DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Covariation of opsin proteins and coloration in a Caribbean goby species complex

路易斯安那州立大学的迈克尔·赫尔伯格博士和迈克尔·泰勒先生获得了一笔拨款，用于研究珊瑚礁鱼类所显示的鲜艳颜色是否对吸引配偶和物种识别很重要。大多数脊椎动物的颜色感知是由眼睛里一种叫做视蛋白的蛋白质赋予的。视蛋白的颜色敏感性可以通过编码蛋白质的基因的遗传变化而改变。周围环境也会影响色彩感知。具有重要生态意义的清洁虾虎鱼（Elacatinus属）是一种颜色鲜艳的鱼，可以清除其他鱼类身上的寄生虫。因此，清洁虾虎鱼的颜色可能对配偶识别和需要清洁的鱼的识别都很重要。研究人员将通过比较来自同一物种的两个不同颜色种群和两个不同颜色种群的视蛋白基因的DNA序列，来确定视蛋白的变化是否与清洁虾虎鱼的颜色变化相对应。此外，研究人员将使用水下光谱辐射计来量化这些虾虎鱼所占据的珊瑚的颜色反射率，以确定虾虎鱼是否会选择最大程度地向其他鱼类显示颜色的珊瑚颜色。珊瑚礁拥有地球上最丰富的生物多样性，而虾虎鱼是最大的海洋鱼类家族。这项研究将深入了解导致这种多样性的过程。相似的虾虎鱼之间的颜色差异可以让它们在宣传自己的清洁服务时占据不同的位置。通过颜色区分潜在配偶的能力增强有助于减少不同颜色种群之间的基因交换，从而导致新物种的形成。总之，这些概念可以提供线索，了解环境和色觉如何相互作用，以帮助产生在珊瑚礁上观察到的生物多样性。

A grant has been awarded to Dr. Michael Hellberg and Mr. Michael Taylor at Louisiana State University to study whether the brilliant colors displayed by coral reef fishes are important for mate attraction and species recognition. Color perception by most vertebrate animals is conferred by proteins in the eyes called opsins. Color sensitivity of opsins can be altered by genetic changes to the genes coding for the proteins. The surrounding environment also affects color perception. The ecologically important cleaner gobies (genus Elacatinus) are brightly colored fishes that remove parasites from other fishes. Thus, coloration in cleaner gobies may be important both for mate recognition and for recognition by fishes that need cleaning. The investigators will determine whether changes in opsin proteins correspond with coloration changes of the cleaner gobies by comparing DNA sequences of opsin genes from two differently colored populations of a single species, and between two species with different colors. Additionally, the investigators will use an underwater spectroradiometer to quantify the color reflectivity of the corals occupied by these gobies to determine whether gobies choose coral colors that maximize the apparent intensity of their color display to other fishes.Coral reefs contain some of the greatest biodiversity on earth, and gobies are the largest family of marine fishes. This study will provide insight into the processes that lead to such diversity. Coloration differences between similar gobies can allow them to occupy different niches while advertising their cleaning services. An enhanced ability to distinguish potential mates by coloration could help to reduce genetic exchange between differently colored populations, leading to the formation of new species. Together, these concepts could provide clues about how environment and color vision interact to help generate the biodiversity observed on coral reefs.