Competition and phylogeny determine community structure in Müllerian co-mimics

Markos A. Alexandrou, Claudio Oliveira, Marjorie Maillard, Rona A. R. McGill, Jason Newton, Simon Creer and Martin I. Taylor ()
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Markos A. Alexandrou: Environment Centre Wales, Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Bangor University
Claudio Oliveira: Instituto de Biociencias, Universidade Estadual Paulista
Marjorie Maillard: Environment Centre Wales, Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Bangor University
Rona A. R. McGill: NERC Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry Facility, Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre
Jason Newton: NERC Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry Facility, Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre
Simon Creer: Environment Centre Wales, Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Bangor University
Martin I. Taylor: Environment Centre Wales, Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Bangor University

Nature, 2011, vol. 469, issue 7328, 84-88

Abstract: Mimic prey species keep their distance Müllerian mimics are poisonous or unpalatable potential prey species that are not closely related to the species they mimic but have evolved similar warning coloration to discourage shared predators, gaining in the process through strength in numbers. It is not clear if this effect is sufficient to maintain coexistence when competitive exclusion would be expected to favour one mimic at the expense of the others. Martin Taylor and colleagues address that question in a study of Müllerian mimicry in a species-rich group of tropical catfish. Using morphometric and stable isotope analysis, they find that mimics do not occupy identical niches so are not in direct competition for food, thus explaining their ability to coexist.

Date: 2011
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DOI: 10.1038/nature09660

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