Abstract
Sexual dimorphism is intriguing because it suggests that males and
females differ in phenotypic optima for traits and that sex-specific
trait values can evolve despite a shared genome. Differences in sexual
dimorphism across populations or species suggest that the nature of
sexual selection and/or genetic constraints differs among species. Here,
we measured sexual dimorphism in 20 species of North American killifish
(Fundulidae) in size and shape of dorsal, anal, and caudal fins. We
observed profound sexual dimorphism in anal and dorsal fin size and
shape across all species, suggesting a common direction of selection.
Sexual dimorphism was also present in caudal fin size and shape but was
much lower in magnitude, with several species not differing from a null
expectation of zero. There was little evidence for a phylogenetic signal
in the levels of sexual dimorphism in dorsal and anal fin traits. We
also found a strong phylogenetic correlation between sexual dimorphism
in anal and dorsal fin shape but no phylogenetic correlation between fin
area, base length, or ray length across different fins. Our results
indicate that there is pronounced sexual dimorphism in anal and dorsal
fin size and shape across fundulids. Similar patterns of sexual
dimorphism in anal and dorsal fin properties have been documented in
other groups, including gars, bichirs, graylings, minnows, and many
species in the Atherinomorpha, suggesting that this pattern may be
common across Actinopterygii.