Nuptial coloration of red shiners (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cyprinella lutrensis</Emphasis>) is more intense in turbid habitats |
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Authors: | Matthew B Dugas Nathan R Franssen |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Zoology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA |
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Abstract: | Communication is shaped and constrained by the signaling environment. In aquatic habitats, turbidity can reduce both the quantity
and quality of ambient light and has been implicated in the breakdown of visual signaling. Here, we examined the relationship
between turbidity (quantified with long-term data) and the expression of carotenoid-based nuptial coloration in the red shiner
(Cyprinella lutrensis), a small-bodied cyprinid. Males in more turbid habitats displayed redder fins, and an experimental manipulation of adult
diet suggested that carotenoid intake alone did not explain among-population color differences. These results run counter
to similar studies where signal expression decreased in turbid conditions, and may be explained by the non-territorial red
shiner mating system, interactions between the mechanism of coloration and the signaling environment, or reduced cost of color
expression in turbid habitats (e.g., reduced predation risk). Our results highlight how the behavioral and ecological contexts
in which signals function can shape evolutionary responses to the environment. |
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