Data from: How predation shaped fish: the impact of fin spines on body form evolution across teleosts

It is well known that predators can induce morphological changes in some
fish: individuals exposed to predation cues increase body depth and the
length of spines. We hypothesize that these structures may evolve
synergistically, as together, these traits will further enlarge the body
dimensions of the fish that gape-limited predators must overcome. We
therefore expect that the orientation of the spines will predict which
body dimension increases in the presence of predators. Using phylogenetic
comparative methods, we tested this prediction on the macroevolutionary
scale across 347 teleost families, which display considerable variation in
fin spines, body depth and width. Consistent with our predictions, we
demonstrate that fin spines on the vertical plane (dorsal and anal fins)
are associated with a deeper-bodied optimum. Lineages with spines on the
horizontal plane (pectoral fins) are associated with a wider-bodied
optimum. Optimal body dimensions across lineages without spines
paralleling the body dimension match the allometric expectation.
Additionally, lineages with longer spines have deeper and wider body
dimensions. This evolutionary relationship between fin spines and body
dimensions across teleosts reveals functional synergy between these two
traits and a potential macroevolutionary signature of predation on the
evolutionary dynamics of body shape.