title: Chromosomal diversity in tropical reef fishes is related to body size and depth range.
abstract: Tropical reef fishes show contrasting patterns of karyotypic diversity. Some families have a high chromosomal conservatism while others show wide variation in karyotypic macrostructure. However, the influence of life-history traits on karyotypic diversity is largely unknown. Using phylogenetic comparative methods, we assessed the effects of larval and adult species traits on chromosomal diversity rates of 280 reef species in 24 families. We employed a novel approach to account for trait variation within families as well as phylogenetic uncertainties. We found a strong negative relationship between karyotypic diversity rates and body size and depth range. These results suggest that lineages with higher dispersal potential and gene flow possess lower karyotypic diversity. Taken together, these results provide evidence that biological traits might modulate the rate of karyotypic diversity in tropical reef fishes.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil; Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Rey Juan Carlos University, 28933-Mostoles, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: pablo_sc82@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil; Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Zurano
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil; Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Rey Juan Carlos University, 28933-Mostoles, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Amado
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Penone
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras, P.O. Box 23360, San Juan, PR 00931, United States.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Betancur-R
authors.affiliation: Paraná y Los Claveles, 3304 Garupá, Misiones, Argentina.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Bidau
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: U P
authors.initials: UP
authors.lastname: Jacobina
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics*; D005399:Fishes / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D059785:Karyotype; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008957:Models, Genetic; D010802:Phylogeny; D012044:Regression Analysis
keywords: Gene flow; Karyotype evolution; Marine fishes; Phylogenetic comparative methods