Effects of temperature and water turbulence on vertebral number and body shape in Astyanax mexicanus (Teleostei: Characidae).

ABSTRACT: Environmental changes can modify the phenotypic characteristics of populations, which in turn can influence their evolutionary trajectories. In ectotherms like fishes, temperature is a particularly important environmental variable that is known to have significant impacts on the phenotype. Here, we raised specimens of the surface ecomorph of Astyanax mexicanus at temperatures of 20°C, 23°C, 25°C, and 28°C to examine how temperature influenced vertebral number and body shape. To increase biological realism, specimens were also subjected to two water turbulence regimes. Vertebral number was counted from x-rays and body shape variation was analysed using geometric morphometric methods. Temperature significantly impacted mean total vertebral number, which increased at the lowest and highest te

SUBMITTER: Reyes Corral WD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6663064 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature