Data from: Habitat selection may influence swimming performance in marine teleost larvae

The data explores differences in swimming performance between teleost larvae from comparative phylogenetic, meta-analysis and case-study approaches.
Methodology: The following study used phylogenetic comparative methods, data synthesis and, case study approach to investigate how swimming performance differs between different habitats (reefs, non-reef demersal and pelagic) habitats, across latitude (temperate and tropical latitudes), with combinations of habitat and latitude herein referred to as 'Environmental Habitat' (e.g., tropical reef, temperate demersal etc.). A systematic literature search was used to find all relevant studies for this study. The study was divided in three aims. The first aim compared changes in swimming performance (Ucrit and in situ swimming) across body size using regression analysis to determine differences in how swimming performance changes with body size. The second aim investigated differences in swimming performance between post-flexion stage fish across 'Environmental Habitat'. This aim comprised multiple comparisons, such as swimming method (Ucrit, in situ and endurance), body shape, muscle area and caudal fin area. The differences in swimming methods among environmental habitats were analysed using phylogenetic comparative methods.The third aim acted as a case study and superimposed swimming performance of reef fishes over development and at settlement stage onto water current speed data at different depths and reef habitats around Lizard Island, Australia, which is a representative coral reef ecosystem. Comparing swimming performance with water current speeds allows me to determine at what ontogenetic stage swimming performance alone will suffice against water currents.
The data consists of 9 files in comma-separated values (.csv) format and a metadata file (.txt) that includes all of the variables, labels and units.
The data files are:

Files
File Description

1.DOWNIE_Chpt3_metadata.txt
Metadata file including all of the variables, labels and units

2.DOWNIE_PhD_Chpt3_UcritGrowth.csv
Relationship between body size and critical swimming speed among larvae from different habitats

3.DOWNIE_PhD_Chpt3_InsituGrowth.csv
Relationship between body size and in situ swimming speed among larvae from different habitats

4.DOWNIE_PhD_Chpt3_UcritSettle.csv
Critical swimming speed of post-flexion larvae from different habitats

5.DOWNIE_PhD_Chpt3_UcritPhylo.csv
Critical swimming speed data used for phylogenetic comparative analysis

6.DOWNIE_PhD_Chpt3_InsituSettle.csv
In situ speed of post-flexion larvae from different habitats

7.DOWNIE_PhD_Chpt3_Endurance.csv
Endurance distance of post-flexion larvae from different habitats

8.DOWNIE_PhD_Chpt3_BodyShape.csv
Critical swimming speed of larvae from different habitats, grouped based on body shape, muscle area and caudal fin area

9.DOWNIE_PhD_Chpt3_Ontogeny_LIFlow.csv
Development of swimming speed of three reef fishes from hatch until settlement against current speeds around Lizard Island

10.DOWNIE_PhD_Chpt3_Settlement_LIFlow.csv
Critical swimming speed, in situ and minimum swimming speed of tropical fish larvae against current speeds around Lizard Island