Abstract
The general morphological shape of plant-resembling fish and plant parts were compared using a geometric morphometrics approach. Three plant-mimetic fish species, Lobotes surinamensis (Lobotidae), Platax orbicularis (Ephippidae) and Canthidermis maculata (Balistidae), were compared during their early developmental stages with accompanying plant debris (i.e., leaves of several taxa) in the coastal subtropical waters around Kuchierabu-jima Island, closely facing the Kuroshio Current. The degree of similarity shared between the plant parts and co-occurring fish species was quantified, however fish remained morphologically distinct from their plant models. Such similarities were corroborated by analysis of covariance and linear discriminant analysis, in which relative body areas of fish were strongly related to plant models. Our results strengthen the paradigm that morphological clues can lead to ecological evidence to allow predictions of behavioural and habitat choice by mimetic fish, according to the degree of similarity shared with their respective models. The resemblance to plant parts detected in the three fish species may provide fitness advantages via convergent evolutionary effects.
Highlights
Mimesis is defined as a phenotype evolved in response to selective pressures favouring individuals that can disguise their identity by masquerading as another organism (Pasteur, 1982; Skelhorn, Rowland & Ruxton, 2010; Skelhorn et al, 2010)
Studies focusing on morphology and geometric morphometrics frequently used fish species as models, and several authors have suggested that morphological clues can be used as ecological predictors from basic behavioural constraints, such as swimming mode (Walker, 2004; Comabella, Hurtado & García-Galano, 2010; Xiong & Lauder, 2014), feeding behaviour (Galis, 1990; Franssen, Goodchild & Shepard, 2015) and habitat choice (Loy et al, 1998; Gibran, 2010; Soares, Ruffeil & Montag, 2013), especially in juvenile fish, suggesting that such changes are important for improving fitness and increasing the chance for survival during subsequent ontogenetic stages (Barros et al, 2011; Comabella et al, 2013)
All-pooled data showed a relative tendency of the mimetic fish to resemble plant debris with ∼24% of the variation explained in PC1 and ∼10% of the variation explained in PC2 (ANOVA F2,52 = 40.97, P < 0.001, Fig. 2C), yet remaining morphologically distinct, as observed in the general Procrustes analysis (GPA) analyses
Summary
Mimesis is defined as a phenotype evolved in response to selective pressures favouring individuals that can disguise their identity by masquerading as another organism (Pasteur, 1982; Skelhorn, Rowland & Ruxton, 2010; Skelhorn et al, 2010). Studies focusing on morphology and geometric morphometrics frequently used fish species as models, and several authors have suggested that morphological clues can be used as ecological predictors from basic behavioural constraints, such as swimming mode (Walker, 2004; Comabella, Hurtado & García-Galano, 2010; Xiong & Lauder, 2014), feeding behaviour (Galis, 1990; Franssen, Goodchild & Shepard, 2015) and habitat choice (Loy et al, 1998; Gibran, 2010; Soares, Ruffeil & Montag, 2013), especially in juvenile fish, suggesting that such changes are important for improving fitness and increasing the chance for survival during subsequent ontogenetic stages (Barros et al, 2011; Comabella et al, 2013) Such a tool has not been used to establish comparisons among distant taxa belonging to completely different groups (i.e., fish and plants). All fish and plant models were observed and sampled from Kuchierabu-jima Island and its surrounding waters, which are subjected to a strong influence of Kuroshio Current
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