Table 5. Summary of the main findings of the significant relationships between continuous and categorical traits.

For pairwise contrasts between trait categories see Fig. S1.

Continuous trait	Categorical trait	Main findings
Longevity	Body shape	Highest in flat species, lowest in rounded species
	Feeding type	Highest in ambushing & active predators, lowest in grazers
	Spawning habitat	Higher in pelagic spawners
	Diet	Highest in piscivorous species, lowest in zooplanktivorous-zoobentivorous
Fecundity	Body shape	Higher in atractoid and deep-bodied, lower in flat and long species
	Habitat type	Highest in pelagic species, intermediate in benthopelagic, lowest in benthic
	Seabed type	Highest in the open sea and over hard substrate, lowest over soft substrate
Maximum length	Body shape	Higher in long, atractoid and flat body shape, lowest in rounded body shape
	Habitat type	Highest in pelagic species, intermediate in benthic, lowest in benthopelagic
	Seasonal migrations	Higher in non-migratory species
	Diet	Highest in piscivorous species
	Feeding type	Highest in active & ambushing predators, lowest in grazers
	Spawning habitat	Higher in pelagic spawners
Depth	Depth range	Eurybathic species deeper
	Diet	Herbivores most shallow, piscivores and zoobenthivores deeper
	Feeding type	Active predators deepest, grazers shallowest
	Spawning habitat	Benthic spawners deeper
	Salinity range	Euryhaline species in shallower depth
Trophic level	Diet	Herbivores have lowest trophic level, piscivores the highest
	Feeding type	Highest in ambushing predators, lowest in grazers
	Habitat type	Highest in pelagic species
	Depth range	Eurybathic species have higher trophic level
	Mobility	Ambushers have highest trophic level
Optimal temperature	Mobility	Higher in species of high & medium mobility, lower in small mobility species
	Temperature range	Higher in stenothermal species
	Distribution	Highest in tropical species, lowest in temperate