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Martinez CM, Corn KA, Williamson S, Satterfield D, Roberts-Hugghis AS, Barley A, Borstein SR, McGee MD, Wainwright PC. Replicated Functional Evolution in Cichlid Adaptive Radiations. Am Nat 2024; 204:242-257. [PMID: 39179237 DOI: 10.1086/731477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/26/2024]
Abstract
AbstractAdaptive radiations highlight the mechanisms by which species and traits diversify and the extent to which these patterns are predictable. We used 1,110 high-speed videos of suction feeding to study functional and morphological diversification in 300 cichlid species from three African Great Lake radiations of varying ages (Victoria, Malawi, and Tanganyika) and an older, spatially dispersed continental radiation in the Neotropics. Among African radiations, standing diversity was reflective of time. Morphological and functional variance in Lake Victoria, the youngest radiation, was a subset of that within Lake Malawi, which itself was nested within the older Tanganyikan radiation. However, functional diversity in Neotropical cichlids was often lower than that in Lake Tanganyika, despite being much older. These two radiations broadly overlapped, but each diversified into novel trait spaces not found in the youngest lake radiations. Evolutionary rates across radiations were inversely related to age, suggesting extremely rapid trait evolution at early stages, particularly in lake radiations. Despite this support for early bursts, other patterns of trait diversity were inconsistent with expectations of adaptive radiations. This work suggests that cichlid functional evolution has played out in strikingly similar fashion in different radiations, with contingencies eventually resulting in lineage-specific novelties.
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Ng I, Bellwood DR, Strugnell JM, Parravicini V, Siqueira AC. The rise of dietary diversity in coral reef fishes. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20241004. [PMID: 39191284 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.1004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Diet has been identified as a major driver of reef fish lineage diversification, producing one of the most speciose vertebrate assemblages today. Yet, there is minimal understanding of how, when and why diet itself has evolved. To address this, we used a comprehensive gut content dataset, alongside a recently developed phylogenetic comparative method to assess multivariate prey use across a diverse animal assemblage, coral reef fishes. Specifically, we investigated the diversification, transitions and phylogenetic conservatism of fish diets through evolutionary time. We found two major pulses of diet diversification: one at the end-Cretaceous and one during the Eocene, suggesting that the Cretaceous-Palaeogene mass extinction probably provided the initial ecological landscape for fish diets to diversify. The birth of modern families during the Eocene then provided the foundation for a second wave of dietary expansion. Together, our findings showcase the role of extinction rebound events in shaping the dietary diversity of fishes on present-day coral reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Ng
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University , Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - David R Bellwood
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University , Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Jan M Strugnell
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University , Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Valeriano Parravicini
- PSL Université Paris: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR3278 CRIOBE, University of Perpignan , Perpignan 66860, France
- Institut Universitaire de France , Paris, France
| | - Alexandre C Siqueira
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University , Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
- Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research, School of Science, Edith Cowan University , Joondalup, Western Australia 6027, Australia
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Burress ED, Hart PB. Pelagic zone is an evolutionary catalyst, but an ecological dead end, for North American minnows. Evolution 2024; 78:1396-1404. [PMID: 38644756 DOI: 10.1093/evolut/qpae062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
The colonization of a novel geographic area is a classic source of ecological opportunity. Likewise, complex microhabitats are thought to promote biodiversity. We sought to reconcile these two predictions when they are naturally opposing outcomes. We assess the macroevolutionary consequences of an ancestral shift from benthic to pelagic microhabitat zones on rates of speciation and phenotypic evolution in North American minnows. Pelagic species have more similar phenotypes and slower rates of phenotypic evolution, but faster speciation rates, than benthic species. These are likely two independent, opposing responses to specialization along the benthic-pelagic axis, as rates of phenotypic evolution and speciation are not directly correlated. The pelagic zone is more structurally homogenous and offers less ecological opportunity, acting as an ecological dead end for minnows. In contrast, pelagic species may be more mobile and prone to dispersal and subsequent geographic isolation and, consequently, experience elevated instances of allopatric speciation. Microhabitat shifts can have decoupled effects on different dimensions of biodiversity, highlighting the need for nuance when interpreting the macroevolutionary consequences of ecological opportunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward D Burress
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, United States
| | - Pamela B Hart
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, United States
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Mihalitsis M, Wainwright PC. Feeding kinematics of a surgeonfish reveal novel functions and relationships to reef substrata. Commun Biol 2024; 7:13. [PMID: 38172236 PMCID: PMC10764775 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05696-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Biting to obtain attached benthic prey characterizes a large number of fish species on coral reefs, and is a feeding mode that contributes to important ecosystem functions. We use high-speed video to reveal the mechanisms used by a surgeonfish, Acanthurus leucosternon, to detach algae. After gripping algae in its jaws, the species pulls it by ventrally rotating both the head and the closed jaws, in a novel use of the intra-mandibular joint. These motions remain in the plane of the fish, reducing the use of a lateral head flick to detach the algae. The novel ability to bite and pull algae off the substrate without bending the body laterally minimizes exposure to high water flows, and may be an adaptation to feeding in challenging reef habitats such as the crest and flat. Therefore, our results could potentially represent a key milestone in the evolutionary history of coral reef trophodynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michalis Mihalitsis
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
| | - Peter C Wainwright
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
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Torgersen KT, Bouton BJ, Hebert AR, Kleyla NJ, Plasencia X, Rolfe GL, Tagliacollo VA, Albert JS. Phylogenetic structure of body shape in a diverse inland ichthyofauna. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20758. [PMID: 38007528 PMCID: PMC10676429 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48086-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Body shape is a fundamental metric of animal diversity affecting critical behavioral and ecological dynamics and conservation status, yet previously available methods capture only a fraction of total body-shape variance. Here we use structure-from-motion (SFM) 3D photogrammetry to generate digital 3D models of adult fishes from the Lower Mississippi Basin, one of the most diverse temperate-zone freshwater faunas on Earth, and 3D geometric morphometrics to capture morphologically distinct shape variables, interpreting principal components as growth fields. The mean body shape in this fauna resembles plesiomorphic teleost fishes, and the major dimensions of body-shape disparity are similar to those of other fish faunas worldwide. Major patterns of body-shape disparity are structured by phylogeny, with nested clades occupying distinct portions of the morphospace, most of the morphospace occupied by multiple distinct clades, and one clade (Acanthomorpha) accounting for over half of the total body shape variance. In contrast to previous studies, variance in body depth (59.4%) structures overall body-shape disparity more than does length (31.1%), while width accounts for a non-trivial (9.5%) amount of the total body-shape disparity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alyx R Hebert
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana, Lafayette, USA
| | - Noah J Kleyla
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana, Lafayette, USA
| | | | - Garrett L Rolfe
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana, Lafayette, USA
| | | | - James S Albert
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana, Lafayette, USA
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Mitochondriomics of Clarias Fishes (Siluriformes: Clariidae) with a New Assembly of Clarias camerunensis: Insights into the Genetic Characterization and Diversification. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13020482. [PMID: 36836839 PMCID: PMC9960581 DOI: 10.3390/life13020482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The mitogenome of an endemic catfish Clarias camerunensis was determined from the Cameroon water. This circular mitogenome was 16,511 bp in length and comprised 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNAs, 22 transfer RNAs, and a single AT-rich control region. The heavy strand accommodates 28 genes, whereas the light strand is constituted by ND6 and eight transfer RNA (tRNA) genes. The C. camerunensis mitochondrial genome is AT biased (56.89%), as showcased in other Clarias species. The comparative analyses revealed that most of the Clarias species have 6 overlapping and 11 intergenic spacer regions. Most of the PCGs were initiated and terminated with the ATG start codon and TAA stop codon, respectively. The tRNAs of C. camerunensis folded into the distinctive cloverleaf secondary structure, except trnS1. The placement of the conserved domains in the control region was similar in all the Clarias species with highly variable nucleotides in CSB-I. Both maximum likelihood and Bayesian-based matrilineal phylogenies distinctly separated all Clarias species into five clades on the basis of their known distributions (South China, Sundaland, Indochina, India, and Africa). The TimeTree analysis revealed that the two major clades (Indo-Africa and Asia) of Clarias species might have diverged during the Paleogene (≈28.66 MYA). Our findings revealed the separation of Indian species (C. dussumieri) and African species (C. camerunensis and Clarias gariepinus) took place during the Paleogene, as well as the South Chinese species (Clarias fuscus) and Sundaland species (Clarias batrachus) splits from the Indochinese species (Clarias macrocephalus) during the Neogene through independent colonization. This pattern of biotic relationships highlights the influence of topography and geological events in determining the evolutionary history of Clarias species. The enrichment of mitogenomic data and multiple nuclear loci from their native range or type locality will confirm the true diversification of Clarias species in African and Asian countries.
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Mihalitsis M, Morais RA, Bellwood DR. Small predators dominate fish predation in coral reef communities. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001898. [PMID: 36445867 PMCID: PMC9707750 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecosystem processes are challenging to quantify at a community level, particularly within complex ecosystems (e.g., rainforests, coral reefs). Predation is one of the most important types of species interactions, determining several ecosystem processes. However, while it is widely recognised, it is rarely quantified, especially in aquatic systems. To address these issues, we model predation on fish by fish, in a hyperdiverse coral reef community. We show that body sizes previously examined in fish-fish predation studies (based on a metanalysis), only represent about 5% of likely predation events. The average fish predator on coral reefs is just 3.65 cm; the average fish prey just 1.5 cm. These results call for a shift in the way we view fish predation and its ability to shape the species or functional composition of coral reef fish communities. Considered from a functional group approach, we found general agreement in the distribution of simulated and observed predation events, among both predator and prey functional groups. Predation on coral reefs is a process driven by small fish, most of which are neither seen nor quantified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michalis Mihalitsis
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Renato A. Morais
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - David R. Bellwood
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
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