Data from: The evolution of darter color and pattern: Small, rocky streams and riffles enhance the diversification of bright and conspicuous fishes

Organismal color and pattern is important to numerous aspects of animal
fitness, and may impact species divergence. Whether different
environmental conditions may impact rates of color diversification, and
the subsequent impacts on lineage diversification, has not been well
studied. We investigated the evolution of color and pattern in Darters
(Etheostomatinae; Percidae), a species-rich clade of freshwater fishes
showing a remarkable diversity in color. Using recently developed
approaches in color and pattern analysis we quantified color and pattern
attributes in 122 species. We applied multivariate and phylogenetic
comparative methods to investigate the relationship between river habitat
(drainage area, elevation, slope, substrate, etc) and darter color
characteristics and changes in the rate of color evolution. We found color
attributes were significantly related to river habitat, and rates of color
evolution differed between macro- and micro-habitat categories; smaller
streams and riffles in particular were associated with the rapid evolution
of conspicuous and complex color patterns. We suggest that these
differences are consistent with tradeoffs in predator abundance and photic
environment. Small river habitats may facilitate rapid evolution of
species-specific color patterns and reinforce divergence in secondary
sympatry.