Twist and Snout: Head and Body Morphologies Determine Feeding Kinematics in Substrate-Biting Fishes.

ABSTRACT: Across teleosts, feeding by biting substrate-attached prey has evolved multiple times and is associated with convergent morphologies that include a deep body and an elongated, tapered head. However, the functional role of these morphologies in substrate-biting fish is not established. Here, we tested the hypothesis that these morphologies function as control surfaces that affect feeding kinematics during biting. To test this hypothesis, we used simplified physical models of substrate-biting reef fish and examined the role of head, body, and fin morphology in determining feeding kinematics that facilitate the removal of substrate-attached prey. Models simulated the swift lateral movement of the head, previously documented in species biting substrate-attached algae. Using models that capture

SUBMITTER: Perevolotsky T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12392097 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature