Reverting ontogeny: rapid phenotypic plasticity of colour vision in cichlid fish.

ABSTRACT: Phenotypic plasticity, particularly during development, allows organisms to rapidly adjust to different environmental conditions. Yet, it is often unclear whether the extent and direction of plastic changes are restricted by an individual's ontogeny. Many species of cichlid fishes go through ontogenetic changes in visual sensitivity, from short to long wavelengths, by switching expression of cone opsin genes crucial for colour vision. During this progression, individuals often exhibit phenotypic plasticity to the ambient light conditions. However, it is commonly assumed that once an adult visual phenotype is reached, reverting to an earlier ontogenetic state with higher sensitivity at shorter wavelengths is not common. In this study, we experimentally demonstrate that four-month-old Midas

SUBMITTER: Harer A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6689635 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature