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Spots and stripes: ecology and colour pattern evolution in butterflyfishes
Jennifer L Kelley1, John L Fitzpatrick, Sami Merilaita
1Centre for Evolutionary Biology/Neuroecology Group, School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia. jennifer.kelley@uwa.edu.au
Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|February 22, 2013
Summary
Coral reef fish coloration diversity is vast, but ecological drivers are unclear. Butterflyfish spots and eyespots evolved recently and are unstable, unlike striped patterns which correlate with habitat and diet.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Ichthyology
- Ecology
Background:
- Coral reef fish exhibit remarkable color pattern diversity, with proposed functions for spots, eyespots, and stripes including predator defense and social communication.
- Previous research lacked definitive tests linking ecological factors to the evolution of these specific color patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct the first comparative analysis of color pattern evolution in butterflyfishes (Family: Chaetodontidae).
- To test the evolutionary consistency of proposed defensive functions for spots and eyespots.
- To investigate the correlation between body stripes and ecological factors like body length, diet, habitat, and social behavior.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a dated molecular phylogeny of 95 butterflyfish species (approximately 75% of the family).
- Performed comparative analyses to assess the evolutionary lability and ecological associations of different color patterns.
Main Results:
- Spots and eyespots evolved recently and are highly evolutionarily labile in butterflyfishes, challenging their proposed long-term defensive role.
- Striped body patterns demonstrated correlated evolution with habitat type, sociality, and dietary complexity.
- Findings suggest that eyespots may not universally function as an evolutionary response to predation pressure.
Conclusions:
- The evolutionary history of butterflyfish coloration is shaped by ecological factors, but not uniformly as previously assumed for all patterns.
- Stripes appear to be more strongly linked to ecological pressures than spots or eyespots in this family.
- This study provides a counterexample to the prevailing view of eyespots as solely an anti-predator adaptation.
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