DOI: 10.5061/dryad.v9s4mw78q
title: Ontogeny of escape response and body shape in Threespine Stickleback (<i>Gasterosteus aculeatus</i> L.)

description: Escape responses in fishes provide insight into accelerative motions and
 behavioral response times of these animals, linking numerous
 fitness-related traits. We sought to connect escape response performance
 to genotype and phenotype across ontogenetic stages within a single
 population of Threespine Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.), to
 determine if a gene of major effect (Ectodysplasin; Eda) on adaptive
 lateral armour plate phenotype and fitness conveys a performance advantage
 in brackish and saltwater environments. We predicted that possession of
 one or more low-plated alleles would result in better escape performance
 in brackish environments across ontogeny, and that Eda genotype would
 result in variation in shape phenotype that would be predictive of escape
 performance before the completion of lateral plate development. We
 assessed three kinematic variables derived from C-start escape responses
 in wild-caught, F1 juvenile, and F1 adults, and found that Eda genotypes
 did not directly impact maximum velocity or curvature coefficient, but
 linked phenotypes contributed to an increase in total distance traveled in
 F1 adults. We further showed that Eda genotype impacted growth, producing
 variation in size which in turn influenced escape performance variables
 across age groups, with a particular focus on total distance traveled. The
 influence of Eda genotype on shape was confounded by sexual dimorphism,
 indicating that further sex-specific studies on shape and performance are
 needed. The presence of at least one low-plated allele conferred a growth
 advantage, particularly in a freshwater rearing environment, consistent
 with known pleiotropic effects of Eda, including on skeletal development,
 that may be modulating anti-predator responses before plate phenotype is
 fully expressed. Altogether, more ontogenetic studies are needed to ensure
 the influence of development on adaptive traits is more clearly
 understood.
description: # Ontogeny of escape response and body shape in Threespine Stickleback
 (*Gasterosteus aculeatus* L.) Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.v9s4mw78q](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.v9s4mw78q) ##
 Description of the data and file structure These data were collected for
 two-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis of phenotype and kinematic
 analysis of escape response in threespine stickleback. ### Files and
 variables #### File: KOZAK_CODE.R **Description:** This file contains the
 R code for data analysis using the associate files. The code requires the
 following packages to be installed: dplyr v. 1.1.4 data manipulation
 geomorph v. 4.0.10 morphometrics RRPP  v. 2.1.2 morphometrics ggplot2 v.
 3.5.1 plotting viridis v. 0.6.5 colour-blind friendly colours 
 
 #### File: KOZAK_F1_ADULTS.TPS **Description:** This file contains 2D
 landmark data for the F1 adult specimens included in this study. Each
 block of text includes the X and Y coordinates of 25 landmarks for each
 specimen listed in order, the image name and specimen ID number, and the
 image scale for each specimen. This is a TPS file generated by the
 software TpsDig. 
 
 #### File: KOZAK_F1_JUVENILES.TPS **Description:** This file contains 2D
 landmark data for the F1 juvenile specimens included in this study. Each
 block of text includes the X and Y coordinates of 25 landmarks for each
 specimen listed in order, the image name and specimen ID number, and the
 image scale for each specimen. This is a TPS file generated by the
 software TpsDig. 
 
 #### File: KOZAK_WIREFRAME.csv **Description:** This file contains the
 specifications to link landmarks for creating a wireframe image
 representation with geomorph software. ##### Variables * first: number of
 first landmark to link * second: number of second landmark to link ####
 File: KOZAK_WILD_ADULTS.TPS **Description:** This file contains 2D
 landmark data for the wild adult specimens included in this study. Each
 block of text includes the X and Y coordinates of 25 landmarks for each
 specimen listed in order, the image name and specimen ID number, and the
 image scale for each specimen. This is a TPS file generated by the
 software TpsDig. #### File: KOZAK_WILD_ADULTS.csv **Description:** This
 file contains kinematic data for the wild adult specimens included in this
 study. Note that not all variables included in the file were used in the
 study, but these are provided here for completeness. ##### Variables *
 Tank: tank identifier * Indiv: individual identifier within each tank *
 sex: sex of each individual (M = male, F = female) * eda: ectodysplasin
 genotype of each individual (C = full-plated allele, L = low-plated
 allele) * weight: weight (grams) of each individual * SL: standard length
 (millimetres) of each individual * width: width (millimetres) of each
 indidividual * MaxVel: maximum recorded velocity (m/s) * MaxCurve: maximum
 of curvature (mm^-1^) * TotalDis: total distance traveled (mm) 
 
 #### File: KOZAK_F1_ADULTS.csv **Description:** This file contains
 kinematic data for the F1 adult specimens included in this study. Note
 that not all variables included in the file were used in the study, but
 these are provided here for completeness. ##### Variables * Family: family
 identifier * Tank: tank identifier * Salinity: salinity status (FW =
 freswater, SW = salt water) * Indiv: individual identifier * sex: sex of
 each individual (M = male, F = female) * eda: ectodysplasin genotype of
 each individual (C = full-plated allele, L = low-plated allele) * weight:
 weight (grams) of each individual * SL: standard length (millimetres) of
 each individual * width: width (millimetres) of each indidividual *
 MaxVel: maximum recorded velocity (m/s) * MaxCurve: maximum of curvature
 (mm^-1^) * TotalDis: total distance traveled (mm) 
 
 #### File: KOZAK_F1_JUVENILES.csv **Description:** This file contains
 kinematic data for the F1 juvenile specimens included in this study. Note
 that not all variables included in the file were used in the study, but
 these are provided here for completeness. **Variables** * Family: family
 identifier * Tank: tank identifier * Indiv: individual identifier * sex:
 sex of each individual (M = male, F = female) * eda: ectodysplasin
 genotype of each individual (C = full-plated allele, L = low-plated
 allele) * weight: weight (grams) of each individual * SL: standard length
 (millimetres) of each individual * width: width (millimetres) of each
 indidividual * MaxVel: maximum recorded velocity (m/s) * MaxCurve: maximum
 of curvature (mm^-1^) * TotalDis: total distance traveled (mm) 
 
 ## Code/software All files can be opened in a text editor. The code for
 these analyses is included as KOZAK_CODE.R. Analyses were conducted using
 R v 4.3.3 running in RStudio v 2024.12.1. Required packages include: \
 dplyr v. 1.1.4 data manipulation geomorph v. 4.0.10 morphometrics RRPP  v.
 2.1.2 morphometrics ggplot2 v. 3.5.1 plotting viridis v. 0.6.5
 colour-blind friendly colours ## Access information Other publicly
 accessible locations of the data: * NA Data was derived from the following
 sources: * NA