fish (eggs) out of water: evolutionary divergence in terrestrial embryonic plasticity in Trinidadian killifish

Research has shown that externally laid eggs are often responsive to environmental signals. How such embryonic plasticity evolves is unclear. In Trinidad, the killifish (Anablepsoides hartii) are found in communities with and without predators. Killifish inhabit shallower, ephemeral habitat in sites with predators. Such shifts increase the exposure of eggs to air and possible desiccation. We compared embryonic plasticity between communities by rearing eggs terrestrially on peat moss or in water. The timing of hatching did not differ between communities when eggs were reared in water. Eggs from sites with predators responded to terrestrial incubation by hatching significantly earlier compared to water reared eggs. These responses were weaker in sites with no predators. Such divergent trends show that the presence of predators is associated with shifts in embryonic plasticity. Our results provide new insights into the factors that favor the evolutionary transition between life on water vs..., These data were collected via egg incubation experiments that manipulated the duration of exposure to semi-terrestrial conditions., , # Data from: fish (eggs) out of water: evolutionary divergence in terrestrial embryonic plasticity in Trinidadian killifish

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This is one data file with two tabs. One for the 15-day air exposure experiments and the other for the 12-day air exposure experiments.

## Description of the Data and file structure

Here is a guide to each tab:

Tab 1: 15 day air exposure experiments

Stream = focal rivers (AM = Arima, AP = Aripo)
Population= fish community (HP=high predation, KO=killifish only sites)
Family= male and female lineages used to produce eggs
Day at egg hatching = egg development rate (i.e., no. of days before egg hatched)
F length = female length (cm)
F mass = female weight (g)
Treatment = egg rearing conditions (peat moss or in water)
Age at growth = age of the offspring when size was assessed
Offsoring size = offspring weight on ~day 30 (g)

The missing values ('n/a') for offpring size represent eggs that hatched but the subsequent larvae did not survive until day 30.

Tab 2:...