Visual cues are important in both interspecific and intraspecific communication. The species confidence hypothesis proposes that animals are more attracted to conspecific colors and repelled by colors not on their bodies. Studies on terrestrial lizards and birds have tested the species confidence hypothesis and shown that conspecific colors elicit reduced anti-predator behavior. To date, the species confidence hypothesis has not been tested in the marine environment, specifically on coral reefs where color communication is of vital importance. We addressed this knowledge gap by measuring flight initiation distance (the distance an individual moves away from an approaching threat) in dusky damselfish (Stegastes nigricans) in response to an approaching disc of one of four different color treatments: conspecific, blue, yellow, and black. If the species confidence hypothesis explained variation in damselfish flight initiation distance, then we expected individuals to tolerate closer approaches when approached by a conspecific color. In addition, we calculated the color difference between each stimulus and its corresponding background as a potential alternative explanation for flight responses. Damselfish tolerated the closest approach from the conspecific color stimulus; there were no significant differences between other colors and there was no support for the alternative color difference hypothesis. As with similar terrestrial studies, these results are relevant to ecotourists’ choice of swimsuit and wetsuit colors because color choice may modify natural anti-predator behavior.

中文翻译：

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灰雀雀鲷物种信心假设的检验

视觉线索在种间和种内交流中都很重要。物种信心假说提出，动物更容易被同种颜色所吸引，而对不在它们身上的颜色感到排斥。对陆生蜥蜴和鸟类的研究已经检验了物种置信度假说，并表明同种颜色会导致反捕食者行为减少。迄今为止，物种置信度假说尚未在海洋环境中得到检验，特别是在颜色交流至关重要的珊瑚礁上。我们通过测量暗淡雀鲷（Stegastes nigricans）的飞行起始距离（个体远离接近的威胁的距离）来解决这一知识差距，以响应四种不同颜色处理之一的接近圆盘：同种、蓝色、黄色和黑色的。如果物种信心假设解释了雀鲷飞行起始距离的变化，那么我们预计个体在被同种颜色接近时能够容忍更近的接近。此外，我们计算了每个刺激与其相应背景之间的颜色差异，作为飞行反应的潜在替代解释。雀鲷容忍来自同种颜色刺激的最接近方法；其他颜色之间没有显着差异，并且不支持替代色差假设。与类似的陆地研究一样，这些结果与生态旅游者对泳衣和潜水衣颜色的选择有关，因为颜色选择可能会改变自然的反捕食者行为。然后我们期望个体在被同种颜色接近时容忍更近的接近。此外，我们计算了每个刺激与其相应背景之间的颜色差异，作为飞行反应的潜在替代解释。雀鲷容忍来自同种颜色刺激的最接近方法；其他颜色之间没有显着差异，并且不支持替代色差假设。与类似的陆地研究一样，这些结果与生态旅游者对泳衣和潜水衣颜色的选择有关，因为颜色选择可能会改变自然的反捕食者行为。然后我们期望个体在被同种颜色接近时容忍更近的接近。此外，我们计算了每个刺激与其相应背景之间的颜色差异，作为飞行反应的潜在替代解释。雀鲷容忍来自同种颜色刺激的最接近方法；其他颜色之间没有显着差异，并且不支持替代色差假设。与类似的陆地研究一样，这些结果与生态旅游者对泳衣和潜水衣颜色的选择有关，因为颜色选择可能会改变自然的反捕食者行为。我们计算了每个刺激与其相应背景之间的颜色差异，作为对飞行反应的潜在替代解释。雀鲷容忍来自同种颜色刺激的最接近方法；其他颜色之间没有显着差异，并且不支持替代色差假设。与类似的陆地研究一样，这些结果与生态旅游者对泳衣和潜水衣颜色的选择有关，因为颜色选择可能会改变自然的反捕食者行为。我们计算了每个刺激与其相应背景之间的颜色差异，作为对飞行反应的潜在替代解释。雀鲷容忍来自同种颜色刺激的最接近方法；其他颜色之间没有显着差异，并且不支持替代色差假设。与类似的陆地研究一样，这些结果与生态旅游者对泳衣和潜水衣颜色的选择有关，因为颜色选择可能会改变自然的反捕食者行为。