Data from: Dine and dash: How trophic ecology and migration shape functional locomotory traits in Clupeiform fishes

Understanding how interactions between multiple selective forces influence
traits at the macroevolutionary scale is key to understanding adaptive
landscapes. Diadromy, an extreme form of migration between marine and
freshwater environments, is thought to require locomotory traits conducive
to long-distance migration. Yet, other selective forces, such as predator
avoidance, habitat use, and prey acquisition, are also likely to shape
locomotory adaptation in fishes. We examined how diadromy and trophic
ecology together influenced locomotory trait diversity across
Clupeiformes, a clade of fishes containing high trophic diversity and
numerous transitions to diadromy. We found that both diadromy and trophic
ecology influenced the pattern and pace of trait evolution. Diadromous
taxa rapidly evolved traits characterized by high cruising efficiency, but
the extent to which diadromous and non-diadromous taxa differed depended
on their trophic ecology. Macropredators showed greater differences in
locomotory traits between diadromous and non-diadromous taxa than
phytodetritivores and micropredators, suggesting that traits conducive to
migration might be most costly to consumers of evasive prey. This work
shows that simultaneously characterizing the roles of multiple ecological
or life-history factors in phenotypic evolution can bring the topography
of adaptive landscapes into sharper focus and provide a more holistic view
of the forces driving patterns of trait evolution.