Pelagic-benthic resource polymorphism in Schizopygopsis thermalis Herzenstein 1891 (Pisces, Cyprinidae) in a headwater lake in the Salween River system on the Tibetan Plateau.

ABSTRACT: Resource polymorphism is a ubiquitous phenomenon in vertebrates and may represent a critical intermediate stage in speciation. Freshwater lakes in high-altitude areas represent a natural system for understanding resource polymorphism in fishes benefiting from diverse lacustrine environments and species-poor fish assemblages. We report resource polymorphism in a cyprinid fish, Schizopygopsis thermalis, in Lake Amdo Tsonak Co, a headwater lake in the upper Salween River system. Two discrete intraspecific morphs, planktivorous and benthivorous, were identified according to geometric morphometrics and traditional univariate linear measures. The planktivorous morph exhibits a longer head, longer upper and lower jaw, larger asymptotic standard length (L_∞ ), lower growth

SUBMITTER: Qiao J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7391544 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature