CHROMOSOMAL DIVERSITY IN TROPICAL REEF FISHES IS RELATED TO BODY SIZE AND DEPTH RANGE

MARTINEZ P. A; ZURANO J. P.; AMADO T. F; PENONE C; BENTANCUR R.; BIDAU C.; JACOBINA U

MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION

ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE

Año: 2015 vol. 93 p. 1 - 4

1055-7903

Tropical reef fishes show contrasting patterns of karyotypic diversity. Some families have a high chromosomalconservatism while others show wide variation in karyotypic macrostructure. However, the influenceof life-history traits on karyotypic diversity is largely unknown. Using phylogenetic comparativemethods, we assessed the effects of larval and adult species traits on chromosomal diversity rates of280 reef species in 24 families. We employed a novel approach to account for trait variation within familiesas well as phylogenetic uncertainties. We found a strong negative relationship between karyotypicdiversity rates and body size and depth range. These results suggest that lineages with higher dispersalpotential and gene flow possess lower karyotypic diversity. Taken together, these results provideevidence that biological traits might modulate the rate of karyotypic diversity in tropical reef fishes.