Find research datasets worth reusing

Data from: Ecological network inference from long-term presence-absence data

Ecological communities are characterized by complex networks of trophic and nontrophic interactions, which shape the dy-namics of the community. Machine learning and correlational methods are increasingly popular for inferring networks from co-occurrence and time series data, particularly in microbial systems. In this study, we test the suitability of these methods for inferring ecological interactions by constructing networks using Dynamic Bayesian Networks, Lasso regression, and Pear-son's correlation coefficient, then comparing the model networks to empirical trophic and nontrophic webs in two ecological systems. We find that although each model significantly replicates the structure of at least one empirical network, no model significantly predicts network structure in both systems, and no model is clearly superior to the others. We also find that networks inferred for the Tatoosh intertidal match the nontrophic network much more closely than the trophic one, possibly due to the challenges of identifying trophic interactions from presence-absence data. Our findings suggest that although these methods hold some promise for ecological network inference, presence-absence data does not provide enough signal for models to consistently identify interactions, and networks inferred from these data should be interpreted with caution.

opencc-zeroJun 2019View details →

Data from: A framework for linking competitor ecological differences to coexistence

1. Not all ecological differences among competing species affect their ability to locally coexist. Rather, the differences that promote stable coexistence can be those which cause each species to experience stronger intraspecific than interspecific competition. Recent approaches have established how to detect the demographic signature of these competitive effects, but alone they cannot elucidate the ecological differences among species that yield these patterns. 2. Here, we present a unifying experimental and observational framework that identifies potential ecological differences among species shaping their responses to intra- and interspecific competition. We first describe a conceptual model establishing why the strength of intra- and interspecific competitive interactions should vary along environmental gradients related to species ecological differences. We then show how to apply the framework using Enallagma damselflies, a diverse group of predatory aquatic insects. 3. To determine how species responded to intra- and interspecific competition along environmental gradients, we experimentally manipulated the relative abundances of three species and replicated this across five lakes which varied in environmental conditions affecting larval damselfly per capita growth and mortality rates – key vital rates regulating their populations. 4. Results suggest Enallagma are ecologically differentiated in ways that in some communities can result in intraspecific competition exceeding interspecific competition. However, in many cases the opposite was true, or the effects of intra- and interspecific competition were equivalent via growth and mortality responses. Moreover, these effects tended to be weak and asymmetrical among competitors, which suggests that differential responses of larval growth and mortality to intra- and interspecific competition may not contribute strongly to the maintenance of Enallagma diversity. Different environmental factors appear to shape these demographic responses to competition, providing insight into the ecological mechanisms regulating damselfly assemblages. 5. This framework can be broadly applied to identify the ecological differences among species that may promote coexistence, advancing knowledge of the mechanisms underlying coexistence, and overcoming some limitations of purely phenomenological approaches.

Data from: Ecological release of the Anna's Hummingbird during a northern range expansion

During range expansions species can experience rapid population growth if changes in climate or interspecific interactions remove limits on growth rates in novel habitats. Here I document a century of range expansion in the Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna) and investigate the causes of its recent abundance through a combination of demographic, climatic, and phenological analyses. Christmas Bird Count records show that populations have been growing within the native range since the early twentieth century. Sites across the Pacific Northwest show striking fits to simple models of exponential growth following colonization in the 1960's and 70's, and nest records indicate that the species now delays the start of the nesting season by at least 16 days in the north. Although the species now occurs in a much wider range of climates than it did in its native range, the fastest growing sites in the northwest are in regions with minimum breeding season temperatures similar to those occupied by the species prior to the expansion. Range expansions in the Anna's Hummingbird thus reflect an ecological release likely caused by a mix of human facilitation, introduced plants, and phenological acclimation that allowed a California native to expand across western North America.

opencc-zeroJul 2019View details →

Data from: Bayesian quantification of ecological determinants of outcrossing in natural plant populations: computer simulations and the case study of biparental inbreeding in English yew

The mating system is a central parameter of plant biology because it shapes their ecological and evolutionary properties. Therefore, determining ecological variables that influence the mating system is important for a deeper understanding of the functioning of plant populations. Here, using old concepts and recent statistical developments, we propose a new statistical tool to make inferences about ecological determinants of outcrossing in natural plant populations. The method requires co-dominant genotypes of seeds collected from maternal plants within different locations. Using extensive computer simulations, we demonstrated that the method is robust to the issues expected for real-world data, including the Wahlund effect, inbreeding and genotyping errors such as allele dropout and allele misclassification. Furthermore, we showed that the estimates of ecological effects and outcrossing rates can be severely biased if genotyping errors and genetic differentiation are not treated explicitly. Application of the new method to the case study of a dioecious tree (Taxus baccata) allowed revealing that female trees that grow in lower local densities have a greater tendency towards mating with relatives. Moreover, we also demonstrated that biparental inbreeding is higher in populations that are characterised by a longer mean distance between trees and a smaller mean trunk perimeter. We found these results to agree with both the theoretical predictions and the history of English yew.

Data from: Relatedness with plant species in native community influences ecological consequences of range expansions

Global warming is enabling many plant species to expand their range to higher latitudes and altitudes, where they may suffer less from natural aboveground and belowground enemies. Reduced control by natural enemies can enable climate warming-induced range expanders to get an advantage in competition with natives and become disproportionally abundant in their new range. However, so far studies have examined individual growth of range expanders, which have common congeneric plant species in their new range. Thus it is not known how general is this reduced effect of above- and belowground enemies and how it operates in communities, where multiple plant species also interact with each other. Here we show that range-expanding plant species with and without congenerics in the invaded habitats differ in their ecological interactions in the new range. In a community-level experiment, range-expanding plant species, both with and without congenerics, suppressed the growth of a herbivore. However, only range expanders without congenerics reduced biomass production of the native plant species. In the present study, range expanders without congenerics allocated more biomass aboveground compared to native plant species, which can explain their competitive advantage. Competitive interaction and also biomass allocation of native plants and their congeneric range expanders were similar. Our results highlight that information about species phylogenetic relatedness with native flora can be crucial for improving predictions about the consequences of climate warming-induced range expansions.

Data from: Applying community ecological theory to maximize productivity of cultivated biocrusts

Degraded rangelands around the world may benefit from the reestablishment of lost biological soil crusts (biocrusts, soil surface cryptogamic-microbial communities). Cultivation of biocrust organisms is the first step in this process, and may benefit from harnessing species interactions. Species interactions are a dominant force structuring ecological communities. One key element of community structure, species richness, is itself important because it can promote the productivity of the entire community. Here, we use biological soil crusts as a model to test the effects of species interactions on production of biocrust materials for use in ecosystem rehabilitation. We screened eight different moss and lichen species from semi-arid rangelands of Montana, USA, for growth potential under two watering regimes. Mosses generally grew well, but we were unable to cultivate the selected lichen species. We produced a >400% increase in the biomass of one species (Ceratodon purpureus). We tested whether a parasite-host relationship between two lichens could be used to enhance productivity of the parasite species, but this also resulted in no net gain of lichen productivity. Finally, we constructed all possible community combinations from a pool of five moss species to test for overyielding (community productivity exceeding that expected from the growth of community members in monoculture), and to determine both if, and the mode in which, species richness increases productivity. Polycultures yielded more than would be expected based upon the production of community constituents in monoculture. Using structural equation models we determined that there was a modest effect of species richness on community productivity (r = 0.24-0.25), which was independent of a stronger effect of the identity of species in the community (r = 0.41-0.50). These results will contribute to the optimization of biocrust cultivation, promoting the development of this emerging ecological rehabilitation technology.

Data from: Will like replace like? linking thermal performance to ecological function across predator and herbivore populations

The inability of species to adapt to changing climate may cause ecological communities to disassemble and lose ecological functioning. However, theory suggests that communities may be resilient whenever populations within species exhibit variation in thermal plasticity or adaptation whereby thermally tolerant populations replace thermally sensitive ones. But will they maintain the functional roles of the populations being replaced? This study evaluated whether "like replaces like" functionally by measuring how four populations of a grasshopper herbivore and its co-occurring spider predator cope with environmental warming. The study occurred across a latitudinal gradient bounded by southerly, warmer Connecticut and northerly, cooler New Hampshire, USA. The study compared the survival rates, thermal performance, habitat usage, and food chain interactions of each grasshopper and spider population between its home field site (field of origin) and a Connecticut transplant site, and the native Connecticut population. Three grasshopper populations exhibited physiological plasticity by adjusting metabolic rates. The fourth population selected cooler habitat locations. Spider populations did not alter their metabolism, and instead selected cooler habitat locations thereby altering spatial overlap with their prey and food chain interactions. Grasshopper populations that coped physiologically consumed plants in different ratios than the fourth population and the Connecticut population. Hence "like may not replace like" whenever populations adapt physiologically to warming.

opencc-zeroDec 2017View details →

Data from: Ecological causes and consequences of flower color polymorphism in a self-pollinating plant (Boechera stricta)

Intraspecific variation in flower color is often attributed to pollinator-mediated selection, yet this mechanism cannot explain flower color polymorphisms in self-pollinating species. Indirect selection mediated via biotic and abiotic stresses could maintain flower color variation in these systems. The selfing forb, Boechera stricta, typically displays white flowers, but some individuals produce purple flowers. We quantified environmental correlates of flower color in natural populations. To disentangle plasticity from genotypic variation, we performed a multiyear field experiment in five gardens. In controlled conditions, we evaluated herbivore preferences and the effects of drought stress and soil pH on flower color expression. In natural populations, purple-flowered individuals experienced lower foliar herbivory than did their white-flowered counterparts. This pattern also held in the common gardens. Additionally, low-elevation environments induced pigmented flowers (plasticity), and the likelihood of floral pigmentation decreased with source elevation of maternal families (genetic cline). Viability selection favored families with pigmented flowers. In the laboratory, herbivores exerted greater damage on tissue derived from white- vs purple-flowered individuals. Furthermore, drought induced pigmentation in white-flowered lineages, and white-flowered plants had a fecundity advantage in the well-watered control. Flower color variation in selfing species is probably maintained by herbivory, drought stress, and other abiotic factors that vary spatially.

Data from: Fire catalyzed rapid ecological change in lowland coniferous forests of the Pacific Northwest over the past 14,000 years

Disturbance can catalyze rapid ecological change by causing widespread mortality and initiating successional pathways, and during times of climate change, disturbance may contribute to ecosystem state changes by initiating a new successional pathway. In the Pacific Northwest of North America (PNW), disturbance by wildfires strongly shapes the composition and structure of lowland forests, but understanding the role of fire over periods of climate change is challenging, because fire-return intervals are long (e.g., millennia) and the coniferous trees dominating these forests can live for many centuries. We developed stand-scale paleorecords of vegetation and fire that span nearly the past 14,000 yr to study how fire was associated with state changes and rapid dynamics in forest vegetation at the stand scale (1–3 ha). We studied forest history with sediment cores from small hollow sites in the Marckworth State Forest, located ~1 km apart in the Tsuga heterophylla Zone in the Puget Lowland ecoregion of western Washington, USA. The median rate of change in pollen/spore assemblages was similar between sites (0.12 and 0.14% per year), but at both sites, rates of change increased significantly following fire events (ranging up to 1% per year, with a median of 0.28 and 0.38%, P < 0.003). During times of low climate velocity, forest composition was resilient to fires, which initiated successional pathways leading back to the dominant vegetation type. In contrast, during times of high climate variability and velocity (e.g., the early Holocene) forests were not resilient to fires, which triggered large-scale state changes. These records provide clear evidence that disturbance, in the form of an individual fire event, can be an important catalyst for rapid state changes, accelerating vegetation shifts in response to large-scale climate change.

opencc-zeroDec 2017View details →

Data from: Ecology can inform genetics: disassortative mating contributes to MHC polymorphism in Leach's storm-petrels (Oceanodroma leucorhoa)

Studies of MHC-based mate choice in wild populations generally test hypotheses by assuming female choice and male-male competition, whether or not mate choice dynamics have been previously determined for the species under study. Here we examined mate choice patterns in a small burrow-nesting seabird, the Leach's storm-petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa), using the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC). The life history and ecology of this species is extreme: both partners work together to fledge a single chick during the breeding season, a task that requires regularly traveling hundreds of kilometers to and from foraging grounds over a six to eight-week provisioning period. Using a five-year dataset unprecedented for this species (n=1027 adults and 925 chicks), we found a positive relationship between variation in female reproductive quality and heterozygosity at Ocle-DAB2, a MHC class IIB locus. Contrary to previous reports rejecting disassortative mating as a mechanism for maintaining genetic polymorphism in this species, here we show that males make significant disassortative mate choice decisions. Variability in female reproductive success suggests that the most common homozygous females (Ocle-DAB201 / Ocle-DAB201) may be physiologically disadvantaged and, therefore, less preferred as lifelong partners for choosy males. The results from this study support the role of mate choice in maintaining high levels of MHC variability in a wild seabird species, and highlights the need to incorporate a broader ecological framework and sufficient sample sizes into studies of MHC-based mating patterns in wild populations in general.

opencc-zeroNov 2019View details →

Data from: Periodic shell decollation as an ecology-driven strategy in the early Cambrian Cupitheca

<p>Shell decollation is a growth strategy that has been adopted by a number of invertebrate taxa to offset the metabolic and ecological disadvantages of shell growth. However, little is known about the origin and evolution of this process. We here describe well-preserved specimens of the hyolith, <i>Cupitheca decollata</i> sp. nov., preserving the decollation process from the early Cambrian Yu'anshan Formation (ca. 518 million years ago) of South China. Based on a large number of specimens collectively representing different developmental stages, we use high-resolution X-ray microtomography and scanning electronic microscopy to reconstruct the process of decollation in this taxon. <i>Cupitheca</i> is among the earliest known small shelly fossils, and thus our discovery confirmed that periodic decollation had evolved by the onset of the Cambrian explosion, reflecting the high intensity of the predator-prey arms race in early Cambrian ecosystems. A comparison between the decollation processes of <i>Cupitheca</i> and other shelly invertebrates suggests that periodic decollation and the associated molecular mechanisms of calcium dissolution, uptake, allocation, and deposition may have had multiple independent origins.Shell decollation is a growth strategy that has been adopted by a number of invertebrate taxa to offset the metabolic and ecological disadvantages of shell growth. However, little is known about the origin and evolution of this process. We here describe well-preserved specimens of the hyolith, <i>Cupitheca decollata</i> sp. nov., preserving the decollation process from the early Cambrian Yu'anshan Formation (ca. 518 million years ago) of South China. Based on a large number of specimens collectively representing different developmental stages, we use high-resolution X-ray microtomography and scanning electronic microscopy to reconstruct the process of decollation in this taxon. <i>Cupitheca</i> is among the earliest known small shelly fossils, and thus our discovery confirmed that periodic decollation had evolved by the onset of the Cambrian explosion, reflecting the high intensity of the predator-prey arms race in early Cambrian ecosystems. A comparison between the decollation processes of <i>Cupitheca</i> and other shelly invertebrates suggests that periodic decollation and the associated molecular mechanisms of calcium dissolution, uptake, allocation, and deposition may have had multiple independent origins.</p>

opencc-zeroDec 2017View details →

Data from: Stratigraphic signatures of mass extinctions: ecological and sedimentary determinants

Stratigraphic patterns of last occurrences of fossil taxa (LOs) potentially fingerprint mass extinctions and delineate rates and geometries of those events. Although empirical studies of mass extinctions recognize that random sampling causes LOs to occur earlier than the time of extinction (Signor–Lipps effect), sequence-stratigraphic controls on the position of LOs are rarely considered. By tracing stratigraphic ranges of extant mollusc species preserved in the Holocene succession of the Po coastal plain (Italy), we demonstrated that, if mass extinction took place today, complex but entirely false extinction patterns would be recorded regionally due to shifts in local community composition and non-random variation in the abundance of skeletal remains, both controlled by relative sea-level changes. Consequently, rather than following an apparent gradual pattern expected from the Signor–Lipps effect, LOs concentrated within intervals of stratigraphic condensation and strong facies shifts mimicking sudden extinction pulses. Methods assuming uniform recovery potential of fossils falsely supported stepwise extinction patterns among studied species and systematically underestimated their stratigraphic ranges. Such effects of stratigraphic architecture, co-produced by ecological, sedimentary and taphonomic processes, can easily confound interpretations of the timing, duration, and selectivity of mass extinction events. Our results highlight the necessity of accounting for palaeoenvironmental and sequence-stratigraphic context when inferring extinction dynamics from the fossil record.

Data from: Correlated divergence of female and male genitalia in replicated lineages with ongoing ecological speciation

Divergence of genital traits among lineages has the potential to serve as a reproductive isolating barrier when copulation, insemination, or fertilization are inhibited by incompatibilities between female and male genitalia. Despite widespread evidence for genital trait diversity among closely related lineages and coevolution of female and male genitalia within lineages, few studies have investigated genital evolution during the early stages of speciation. We quantified genital variation in replicated population pairs of Poecilia mexicana with ongoing ecological speciation between sulfidic (H2S-containing) and nearby non-sulfidic habitats. These analyses revealed rapid and correlated divergence of female and male genitalia across evolutionarily independent population pairs exposed to divergent selection regimes. Both sexes exhibited convergent evolution of genital traits among populations inhabiting similar habitat types. Our results demonstrate that genital evolution can occur during the early stages of speciation-with-gene-flow, potentially as a result of variation in the intensity of sexual conflict among populations. Our results suggest genitalia may contribute to early stages of divergence, and challenge the generality of previously suggested mechanisms of genital evolution in poeciliids.

Data from: Genomic divergence across ecological gradients in the Central African rainforest songbird (Andropadus virens)

The little greenbul, a common rainforest passerine from sub-Saharan Africa, has been the subject of long-term evolutionary studies to understand the mechanisms leading to rainforest speciation. Previous research found morphological and behavioural divergence across rainforest–savannah transition zones (ecotones), and a pattern of divergence with gene flow suggesting divergent natural selection has contributed to adaptive divergence and ecotones could be important areas for rainforests speciation. Recent advances in genomics and environmental modelling make it possible to examine patterns of genetic divergence in a more comprehensive fashion. To assess the extent to which natural selection may drive patterns of differentiation, here we investigate patterns of genomic differentiation among populations across environmental gradients and regions. We find compelling evidence that individuals form discrete genetic clusters corresponding to distinctive environmental characteristics and habitat types. Pairwise FST between populations in different habitats is significantly higher than within habitats, and this differentiation is greater than what is expected from geographic distance alone. Moreover, we identified 140 SNPs that showed extreme differentiation among populations through a genomewide selection scan. These outliers were significantly enriched in exonic and coding regions, suggesting their functional importance. Environmental association analysis of SNP variation indicates that several environmental variables, including temperature and elevation, play important roles in driving the pattern of genomic diversification. Results lend important new genomic evidence for environmental gradients being important in population differentiation.

Data from: A new null model approach to quantify performance and significance for ecological niche models of species distributions

Aim: Ecological niche modelling requires robust estimation of model performance and significance, but common evaluation approaches often yield biased estimates. Null models provide a solution but are rarely used in this field. We implemented an important modification to existing null-model tests, evaluating null models with the same withheld records that were used to evaluate the real model. We built and evaluated models across a range of modelling scenarios and for various performance measures using the algorithm Maxent and the monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus). Location: Native range in Southern America and global invasions predominantly in North/Central America and Europe Methods: We tested the ability of models built under 15 scenarios (five sets of calibration records and three settings that varied the level of model complexity) to predict spatially independent evaluation data in the invaded range (in effect, testing the models under spatial transfer). We quantified performance with measures of discriminatory ability and overfitting based on AUC and the omission error rate. We estimated null distributions of these measures and calculated effect size and significance. We determined how these estimates varied across modelling scenarios, comparing with two tests existing in the literature. Results: Performance varied starkly across modelling scenarios. As expected, the measures of overfitting agreed with each other and provided different information than that of discriminatory ability. However, high performance per se did not show strong association with high effect size and significance. Main Conclusions: Ecological niche models should be assessed with measures of effect size and significance based on appropriate null distributions, in contrast to several approaches existing in the literature. The proposed approach using independent evaluation data, implemented with our accompanying code, allows such estimates for either the same or a different region/time period, and it merits use and continued development.

opencc-zeroJun 2022View details →

Data from: Ecological factors influence balancing selection on leaf chemical profiles of a wildflower

<div> <div> <div> <div> <p>Balancing selection is frequently invoked as a mechanism to maintain variation within and across populations. However, rigorous tests demonstrating balancing selection operating in nature are scarce, particularly on complex traits, which frequently display high levels of variation. Leveraging a focal polymorphism, leaf chemical profile in a perennial wildflower (<em>Boechera stricta</em>, Brassicaceae), we investigated the ecological and genetic mechanisms that may influence the maintenance of variation in this trait. A suite of common garden and greenhouse experiments showed that the alleles underlying variation in chemical profile have contrasting fitness effects across environments, implicating two ecological drivers of selection on chemical profile: herbivory and drought. Phenotype-environment associations and molecular genetic analyses revealed additional evidence of past selection by these drivers. Together, these data are consistent with balancing selection on chemical profile, likely caused by pleiotropic effects of genes that influence secondary chemical biosynthesis on herbivore defense and drought response.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div>

opencc-zeroDec 2014View details →

Data from: Selection on a genetic polymorphism counteracts ecological speciation in a stick insect

The interplay between selection and aspects of the genetic architecture of traits (such as linkage, dominance, and epistasis) can either drive or constrain speciation. Despite accumulating evidence that speciation can progress to "intermediate" stages—with populations evolving only partial reproductive isolation—studies describing selective mechanisms that impose constraints on speciation are more rare than those describing drivers. The stick insect Timema cristinae provides an example of a system in which partial reproductive isolation has evolved between populations adapted to different host plant environments, in part due to divergent selection acting on a pattern polymorphism. Here, we demonstrate how selection on a green/melanistic color polymorphism counteracts speciation in this system. Specifically, divergent selection between hosts does not occur on color phenotypes because melanistic T. cristinae are cryptic on the stems of both host species, are resistant to a fungal pathogen, and have a mating advantage. Using genetic crosses and genome-wide association mapping, we quantify the genetic architecture of both the pattern and color polymorphism, illustrating their simple genetic control. We use these empirical results to develop an individual-based model that shows how the melanistic phenotype acts as a "genetic bridge" that increases gene flow between populations living on different hosts. Our results demonstrate how variation in the nature of selection acting on traits, and aspects of trait genetic architecture, can impose constraints on both local adaptation and speciation.

opencc-zeroDec 2015View details →

Data from: Precipitation alters interactions in a grassland ecological community

Climate change is transforming precipitation regimes world-wide. Changes in precipitation regimes are known to have powerful effects on plant productivity, but the consequences of these shifts for the dynamics of ecological communities are poorly understood. This knowledge gap hinders our ability to anticipate and mitigate the impacts of climate change on biodiversity. Precipitation may affect fauna through direct effects on physiology, behaviour or demography, through plant-mediated indirect effects, or by modifying interactions among species. In this paper, we examined the response of a semi-arid ecological community to a fivefold change in precipitation over 7 years. We examined the effects of precipitation on the dynamics of a grassland ecosystem in central California from 2007 to 2013. We conducted vegetation surveys, pitfall trapping of invertebrates, visual surveys of lizards and capture–mark–recapture surveys of rodents on 30 plots each year. We used structural equation modelling to evaluate the direct, indirect and modifying effects of precipitation on plants, ants, beetles, orthopterans, kangaroo rats, ground squirrels and lizards. We found pervasive effects of precipitation on the ecological community. Although precipitation increased plant biomass, direct effects on fauna were often stronger than plant-mediated effects. In addition, precipitation altered the sign or strength of consumer-resource and facilitative interactions among the faunal community such that negative or neutral interactions became positive or vice versa with increasing precipitation. These findings indicate that precipitation influences ecological communities in multiple ways beyond its recognized effects on primary productivity. Stochastic variation in precipitation may weaken the average strength of biotic interactions over time, thereby increasing ecosystem stability and resilience to climate change.

Data from: Genomic, ecological, and morphological approaches to investigating species limits: a case study in modern taxonomy from Tropical Eastern Pacific surgeonfishes

A wide variety of species are distinguished by slight color variations. However, molecular analyses have repeatedly demonstrated that coloration does not always correspond to distinct evolutionary histories between closely related groups, suggesting that this trait is labile and can be misleading for species identification. In the present study, we analyze the evolutionary history of sister species of Prionurus surgeonfishes in the Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP), which are distinguished by the presence or absence of dark spots on their body. We examined the species limits in this system using comparative specimen-based approaches, a mitochondrial gene (COI), more than 800 nuclear loci (Ultraconserved Elements), and abiotic niche comparisons. The results indicate there is a complete overlap of meristic counts and morphometric measurements between the two species. Further, we detected multiple individuals with intermediate spotting patterns suggesting that coloration is not diagnostic. Mitochondrial data recovered a single main haplotype shared between the species and all locations resulting in a complete lack of structure (ST = 0). Genomic analyses also suggest low levels of genetic differentiation (FST = 0.013), and no alternatively fixed SNPs were detected between the two phenotypes. Furthermore, niche comparisons could not reject niche equivalency or similarity between the species. These results suggest that these two phenotypes are conspecific and widely distributed in the TEP. Here we recognize Prionurus punctatus Gill 1862 as a junior subjective synonym of P. laticlavius (Valenciennes 1846). The underlying causes of phenotypic variation in this species is unknown. However, this system gives insight into general evolutionary dynamics within the TEP.