Insight Into Trophic Niche Differentiation in <i>Labeobarbus</i> (Cyprinidae) in the Luhoho Basin (Upper Congo Basin).

ABSTRACT: Mouth morphology plays a crucial role in determining the trophic ecology of fish and sometimes underpins important lineage diversification. Freshwater teleost fish species belonging to the genus Labeobarbus, commonly found in Africa, exhibit intra- and interspecific variation and differences in the lower jaw occurring within and between species, respectively. Different phenotypes include a curved U-shape ('rubberlips'), a straight lower jaw ('chiselmouth') and an intermediate morphology known as the smiling phenotype. In some cases, smiling originates from hybridisation between chiselmouth and rubberlips. However, the trophic relationships of different mouth morphologies in the Labeobarbus taxa are still not well understood, particularly in the Congo Basin. Understanding the

SUBMITTER: Kisekelwa T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11968145 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature