Doctoral Dissertation Research: Sensory Drive in a Variable Signaling Environment: An Investigation of Surfperch (Embiotocidae) Visual Communication

非技术摘要 可变信号环境下的感觉驱动：鲈鱼视觉交流的研究 生活在光学可变栖息地的动物在使用颜色进行交流时会遇到独特的视觉挑战。 颜色图案可以随着环境光的光谱分布的变化而改变外观。 加州沿海海洋环境表现出广泛的光谱条件取决于深度，水柱生产力，和海带冠层覆盖。 冲浪鱼是一个家庭的鱼生活在沿着光学可变加州海岸，并已演变成不同的颜色模式和独特的视觉求偶信号。 这项研究的具体目标是确定冲浪鲈鱼物种是否在特定的光谱条件下选择性地求爱，以及雌性对雄性的偏好是否受到光谱条件变化的影响。 要调查的第一个问题，测量不同的鱼类的视觉色素，鱼的颜色图案，并在各种鱼类活动的环境光条件下收集，重点比较光条件之间的求偶与非求偶活动。 第二个问题将通过一个水槽实验来解决，该实验操纵光环境并观察在不同光学条件下雌性对雄性求爱的反应。 该项目的主要意义在于更好地了解整个动物王国中信号多样性的演变。 然而，这项研究的意义超越了进化生物学，进入了光学海洋学和视觉科学领域，因为它是第一个研究浅水近岸环境中光谱变化的研究，并将通过研究具有特定环境约束的动物的视觉特性，更好地了解视觉系统的选择力。

Non-Technical Abstract Sensory Drive in a Variable Signaling Environment: An Investigation of Surfperch (Embiotocidae) Visual Communication Animals living in optically variable habitats encounter unique visual challenges when using color to communicate. Color patterns can change in appearance as the ambient light varies in its spectral distribution. The Californian coastal marine environment exhibits a wide range of spectral conditions depending on depth, water column productivity, and kelp canopy cover. Surfperch are a family of fish that live along optically variable Californian coast and have evolved diverse color patterns and distinct visual courtship signals. The specific goals of this research are to determine whethersurfperch species selectively court under specific spectral conditions, and whether female preference for males is affected by changes in spectral conditions. To investigate the first question, measurements of the visual pigments of the different fish species, the color patterns of the fish, and the ambient light conditions during various fish activities are collected with emphasis on comparing light conditions between courtship verses non-courtship activities. The second question will be address with a tank experiment that manipulates the light environment and observes female response to male courtship under different optical conditions. The primary significance of this project is in gaining a greater understanding of the evolution of signal diversity across the animal kingdom. However, the significance of this study reaches beyond evolutionary biology and into the fields of optical oceanography and visual science as it is the first study to examine the spectral variation in the shallow near-shore environment, and will provide a better understanding of the selective forces on the visual system by studying a visual properties of animals with particular environmental constraints.