DOI: 10.5061/dryad.6m905qg98
title: Social environment shapes male color development in Trinidadian guppies

description: Plasticity plays an important role in species persistence under
 environmental change. Morphological traits are well-known to respond to
 various ecological factors like temperature and predation, but less is
 known about the effect of social cues. In this study, we test the impact
 of both predator and social environmental cues on the development of male
 body coloration in Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata) adapted to
 different predation regimes. We raised second-generation (F2) fish adapted
 to either a high (HP) or low (LP) predation environment in a full-sibling
 experimental design under two crossed environments: a predator treatment
 (with or without predator cues) and a social treatment (isolated, or with
 adult tutors from their predation regime, or the opposite). Guppies
 adapted to a low-predation environment had a greater relative area of
 orange color than high-predation guppies, repeating previous results
 indicating a genetic basis to male coloration. Surprisingly, predator cues
 had no effect on conspicuous coloration, yet social cues had a strong
 effect. Fish reared in isolation (regardless of population) showed more
 orange and black body coloration than fish reared with tutors. These
 results emphasize the importance of examining plasticity under complex
 environmental contexts and suggest a role of social dynamics in the
 development of trait diversity in nature. This information will contribute
 to our broader understanding of the interacting role of genetics and
 plasticity in species' responses to environmental change.
description: # Social environment shapes male color development in Trinidadian guppies
 Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.6m905qg98](10.5061/dryad.6m905qg98) ##
 Description of the data and file structure Files are stored in
 comma-separated values (.csv) format. ### Files and variables #### File:
 Raw_Images.zip **Description:** Contains the raw images of the experiment.
 Each picture contains the focal male guppy and a label with the focal
 male's unique ID. #### File: colorplasticity2021.csv
 **Description:** Contains the metadata and color data of the experiment.
 ##### Variables * pop = Population of origin. One of two: `AH` for Aripo
 High Predation; `AL` for Aripo Low Predation * pred_trt = Predator
 Treatment. `N` for no predator cues; `Y` for predator cues. * soc_trt =
 Social Treatment: `solo` for rearing alone; `same` for reared with
 conspecifics of the same population; `dif` for reared with conspecifics
 from the other population. * tutor_pop: Population of origin of the tutors
 (AH or AL) * sex = Sex. `M` for male; `F` for female. * block =
 Experimental Block * mom_ID = Identifier for the mother of the study
 subject fish * Body Area : Area in mm^2^ of the fish body, not including
 the fins * Body Black Number: Number of black spots on the body * Body
 Black Area: Total area in mm^2^ of all black body spots * Body Black
 Relative Area: Body Black Area/Body Area * Body Fuzzy-Black Number: Number
 of fuzzy black spots on the body * Body Fuzzy-Black Area: Total area in
 mm^2^ of all fuzzy black body spots * Body Fuzzy-Black Relative Area: Body
 Fuzzy Black Area/Body Area * Body Melanistic Number: Number of black spots
 on the body + Number of fuzzy black spots on the body * Body Melanistic
 Area: Total area in mm^2^ of all black body spots + fuzzy black body spots
 * Body Melanistic Relative Area: (Body Black Area + Body Fuzzy Black
 Area)/Body Area * Body Yellow Number: Number of yellow spots on the body *
 Body Yellow Area: Total area in mm^2^ of all yellow body spots * Body
 Yellow Relative Area: Body Yellow Area/Body Area * Body Orange
 Number: Number of orange spots on the body * Body Orange Area: Total area
 in mm^2^ of all orange body spots * Body Orange Relative Area: Body Orange
 Area/Body Area * Body Xanthophore Number: Number of orange spots on the
 body + Number of yellow spots on the body * Body Xanthophore Area: Total
 area in mm^2^ of all orange body spots + yellow body spots * Body
 Xanthophore Relative Area: (Body Orange Area + Body Yellow Area)/Body Area
 * Tail Area : Area in mm^2^ of the fish tail * Tail Black Number: Number
 of black spots on the tail * Tail Black Area: Total area in mm^2^ of all
 black tail spots * Tail Black Relative Area: Tail Black Area/Tail Area *
 Tail Fuzzy-Black Number: Number of fuzzy black spots on the tail * Tail
 Fuzzy-Black Area: Total area in mm^2^ of all fuzzy black tail spots * Tail
 Fuzzy-Black Relative Area: Tail Fuzzy Black Area/Tail Area * Tail
 Melanistic Number: Number of black spots on the tail + Number of fuzzy
 black spots on the tail * Tail Melanistic Area: Total area in mm^2^ of all
 black tail spots + fuzzy black tail spots * Tail Melanistic Relative
 Area: (Tail Black Area + Tail Fuzzy Black Area)/Tail  Area * Tail Yellow
 Number: Number of yellow spots on the tail * Tail Yellow Area: Total area
 in mm^2^ of all yellow tail spots * Tail Yellow Relative Area: Tail Yellow
 Area/Tail Area * Tail Orange Number: Number of orange spots on the tail *
 Tail Orange Area: Total area in mm^2^ of all orange tail spots * Tail
 Orange Relative Area: Tail Orange Area/Tail Area * Tail Xanthophore
 Number: Number of orange spots on the tail + Number of yellow spots on the
 tail * Tail Xanthophore Area: Total area in mm^2^ of all orange tail spots
 + yellow tail spots * Tail Xanthophore Relative Area: (Tail Orange Area +
 Tail Yellow Area)/Tail  Area ## Code/software Data viewed using R software
 version 4.5.0. ## Access information