Light environment and seasonal variation in the visual system of the red shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis)

The light environment under water can vary dramatically over space and time, challenging the visual systems of aquatic organisms. To meet these challenges, many species shift their spectral sensitivities through changes in visual pigment chromophore and opsin expression. The red shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis) is a cyprinid minnow species that has rapidly expanded its range throughout North America and inhabits a wide range of aquatic habitats. We hypothesized that visual system plasticity has contributed to the red shiner’s success. We investigated plasticity in chromophore usage and opsin expression by collecting red shiners from three Oklahoma creeks that vary in turbidity throughout the year. We characterized the light environment by spectroradiometry, measured chromophore composition of the eyes with high-performance liquid chromatography, characterized CYP27C1 enzyme function through heterologous expression, and examined ocular gene expression by RNA sequencing and de novo transcrip..., , , # Light environment and seasonal variation in the visual system of the red shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis)

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vhhmgqp2c](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vhhmgqp2c)

This archive contains complete scripts and datasets for all analyses of ocular chromophore composition, opsin and enzyme gene expression, and visual system performance in the red shiner in relation to light environment and season that are presented in Foster et. al 2025. 

## Description of the data and file structure

This archive consists of thirteen files: 

* **Statisitcal_analyses_and_plotting_Mar25.rmd** - An R markdown file with the scripts for the complete statistical analyses and data plotting of the results presented in the manuscript: Light environment and seasonal variation in the visual system of the red shiner (*Cyprinella lutrensis*). The HTML rendered document is also available: **Statisitcal_analyses_and_plotting_Mar25.html**
* **chromophore_site_season.csv**
* *Fish.ID* - Sample i...,