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·泰勒先生获得了一项拨款，用于研究珊瑚礁鱼类所显示的绚丽色彩是否对吸引配偶和物种识别具有重要意义。大多数脊椎动物对颜色的感知是由眼睛中的一种称为视蛋白的蛋白质来传递的。视蛋白的颜色敏感度可以通过编码蛋白质的基因的遗传变化来改变。周围环境也会影响人们对颜色的感知。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，可以清除其他鱼类的寄生虫。因此，更干净的虎鱼的颜色可能对配偶识别和需要清洗的鱼类的识别都很重要。研究人员将通过比较同一物种的两个不同颜色的种群以及不同颜色的两个物种之间的视蛋白基因的DNA序列，来确定视蛋白的变化是否与较清洁的虎鱼的颜色变化相对应。此外，调查人员将使用水下光谱仪来量化这些虾虎鱼所占据的珊瑚的颜色反射率，以确定虾虎鱼是否选择珊瑚颜色来最大化它们对其他鱼类的颜色显示的表观强度。珊瑚礁拥有地球上一些最大的生物多样性，虾虎鱼是最大的海洋鱼类家族。这项研究将提供对导致这种多样性的过程的洞察。相似的虎鱼之间的颜色差异可以让它们在宣传清洁服务时占据不同的利基市场。通过颜色区分潜在配偶的能力增强，可能有助于减少不同颜色种群之间的基因交换，导致新物种的形成。总之，这些概念可以提供关于环境和颜色视觉如何相互作用的线索，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.