Speciation in fishes

Abstract

The field of speciation has seen much renewed interest in the past few years, with theoretical and empirical advances that have moved it from a descriptive field to a predictive and testable one. The goal of this review is to provide a general background on research on speciation as it pertains to fishes. Three major components to the question are first discussed: the spatial, ecological and sexual factors that influence speciation mechanisms. We then move to the latest developments in the field of speciation genomics. Affordable and rapidly available, massively parallel sequencing data allow speciation studies to converge into a single comprehensive line of investigation, where the focus has shifted to the search for speciation genes and genomic islands of speciation. We argue that fish present a very diverse array of scenarios, making them an ideal model to study speciation processes.

Cryptic lineage divergence in marine environments: genetic differentiation at multiple spatial and temporal scales in the widespread intertidal goby Gobiosoma bosc

“…and costly methods such as phylogenetic analysis or molecular barcoding (Bernardi, 2013;Brickford et al, 2007;von der Heyden et al, 2011;Knowlton, 1993Knowlton, , 2000. Several "cryptic" species of gobies have been described lately (Lima, Freitas, Araujo, & Solé-Cava, 2005;Neilson & Stepien, 2009;Stepien & Tumeo, 2006;Tang et al, 2010), although in most cases, morphological traits associated with these clades were found a posteriori, following identification of divergent clades using molecular data.…”

“…Recent research into diversification mechanisms in marine organisms using molecular data has revealed that pelagic larval stages, once thought to homogenize gene pools and prevent divergence, are often characterized by high levels of local recruitment (Barber, Palumbi, Erdmann, & Moosa, 2002;Jones, Milicich, Emslie, & Lunow, 1999;Swearer, Caselle, Lea, & Warner, 1999;Taylor & Hellberg, 2003), thus providing high potential for reduced gene flow and local adaptation (Bernardi, 2013). Therefore, although several studies have shown that fish population divergence can be consistent with geographic barriers (Rocha, Bass, Robertson, & Bowen, 2002;Shulman & Bermingham, 1995), an increasing number of studies are reporting results that are more consistent with the role of selection in driving speciation through local adaptation (Rocha & Bowen, 2008;Rocha, Robertson, Roman, & Bowen, 2005b;Taylor & Hellberg, 2005).…”

Population Genomics of Marine Fishes: Next-Generation Prospects and Challenges

“…Fish are a paraphyletic group of vertebrates that have evolved for the past 500 MY and comprise over 30,000 recognized species adapted to an incredible variety of conditions and habitats (Bernardi, 2013). For instance, some fish species, such as tunas (Thunnus spp.)…”

“…), can be found in highly variable habitats, including marine, brackish, and freshwater environments. This diversity allows broad comparative approaches, where genomic insights can provide important information about the molecular basis of adaptation and speciation processes (e.g., Bernardi, 2013;Cutter and Payseur, 2013;Seehausen et al, 2013). Species that occupy heterogeneous environments along their distribution range experience spatially varying selective pressures that can result in local adaptation of ecologically important traits (Kawecki and Ebert, 2004).…”

Tempo and mode of speciation in Holacanthus angelfishes based on RADseq markers

“…Speciation in marine fishes is similar to speciation in terrestrial organisms, in that it is generally subjected to a number of factors including behavior, demography, drift, and selection (Bernardi, 2013;Coyne and Orr, 2004). It is, however, unique in regards to dispersal, because marine fishes predominantly exhibit a bipartite life history with sedentary adults and a dispersive pelagic larval phase (Leis, 1991).…”