Meeting Abstract
Betta splendens, commonly known as the Siamese fighting fish, is a species widely known to the public, but comparatively poorly known to the scientific community, especially from a genetic standpoint. However, these fish are tractable in a lab setting, have a dedicated hobbyist community actively engaged in citizen science, and show excellent potential for use in scientific outreach to a wide variety of audiences, making them an extremely attractive study system. Notably, Betta splendens displays vibrant pigmentation in its natural state, but artificial selection has resulted in captive-bred populations showing a wide variety of pigmentation phenotypes that vary in both coloration and patterning. While hobbyists and pet owners prize these fish for their beauty, these derived pigmentation phenotypes are also of scientific interest. Past studies have shown that these changes are not merely aesthetic, but rather that they impact behavior (e.g., mate choice and schooling) and physiology (e.g., immune responses) as well. Despite the attention that this subject has received, the specific genes mediating these changes in pigmentation have yet to be identified. Here, we investigate of the genetics underlying several Betta splendens pigmentation phenotypes, picking up where the citizen scientists of the hobbyist community have left off. Using a candidate gene approach, we have newly sequenced large portions of several relevant genes and identified variation in both coding sequences and gene expression. This work, together with our ongoing efforts, promises to shed light on the genetic underpinnings of the widely varied pigmentation phenotypes observed in this species.
