Feeding Morphology, Diet, and Ecomorphological Relationships among Five Caribbean Labrids (Teleostei, Labridae)

Clifton, Kari B.; Motta, Philip

doi:10.2307/1447342

Cited by 80 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…Whilst morphological differences may dictate the range of dietary items that can be exploited, predators are subject to prey availability. Past examples of morphology being linked to diet have focused almost exclusively on diurnal feeding fishes (Lauder 1983b, Clifton & Motta 1998, Wainwright et al 2000. This is the first study to investigate a number of representatives from a group of nocturnal predators.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trophic ecomorphology of cardinalfish

Barnett¹,

Bellwood²,

Hoey³

2006

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Trophic diversity in 9 cardinalfish species was investigated by comparing 14 morphological characteristics of their feeding apparatus with dietary data based on stomach content analysis. Analysis of the morphological characteristics separated the 9 species into 3 distinct groups. The first group (Cheilodipterus macrodon, C. artus and C. quinquelineatus) was characterized by elongated heads; the second group (Archamia fucata, Apogon guamensis, A. cyanosoma and A. fragilis) by large gapes; and the third group (Apogon exostigma, A. doederleini) by wider heads and low transmission coefficient in their jaw mechanics. Stomach samples, however, revealed that morphology was of limited utility in predicting dietary groupings. The majority of species examined displayed generalist diets. The results indicate that while morphology may predict feeding potential, or feeding mode, actual resource use in this group may be shaped primarily by other modifying factors such as behaviour and prey availability. In contrast to other reef fish groups, morphology does not appear to play a strong role in influencing diet in the Apogonidae.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trophic ecomorphology of cardinalfish

Barnett¹,

Bellwood²,

Hoey³

2006

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…The morphology of a species consequently appears as an assembly of functional char-acters interacting with environmental factors. However, some authors have referred to the difficulties of making ecomorphological studies without taking into account the phylogenetic relations between species (e.g., Clifton and Motta, 1998), because these relationships can also influence the morphology and the ecology of species (Westneat, 1995). In other words, the phyletic relationship will dictate some of the morphological and ecological similarities between species (Motta, 1988;Douglas and Matthews, 1992).…”

Section: Evolution and Phylogenetic Aspects In Pomacentridaementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Consequently, it is possible to identify various trophic groups in the same family of fishes by structural and form differences in these structures (Barel, 1983). Accordingly, many studies have explored the relationship between the shape of the neurocranium, buccopharyngeal cavity, jaws and teeth on the one hand and diet on the other in different diverse fish families like the Cichlidae (Liem and Osse, 1975;Liem, 1979;Kassam et al, 2004), the Labridae (Wainwright, 1988;Clifton and Motta, 1998;Wainwright et al, 2004), the Centrarchidae (Wainwright and Richard, 1995) and the Chaetodontidae (Motta, 1988).…”

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confidence: 99%

Comparative trophic morphology in eight species of damselfishes (Pomacentridae)

Frederich

Pilet

Parmentier

et al. 2007

Journal of Morphology

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Damselfishes show significant biodiversity in the coral reefs. To better understand such diversity, an ecomorphological approach was investigated in the trophic morphology of eight species of Pomacentridae (Chromis acares, C. margaritifer, Dascyllus aruanus, D. flavicaudus, Pomacentrus pavo, Plectroglyphidodon johnstonianus, Pl. lacrymatus and Stegastes nigricans) belonging to different trophic guilds (zooplankton, algal, coral polyp feeders and omnivores). Geometric morphometrics were used to quantify size and shape variations in four skeletal units: (1) neurocranium, (2) suspensorium and opercle, (3) mandible and (4) premaxilla. This method allowed us to reveal shape and size differences correlated to functional diversity both within and between trophic guilds. Among zooplanktivores, C. margaritifer, D. aruanus and D. flavicaudus have a high and long supraoccipital crest, short mandibles forming a small mouth and high suspensoria and opercles. These three species can be considered to be suction feeders. In the same guild, C. acares shows opposite characteristics (long and thin mandibles, lengthened neurocranium and suspensorium) and can be considered as a ram feeder. Among herbivores and corallivores, the two species of Plectroglyphidodon and S. nigricans can be considered as grazers. Differences in skeletal shape are mainly related to improving the robustness of some skeletal parts (broad hyomandibular, short and high mandibles). The shapes of P. pavo, which feeds largely on algae, strongly differ from that of the other three grazers exhibiting similar morphological characteristics to C. acares (e.g., long and shallow suspensorium, lengthened neurocranium). This highlights likely differences concerning cutting or scraping method. Finally, no strong correlations exist between size and shapes in the eight studied species. Size difference among species having a very similar shape could be viewed as a factor optimizing resource partitioning.

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“…Assim, análises ecomorfológicas aparecem como ferramentas interessantes no estudo de estrutura de comunidades. No Brasil, os primeiros estudos ecomorfológicos datam do início dos anos 90, com um incremento em meados da década passada, sendo freqüentemente aplicados à fauna marinha e de água doce (Balon et al 1986, Winemiller et al 1995, Clifton & Motta 1998 e apenas um contempla peixes de reservatório (Freire & Agostinho 2001).…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

Ecomorfologia refletindo a dieta dos peixes em um reservatório no sul do Brasil

Teixeira

Bennemann

2007

Biota Neotrop.

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The Capivara Reservoir is located at the Medium Paranapanema river, between the states of Paraná and São Paulo and was formed in 1977. Samples made in 2001 and 2002 yielded 62 fish species, 31 of which occurred in the studied stretch. The nine most abundant species were chosen for the ecomorphological analysis. Eight ecomorphological attributes related to habitat use and foraging were employed in order to identify existing ecomorphological patterns among the species as well as relating them to the main food item consumed by each one. A cluster analysis based on the alimentary index (IAi) data grouped the species according to the main food items consumed. Principal component analysis related piscivores to large heads, caudal fins and terminal mouth with pungent teeth; benthic-dwelling fishes were related to small, subterminal mouths and reduced or absent dentition; omnivores attributes reflected taxonomic relatedness rather than any ecomorphological adaptation; herbivores were related to small mouths and multicuspidated dentition. The resulting trophic groups relative abundances agreed to the general pattern observed in reservoirs, showing a predominance of piscivores, detritivores and omnivores. Cichla monoculus (Spix & Agassiz, 1831) and Plagioscion squamosissimus (Heckel, 1840) showed large trophic and ecomorphological overlaps meaning that resource use by both species is probably highly similar. Thus ecomorphology seemed to be a suitable tool for describing habitat preferences as well as the prey capture behavior of piscivore species.Keywords: freshwater fishes, numeric ecology, community ecology, trophic ecology. Oito atributos ecomorfológicos relacionados ao uso do habitat e alimentação foram usados com objetivo de distinguir padrões ecomorfológicos entre as espécies e relacioná-los ao principal alimento consumido. Um dendrograma de similaridade alimentar foi construído a partir dos resultados do Índice Alimentar (IAi), agrupando as espécies conforme os principais alimentos consumidos. Pela análise de componentes principais piscívoros foram relacionados a cabeças, nadadeiras caudais e bocas terminais grandes com dentes pungentes; peixes bentófagos foram relacionados a bocas pequenas e subterminais e dentição pouco desenvolvida ou ausente; peixes onívoros revelaram atributos relacionados mais à afinidade taxonômica que a adaptações ecomorfológicas; peixes herbívoros foram relacionados a boca pequena e dentes multicuspidados. Os resultados mostraram que as abundâncias relativas dos grupos tróficos estiveram de acordo com o padrão geral observado em reservatórios, com predomínio de piscívoros, detritívoros e onívoros. Cichla monoculus (Spix & Agassiz, 1831) e Plagioscion squamosissimus (Heckel, 1840) apresentaram grande semelhança ecomorfológica e trófica entre si, permitindo concluir que o uso dos recursos por ambas as espécies é também bastante semelhante. A ecomorfologia se mostrou uma ferramenta adequada na descrição das preferências de habitat das espécies e de aspectos de comportamento de captura de pr...

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Feeding Morphology, Diet, and Ecomorphological Relationships among Five Caribbean Labrids (Teleostei, Labridae)

Cited by 80 publications

References 52 publications

Trophic ecomorphology of cardinalfish

Trophic ecomorphology of cardinalfish

Comparative trophic morphology in eight species of damselfishes (Pomacentridae)

Ecomorfologia refletindo a dieta dos peixes em um reservatório no sul do Brasil

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