controlling for shared ancestry. When comparing between species, we find no evidence that red fluorescence is more prevalent in deep-water species, contrasting with our recent finding that fluorescence brightness increases with depth within species. There is also no evidence for a role in group-driven communication. Phylogenetic patterns are consistent, however, with three other predictions. First, fluorescence with a rather patchy distribution across the body occurred significantly more often among sit-and-wait predators or otherwise sedentary fish than in more mobile species, consistent with background matching for camouflage. Second, small, predatory fishes tended to show red fluorescent irides disproportionally often consistent with a proposed function in prey localization. Finally, sexually dimorphic species showed fluorescent fins more often, as predicted if relevant in sexual communication. From these findings, we derive predictions for experimental investigations of the presumed functions of red fluorescence.

show abstract

Section: Hypothesis 5: Red Fluorescence Associated With Sexual Dimorpsupporting

confidence: 62%

Diversity and Ecological Correlates of Red Fluorescence in Marine Fishes

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…, Ciccotto et al. , Ciccotto and Mendelson , Roberts and Mendelson , Roberts et al. ); moreover, darters are stream‐dwelling fish for which olfactory cues may be relatively ineffective.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Only visual signals could be communicated in this experimental design. Several studies have shown that darters exhibit preferences based on visual cues alone (Fuller 2003, Williams and Mendelson 2010, Williams et al 2013, Ciccotto et al 2013, Ciccotto and Mendelson 2016; moreover, darters are stream-dwelling fish for which olfactory cues may be relatively ineffective. Importantly, however, we compare our results with those of a previous study testing mate choice in the same focal species pairs in artificial streams, where individuals had full physical access to mates and expressed their preferences by spawning (Martin and Mendelson 2016b, see next).…”

Section: Preference Trialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preference for conspecifics evolves earlier in males than females in a sexually dimorphic radiation of fishes

et al. 2017

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Speciation by sexual selection is generally modeled as the coevolution of female preferences and elaborate male ornaments leading to behavioral (sexual) reproductive isolation. One prediction of these models is that female preference for conspecific males should evolve earlier than male preference for conspecific females in sexually dimorphic species with male ornaments. We tested that prediction in darters, a diverse group of freshwater fishes with sexually dimorphic ornamentation. Focusing on the earliest stages of divergence, we tested preference for conspecific mates in males and females of seven closely related species pairs. Contrary to expectation, male preference for conspecific females was significantly greater than female preference for conspecific males. Males in four of the 14 species significantly preferred conspecific females; whereas, females in no species significantly preferred conspecific males. Relationships between the strength of preference for conspecifics and genetic distance revealed no difference in slope between males and females, but a significant difference in intercept, also suggesting that male preference evolves earlier than females'. Our results are consistent with other recent studies in darters and suggest that the coevolution of female preferences and male ornaments may not best explain the earliest stages of behavioral isolation in this lineage.

show abstract

“…). Phylogenetic comparisons of female color preferences across several species in Etheostoma demonstrate a correlation between the presence of red/orange color in males and the strength of female preference for red, with most achromatic species lacking color preferences (Ciccotto and Mendelson ). Sexual selection via female color preferences thus appears to play an important role in promoting chromatic ornamentation in darters.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ecological drivers of nuptial color evolution in darters (Percidae: Etheostomatinae)

Ciccotto

Mendelson

2016

Evolution

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Closely related animal lineages often vary in male coloration, and ecological selection is hypothesized to shape this variation. The role of ecological selection in inhibiting male color has been documented extensively at the population level, but relatively few studies have investigated the evolution of male coloration across a clade of closely related species. Darters are a diverse group of fishes that vary in the presence of elaborate male nuptial coloration, with some species exhibiting vivid color patterns and others mostly or entirely achromatic. We used phylogenetic logistic regression to test for correlations between the presence/absence of color traits across darter species and the ecological conditions in which these species occur. Environmental variables were correlated with the presence of nuptial color in darters with colorful species tending to inhabit environments that would support fewer predators and potentially transmit a broader spectrum of natural light compared to species lacking male coloration. We also tested the color preferences of a common darter predator, largemouth bass, and found that it exhibits a strong preference for red, providing further evidence of predation as a source of selection on color evolution in darters. Ecological selection therefore appears to be an important factor in dictating the presence or absence of male coloration in this group of fishes.

show abstract

Phylogenetic Correlation Between Male Nuptial Color and Behavioral Responses to Color Across a Diverse and Colorful Genus of Freshwater Fish (Etheostoma spp., Teleostei: Percidae)

Cited by 8 publications

References 64 publications

Diversity and Ecological Correlates of Red Fluorescence in Marine Fishes

Diversity and Ecological Correlates of Red Fluorescence in Marine Fishes

Preference for conspecifics evolves earlier in males than females in a sexually dimorphic radiation of fishes

The ecological drivers of nuptial color evolution in darters (Percidae: Etheostomatinae)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About