ArticleBMC biology2026
Rapid and repeated evolution of pigmentation patterns in reef fishes.
Article in BMC biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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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.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Color patterns as a model for connecting developmental mechanisms to phenotypic evolution.Nature communications · 2026Review
- Rapid and repeated evolution of pigmentation patterns in reef fishes.BMC biology · 2026Article
- Iridophore apoptosis mediates socially-regulated developmental color pattern plasticity in an anemonefish.PLoS biology · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPigmentation patterns are central to animal biology-shaping camouflage, signaling, and mate selection-and uncovering the mechanisms driving their diversification is key to understanding the evolutionary principles that generate this fundamental dimension of biodiversity. Reef fishes exhibit an incredible variety of patterns, from simple spots to intricate designs. To date, the underlying evolutionary processes that govern their diversification remain unclear.
resultsHere, we investigate the relationship between pigmentation pattern diversity, species richness, and geography across six iconic reef fish families. We provide evidence for a positive correlation between pattern diversity and species richness, with a high divergence of pigmentation patterns in every biogeographic region. Then, by using a suit of phylogenetically informed comparative analyses, we demonstrate that the evolution of pigmentation patterns is characterized by a combination of rapid and constrained phenotypic diversification.
conclusionsOverall, our findings illuminate factors that explain pigmentation pattern diversity in living reef fishes, revealing that speciation events have driven constant high levels of pigmentation pattern disparity within subclades and across globally variable reef fish assemblages.
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