Reef fish hybridization: Lessons learnt from butterflyfishes (genus Chaetodon)

Natural hybridization is widespread among coral reef fishes. However, the ecological promoters and evolutionary consequences of reef fish hybridization have not been thoroughly evaluated. Butterflyfishes form a high number of hybrids and represent an appropriate group to investigate hybridization in...

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Main Authors: Montanari, S., van Herwerden, L., Pratchett, M., Hobbs, Jean-Paul, Fugedi, A.
Format: Journal Article
Published: John Wiley & Sons 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/11841
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author Montanari, S.
van Herwerden, L.
Pratchett, M.
Hobbs, Jean-Paul
Fugedi, A.
author_facet Montanari, S.
van Herwerden, L.
Pratchett, M.
Hobbs, Jean-Paul
Fugedi, A.
author_sort Montanari, S.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Natural hybridization is widespread among coral reef fishes. However, the ecological promoters and evolutionary consequences of reef fish hybridization have not been thoroughly evaluated. Butterflyfishes form a high number of hybrids and represent an appropriate group to investigate hybridization in reef fishes. This study provides a rare test of terrestrially derived hybridization theory in the marine environment by examining hybridization between Chaetodon trifasciatus and C. lunulatus at Christmas Island. Overlapping spatial and dietary ecologies enable heterospecific encounters. Nonassortative mating and local rarity of both parent species appear to permit heterospecific breeding pair formation. Microsatellite loci and mtDNA confirmed the status of hybrids, which displayed the lowest genetic diversity in the sample and used a reduced suite of resources, suggesting decreased adaptability. Maternal contribution to hybridization was unidirectional, and no introgression was detected, suggesting limited, localized evolutionary consequences of hybridization. Comparisons to other reef fish hybridization studies revealed that different evolutionary consequences emerge, despite being promoted by similar factors, possibly due to the magnitude of genetic distance between hybridizing species. This study highlights the need for further enquiry aimed at evaluating the importance and long-term consequences of reef fish hybridization.
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format Journal Article
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institution Curtin University Malaysia
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last_indexed 2025-11-14T06:56:42Z
publishDate 2012
publisher John Wiley & Sons
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-118412017-09-13T14:53:51Z Reef fish hybridization: Lessons learnt from butterflyfishes (genus Chaetodon) Montanari, S. van Herwerden, L. Pratchett, M. Hobbs, Jean-Paul Fugedi, A. ecological factors discriminant analysis of principal components unidirectional hybridization hybridization evolutionary consequences Christmas island hybrid zone Natural hybridization is widespread among coral reef fishes. However, the ecological promoters and evolutionary consequences of reef fish hybridization have not been thoroughly evaluated. Butterflyfishes form a high number of hybrids and represent an appropriate group to investigate hybridization in reef fishes. This study provides a rare test of terrestrially derived hybridization theory in the marine environment by examining hybridization between Chaetodon trifasciatus and C. lunulatus at Christmas Island. Overlapping spatial and dietary ecologies enable heterospecific encounters. Nonassortative mating and local rarity of both parent species appear to permit heterospecific breeding pair formation. Microsatellite loci and mtDNA confirmed the status of hybrids, which displayed the lowest genetic diversity in the sample and used a reduced suite of resources, suggesting decreased adaptability. Maternal contribution to hybridization was unidirectional, and no introgression was detected, suggesting limited, localized evolutionary consequences of hybridization. Comparisons to other reef fish hybridization studies revealed that different evolutionary consequences emerge, despite being promoted by similar factors, possibly due to the magnitude of genetic distance between hybridizing species. This study highlights the need for further enquiry aimed at evaluating the importance and long-term consequences of reef fish hybridization. 2012 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/11841 10.1002/ece3.83 John Wiley & Sons fulltext
spellingShingle ecological factors
discriminant analysis of principal components
unidirectional hybridization
hybridization
evolutionary consequences
Christmas island
hybrid zone
Montanari, S.
van Herwerden, L.
Pratchett, M.
Hobbs, Jean-Paul
Fugedi, A.
Reef fish hybridization: Lessons learnt from butterflyfishes (genus Chaetodon)
title Reef fish hybridization: Lessons learnt from butterflyfishes (genus Chaetodon)
title_full Reef fish hybridization: Lessons learnt from butterflyfishes (genus Chaetodon)
title_fullStr Reef fish hybridization: Lessons learnt from butterflyfishes (genus Chaetodon)
title_full_unstemmed Reef fish hybridization: Lessons learnt from butterflyfishes (genus Chaetodon)
title_short Reef fish hybridization: Lessons learnt from butterflyfishes (genus Chaetodon)
title_sort reef fish hybridization: lessons learnt from butterflyfishes (genus chaetodon)
topic ecological factors
discriminant analysis of principal components
unidirectional hybridization
hybridization
evolutionary consequences
Christmas island
hybrid zone
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/11841