Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40413187›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Repeated and widespread evolution of biofluorescence in marine fishes.

Emily M Carr, Rene P Martin, Mason A Thurman, Karly E Cohen, Jonathan M Huie, David F Gruber, John S Sparks

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Emily M CarrAmerican Museum of Natural History, Department of Ichthyology, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, New York, USA. ecarr@amnh.org.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7985-863X
Rene P MartinAmerican Museum of Natural History, Department of Ichthyology, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, New York, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0153-7160
Mason A ThurmanClemson University, Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson, SC, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6741-138X
Karly E CohenCalifornia State University, Fullerton, Department of Biology, Fullerton, CA, USA.
Jonathan M HuieGeorge Washington University, Department of Biological Sciences, Washington, DC, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7925-7372
David F GruberBaruch College and The Graduate Center PhD Program in Biology, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9041-2911
John S SparksAmerican Museum of Natural History, Department of Ichthyology, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, New York, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4104-2314

Funding

National Science Foundation (NSF) DEB 1257555National Science Foundation (NSF) DGE-1746914National Science Foundation (NSF) DGE-1938103
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Biofluorescence, the absorption of high-energy light and its reemission at lower energy wavelengths, is widespread across vertebrate and invertebrate lineages, especially fishes. New observations over the past decade have significantly increased our understanding of the diversity and multifunctionality of fluorescence in fish lineages. In this study, we present a comprehensive account of all known biofluorescent teleosts and estimate the timing and frequency of the evolution of biofluorescence across this diverse group. We show that biofluorescence evolved numerous times in marine teleosts and is estimated to date back ~112 mya in Anguilliformes (true eels). Of the 459 known biofluorescent teleosts reported in this study, the majority are associated with coral reefs. We find that reef-associated species evolve biofluorescence at 10x the rate of non-reef species. Our results suggest that the chromatic and biotic conditions of coral reefs could have provided an ideal environment to facilitate the evolution and diversification of biofluorescence in teleost fishes.

Indexed as

Biological EvolutionFishesAnimalsCoral ReefsFluorescencePhylogeny

Identifiers

PMID40413187
PMCPMC12103494

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.