Trait similarity in reef fish faunas across the world’s oceans

Type Article
Date 2021-03
Language English
Author(s) McLean Matthew1, Stuart-Smith Rick D.2, Villeger Sébastien7, Auber ArnaudORCID4, Edgar Graham J.2, Macneil M. Aaron1, 5, Loiseau Nicolas3, Leprieur Fabien8, Mouillot David8
Affiliation(s) 1 : Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
2 : Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
3 : MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer, IRD, 34095 Montpellier, France
4 : Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer, Unité Halieutique de Manche et mer du Nord, 62321 Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
5 : Ocean Frontier Institute, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
6 : Institut Universitaire de France, 75005 Paris, France
7 : MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer, IRD, 34095 Montpellier, France
8 : MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer, IRD, 34095 Montpellier, France
Source Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America (0027-8424) (National Academy of Sciences), 2021-03 , Vol. 118 , N. 12 , P. e2012318118 (10p.)
DOI 10.1073/pnas.2012318118
WOS© Times Cited 42
Keyword(s) biogeography, community assembly, functional ecology, macroecology, phylogenetics
Abstract

Species’ traits, rather than taxonomic identities, determine community assembly and ecosystem functioning, yet biogeographic patterns have been far less studied for traits. While both environmental conditions and evolutionary history shape trait biogeography, their relative contributions are largely unknown for most organisms. Here, we explore the global biogeography of reef fish traits for 2,786 species from 89 ecoregions spanning eight marine realms with contrasting environmental conditions and evolutionary histories. Across realms, we found a common structure in the distribution of species traits despite a 10-fold gradient in species richness, with a defined “backbone” of 21 trait combinations shared by all realms globally, both temperate and tropical. Across ecoregions, assemblages under similar environmental conditions had similar trait compositions despite hosting drastically different species pools from separate evolutionary lineages. Thus, despite being separated by thousands of kilometers and millions of years

of evolution, similar environments host similar trait compositions in reef fish assemblages worldwide. Our findings suggest that similar trait-based management strategies can be applied among regions with distinct species pools, potentially improving conservation outcomes across diverse jurisdictions.

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How to cite 

McLean Matthew, Stuart-Smith Rick D., Villeger Sébastien, Auber Arnaud, Edgar Graham J., Macneil M. Aaron, Loiseau Nicolas, Leprieur Fabien, Mouillot David (2021). Trait similarity in reef fish faunas across the world’s oceans. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America, 118(12), e2012318118 (10p.). Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2012318118 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00684/79597/