Two species of fish has recently undergone sympatric speciation. The males of each species had a different coloring through which females could identify and choose a partner from her own species. After some time, pollution made the lake so cloudy it was hard for females to distinguish colors. What might take place in this situation?

Two species of fish has recently undergone sympatric speciation. The males of each species had a different coloring through which females could identify and choose a partner from her own species. After some time, pollution made the lake so cloudy it was hard for females to distinguish colors. What might take place in this situation?

It is likely the two species would start to reproduce with each other. Depending on the viability of their offspring, they may fuse back into one species. The female fish of the two species formed after sympstric special will not be able to differentiate between the males of the two species due to the clouding of the lake which is as a result of pollution where the female of one of the species might mate with the male of another species

Hybridization can occur if the species don't have reproductive barriers such as, for example, ecophysiological and ethological barriers

Explanation:

The anthropogenic effects may modify animal behaviors. In consequence, the pollution may be a real problem for the reproductive success of these fish species