Social environment shapes male color development in Trinidadian guppies

Puleo, Lauren H.1 ; López-Sepulcre, Andrés 2 ; Grant, Eleanor3; Yang, Yusan 4 ; Gordon, Swanne2

Published Sep 30, 2025 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.6m905qg98

Data files

Sep 30, 2025 version files 952.56 MB

colorplasticity2021.csv

54.24 KB
Raw_Images.zip

952.51 MB
README.md

3.97 KB

Abstract

Plasticity plays an important role in species persistence under environmental change. Morphological traits are well-known to respond to various ecological factors like temperature and predation, but less is known about the effect of social cues. In this study, we test the impact of both predator and social environmental cues on the development of male body coloration in Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata) adapted to different predation regimes. We raised second-generation (F2) fish adapted to either a high (HP) or low (LP) predation environment in a full-sibling experimental design under two crossed environments: a predator treatment (with or without predator cues) and a social treatment (isolated, or with adult tutors from their predation regime, or the opposite). Guppies adapted to a low-predation environment had a greater relative area of orange color than high-predation guppies, repeating previous results indicating a genetic basis to male coloration. Surprisingly, predator cues had no effect on conspicuous coloration, yet social cues had a strong effect. Fish reared in isolation (regardless of population) showed more orange and black body coloration than fish reared with tutors. These results emphasize the importance of examining plasticity under complex environmental contexts and suggest a role of social dynamics in the development of trait diversity in nature. This information will contribute to our broader understanding of the interacting role of genetics and plasticity in species' responses to environmental change.

Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.6m905qg98

Description of the data and file structure

Files are stored in comma-separated values (.csv) format.

Files and variables

File: Raw_Images.zip

Description: Contains the raw images of the experiment. Each picture contains the focal male guppy and a label with the focal male's unique ID.

File: colorplasticity2021.csv

Description: Contains the metadata and color data of the experiment.

Variables

pop = Population of origin. One of two: AH for Aripo High Predation; AL for Aripo Low Predation
pred_trt = Predator Treatment. N for no predator cues; Y for predator cues.
soc_trt = Social Treatment: solo for rearing alone; same for reared with conspecifics of the same population; dif for reared with conspecifics from the other population.
tutor_pop: Population of origin of the tutors (AH or AL)
sex = Sex. M for male; F for female.
block = Experimental Block
mom_ID = Identifier for the mother of the study subject fish
Body Area : Area in mm² of the fish body, not including the fins
Body Black Number: Number of black spots on the body
Body Black Area: Total area in mm² of all black body spots
Body Black Relative Area: Body Black Area/Body Area
Body Fuzzy-Black Number: Number of fuzzy black spots on the body
Body Fuzzy-Black Area: Total area in mm² of all fuzzy black body spots
Body Fuzzy-Black Relative Area: Body Fuzzy Black Area/Body Area
Body Melanistic Number: Number of black spots on the body + Number of fuzzy black spots on the body
Body Melanistic Area: Total area in mm² of all black body spots + fuzzy black body spots
Body Melanistic Relative Area: (Body Black Area + Body Fuzzy Black Area)/Body Area
Body Yellow Number: Number of yellow spots on the body
Body Yellow Area: Total area in mm² of all yellow body spots
Body Yellow Relative Area: Body Yellow Area/Body Area
Body Orange Number: Number of orange spots on the body
Body Orange Area: Total area in mm² of all orange body spots
Body Orange Relative Area: Body Orange Area/Body Area
Body Xanthophore Number: Number of orange spots on the body + Number of yellow spots on the body
Body Xanthophore Area: Total area in mm² of all orange body spots + yellow body spots
Body Xanthophore Relative Area: (Body Orange Area + Body Yellow Area)/Body Area
Tail Area : Area in mm² of the fish tail
Tail Black Number: Number of black spots on the tail
Tail Black Area: Total area in mm² of all black tail spots
Tail Black Relative Area: Tail Black Area/Tail Area
Tail Fuzzy-Black Number: Number of fuzzy black spots on the tail
Tail Fuzzy-Black Area: Total area in mm² of all fuzzy black tail spots
Tail Fuzzy-Black Relative Area: Tail Fuzzy Black Area/Tail Area
Tail Melanistic Number: Number of black spots on the tail + Number of fuzzy black spots on the tail
Tail Melanistic Area: Total area in mm² of all black tail spots + fuzzy black tail spots
Tail Melanistic Relative Area: (Tail Black Area + Tail Fuzzy Black Area)/Tail Area
Tail Yellow Number: Number of yellow spots on the tail
Tail Yellow Area: Total area in mm² of all yellow tail spots
Tail Yellow Relative Area: Tail Yellow Area/Tail Area
Tail Orange Number: Number of orange spots on the tail
Tail Orange Area: Total area in mm² of all orange tail spots
Tail Orange Relative Area: Tail Orange Area/Tail Area
Tail Xanthophore Number: Number of orange spots on the tail + Number of yellow spots on the tail
Tail Xanthophore Area: Total area in mm² of all orange tail spots + yellow tail spots
Tail Xanthophore Relative Area: (Tail Orange Area + Tail Yellow Area)/Tail Area

Code/software

Data viewed using R software version 4.5.0.