One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish: Geography, Ecology, Sympatry, and Male Coloration in the Lake Malawi Cichlid Genus Labeotropheus (Perciformes: Cichlidae)

Abstract

While sexual selection on male coloration has been important in haplochromine cichlid speciation, few studies to date have examined potential environmental influences on color pattern evolution. Data from multiple sources on male nuptial coloration of the Lake Malawi endemic genus Labeotropheus were used to examine the relationship between color patterns and the environments in which these patterns were found. Red- or carotenoid-pigmented males were concentrated in the northwestern portion of Lake Malawi and were also associated with increasing depth. Further, the presence or absence of L. fuelleborni influenced the coloration of L. trewavasae populations; when L. fuelleborni was present, L. trewavasae males were more likely to exhibit some degree of red coloration. While these results support the idea that sexual selection on male coloration is an important factor in the haplochromine speciation, they also underscore the importance of environmental influences on the evolution of color patterns.