Where Am I? Niche constraints due to morphological specialization in two Tanganyikan cichlid fish species.

ABSTRACT: Food resource specialization within novel environments is considered a common axis of diversification in adaptive radiations. Feeding specializations are often coupled with striking morphological adaptations and exemplify the relation between morphology and diet (phenotype-environment correlations), as seen in, for example, Darwin finches, Hawaiian spiders, and the cichlid fish radiations in East African lakes. The cichlids' potential to rapidly exploit and occupy a variety of different habitats has previously been attributed to the variability and adaptability of their trophic structures including the pharyngeal jaw apparatus. Here we report a reciprocal transplant experiment designed to explore the adaptability of the trophic structures in highly specialized cichlid fish species. More sp

SUBMITTER: Widmer L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7487241 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature