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Ontogenetic and phylogenetic simplification during white stripe evolution in clownfishes

Overview of attention for article published in BMC Biology, September 2018
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Title
Ontogenetic and phylogenetic simplification during white stripe evolution in clownfishes
Published in
BMC Biology, September 2018
DOI 10.1186/s12915-018-0559-7
Pubmed ID
Authors

Pauline Salis, Natacha Roux, Olivier Soulat, David Lecchini, Vincent Laudet, Bruno Frédérich

Abstract

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. 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 always appear with a rostral to caudal stereotyped sequence during larval to juvenile transition. Drug treatments (TAE 684) during this period leads to a dose-dependent loss of stripes, demonstrating that white stripes are made of iridophores and that these cells initiate the stripe formation. Surprisingly, juveniles of several species (e.g., Amphiprion frenatus) have supplementary stripes when compared to their respective adults. These stripes disappear caudo-rostrally during the juvenile phase leading to the definitive color pattern. Remarkably, the reduction of stripe number over ontogeny matches the sequences of stripe losses during evolution, showing that color pattern diversification among clownfish lineages results from changes in developmental processes. Finally, we reveal that the diversity of striped patterns plays a key role for species recognition. Overall, our findings illustrate how developmental, ecological, and social processes have shaped the diversification of color patterns during the radiation of an emblematic coral reef fish lineage.

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Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Unknown 88 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Ph. D. Student 15 17%
Student > Bachelor 14 16%
Student > Master 11 13%
Researcher 9 10%
Professor 4 5%
Other 11 13%
Unknown 24 27%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 37 42%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 10 11%
Environmental Science 3 3%
Medicine and Dentistry 3 3%
Psychology 2 2%
Other 8 9%
Unknown 25 28%