Biofluorescence in Polymorphic Tiger Salamanders ( Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum)
Abstract
Animal communication is vital to nearly every species. Serving multiple functions and being conveyed throughout a variety of modes, communication allows animals to make decisions based on information other animals provide. Numerous examples of this can be found across the animal kingdom, with biofluorescence being a newly investigated form of visual communication. Biofluorescence is the absorption and remission of light by a living organism that generates a fluorescent hue of various colors. Heavily studied in marine species, little is known about the mechanism and function of biofluorescence in tetrapods. Recently, biofluorescent sexual dimorphism was discovered in a species of salamander which prompts the question if their fluorescent response could be used as a form of reproductive visual communication. I explored this topic through the study of biofluorescence in Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum, a polymorphic salamander subspecies that is capable of successfully interbreeding between morphs. To accomplish this, I photographed both sexes of metamorphic and paedomorphic salamanders under blue-excitation light to visualize fluorescent patterns and compared their torso similarities using pattern recognition software (I3SPattern+). After quantifying pattern similarities, biofluorescent morph differences were found on the dorsal and ventral side of the animal’s torso with no differences detected across the sexes. As far as I know, this is the first study investigating biofluorescence in a polymorphic species. While the ecological function of biofluorescence in salamanders remains unknown, understanding the expression of biofluorescence in this subspecies has increased our knowledge of this phenomenon and provided us with more insight into salamander reproductive communication.
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References (20)
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