Ontogenetic and phylogenetic simplification during white stripe evolution in clownfishes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Biologists have long been fascinated by the striking diversity of complex color patterns in tropical reef fishes. However, the origins and evolution of this diversity are still poorly understood. Disentangling the evolution of simple color patterns offers the opportunity to dissect both ultimate and proximate causes underlying color diversity.

Results

Here, we study clownfishes, a tribe of 30 species within the Pomacentridae that displays a relatively simple color pattern made of zero to three vertical white stripes on a dark body background. Mapping the number of white stripes on the evolutionary tree of clownfishes reveals that their color pattern diversification results from successive caudal to rostral losses of stripes. Moreover, we demonstrate that stripes a

SUBMITTER: Salis P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6123960 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature