1
|
Yanagitsuru YR, Akanyeti O, Liao JC. Head width influences flow sensing by the lateral line canal system in fishes. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.180877. [PMID: 30194249 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.180877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The architecture of the cephalic lateral line canal system, with distinct lines for the supraorbital, infraorbital and mandibular canals, is highly conserved among fish species. Because these canals lie on a cranial platform, the sensory input they receive is expected to change based on how flow interacts with the head and how the canal pores are spatially distributed. In this study, we explored how head width, a trait that can vary greatly between species and across ontogeny, affects flow sensing. We inserted pressure sensors into physical fish head models of varying widths (narrow, intermediate and wide) and placed these models in steady and vortical flows. We measured sensory performance in terms of detecting flow parameters (flow speed, vortex shedding frequency and cylinder diameter), sensitivity (change in pressure gradient as a function of flow speed) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR; strength of vortex shedding frequency with respect to background). Our results show that in all model heads the amount of hydrodynamic information was maximized at the anterior region regardless of what metric we used to evaluate the sensory performance. In addition, we discovered that all model heads had the highest SNR for vortices at the intermediate flow speeds but that each head width passively optimized the SNR for different sized vortices, which may have implications for refuge and prey seeking. Our results provide insight into the sensory ecology of fishes and have implications for the design of autonomous underwater vehicles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuzo R Yanagitsuru
- The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, Department of Biology, University of Florida, 9505 Ocean Shore Blvd, St Augustine, FL 32080, USA.,Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Otar Akanyeti
- The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, Department of Biology, University of Florida, 9505 Ocean Shore Blvd, St Augustine, FL 32080, USA.,Department of Computer Science, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY23 3DB, UK
| | - James C Liao
- The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, Department of Biology, University of Florida, 9505 Ocean Shore Blvd, St Augustine, FL 32080, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
De Meyer J, Goethals T, Van Wassenbergh S, Augustijns T, Habraken J, Hellemans J, Vandewiele V, Dhaene J, Bouillart M, Adriaens D. Dimorphism throughout the European eel's life cycle: are ontogenetic changes in head shape related to dietary differences? J Anat 2018; 233:289-301. [PMID: 29855043 PMCID: PMC6081510 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A well-known link exists between an organism's ecology and morphology. In the European eel, a dimorphic head has been linked to differences in feeding ecology, with broad-headed eels consuming harder prey items than narrow-headed ones. Consequently, we hypothesized that broad-heads should exhibit a cranial musculoskeletal system that increases bite force and facilitates the consumption of harder prey. Using 3D-reconstructions and a bite model, we tested this hypothesis in two life stages: the sub-adult yellow eel stage and its predecessor, the elver eel stage. This allowed us to test whether broad- and narrow-headed phenotypes show similar trait differences in both life stages and whether the dimorphism becomes more pronounced during ontogeny. We show that broad-headed eels in both stages have larger jaw muscles and a taller coronoid, which are associated with higher bite forces. This increased bite force together with the elongated upper and lower jaws in broad-headed eels can also improve grip during spinning behavior, which is used to manipulate hard prey. Head shape variation in European eel is therefore associated with musculoskeletal variation that can be linked to feeding ecology. However, although differences in muscle volume become more pronounced during ontogeny, this was not the case for skeletal features.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J. De Meyer
- Evolutionary Morphology of VertebratesGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
| | - T. Goethals
- Evolutionary Morphology of VertebratesGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
| | - S. Van Wassenbergh
- Evolutionary Morphology of VertebratesGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
- Département Adaptations du VivantUMR 7179 C.N.R.S/M.N.H.N.Paris Cedex 05France
| | - T. Augustijns
- Evolutionary Morphology of VertebratesGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
| | - J. Habraken
- Evolutionary Morphology of VertebratesGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
| | - J. Hellemans
- Evolutionary Morphology of VertebratesGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
| | - V. Vandewiele
- Evolutionary Morphology of VertebratesGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
| | - J. Dhaene
- Department of Physics and AstronomyUGCT – Radiation PhysicsGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
| | - M. Bouillart
- Evolutionary Morphology of VertebratesGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
| | - D. Adriaens
- Evolutionary Morphology of VertebratesGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Dollion AY, Measey GJ, Cornette R, Carne L, Tolley KA, Silva JM, Boistel R, Fabre A, Herrel A. Does diet drive the evolution of head shape and bite force in chameleons of the genusBradypodion? Funct Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - G. John Measey
- Department of Botany and Zoology Centre for Invasion Biology Stellenbosch University Private Bag X1 Matieland 7602 Stellenbosch South Africa
| | - Raphaël Cornette
- ‘Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité’ (ISYEB) UMR 7205 CNRS/MNHN/UPMC/EPHE 45 rue Buffon 75005 Paris France
| | - Liza Carne
- Department of Zoology Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University PO Box 77000 Port Elizabeth6031 South Africa
| | - Krystal A. Tolley
- Kirstenbosch Research Centre South African National Biodiversity Institute Private Bag X7 Claremont 7735 Cape Town South Africa
- Department of Botany and Zoology Stellenbosch University Private Bag X1 Matieland 7602 Stellenbosch South Africa
| | - Jessica M. Silva
- Kirstenbosch Research Centre South African National Biodiversity Institute Private Bag X7 Claremont 7735 Cape Town South Africa
| | - Renaud Boistel
- IPHEP, CNRS UMR 7262 Université de Poitiers 6 rue Michel Brunet 86073 Poitiers France
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Herrel A, Fabre AC, Hugot JP, Keovichit K, Adriaens D, Brabant L, Van Hoorebeke L, Cornette R. Ontogeny of the cranial system in Laonastes aenigmamus. J Anat 2012; 221:128-37. [PMID: 22607030 PMCID: PMC3406360 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2012.01519.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/25/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Rodents, together with bats, are among the ecologically most diverse and most speciose groups of mammals. Moreover, rodents show elaborate specializations of the feeding apparatus in response to the predominantly fore-aft movements of the lower jaw. The Laotian rock rat Laonastes aenigmamus was recently discovered and originally thought to belong to a new family. The difficulties in classifying L. aenigmamus based on morphological characters stem from the fact that it presents a mixture of sciurognathous and hystricognathous characteristics, including the morphology of the jaw adductors. The origin of the unusual muscular organization in this species remains, however, unclear. Here, we investigate the development of the masticatory system in Laonastes to better understand the origin of its derived morphology relative to other rodents. Our analyses show that skull and mandible development is characterized by an overall elongation of the snout region. Muscle mass increases with positive allometry during development and growth, and so does the force-generating capacity of the jaw adductor muscles (i.e. physiological cross-sectional area). Whereas fetal crania and musculature are more similar to those of typical rodents, adults diverge in the elongation of the rostral part of the skull and the disproportionate development of the zygomaticomandibularis. Our data suggest a functional signal in the development of the unusual cranial morphology, possibly associated with the folivorous trophic ecology of the species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Herrel
- UMR CNRS/MNHN 7179, Mécanismes adaptatifs: des organismes aux communautés, Paris, France.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Moya-Laraño J. Genetic variation, predator-prey interactions and food web structure. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2011; 366:1425-37. [PMID: 21444316 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2010.0241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Food webs are networks of species that feed on each other. The role that within-population phenotypic and genetic variation plays in food web structure is largely unknown. Here, I show via simulation how variation in two key traits, growth rates and phenology, by influencing the variability of body sizes present through time, can potentially affect several structural parameters in the direction of enhancing food web persistence: increased connectance, decreased interaction strengths, increased variation among interaction strengths and increased degree of omnivory. I discuss other relevant traits whose variation could affect the structure of food webs, such as morphological and additional life-history traits, as well as animal personalities. Furthermore, trait variation could also contribute to the stability of food web modules through metacommunity dynamics. I propose future research to help establish a link between within-population variation and food web structure. If appropriately established, such a link could have important consequences for biological conservation, as it would imply that preserving (functional) genetic variation within populations could ensure the preservation of entire communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Moya-Laraño
- Cantabrian Institute of Biodiversity (ICAB), Universidad de Oviedo-Principado de Asturias, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Pfaller JB, Gignac PM, Erickson GM. Ontogenetic changes in jaw-muscle architecture facilitate durophagy in the turtle Sternotherus minor. J Exp Biol 2011; 214:1655-67. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.048090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Differential scaling of musculoskeletal traits leads to differences in performance across ontogeny and ultimately determines patterns of resource use during development. Because musculoskeletal growth of the feeding system facilitates high bite-force generation necessary to overcome the physical constraints of consuming more durable prey, durophagous taxa are well suited for investigations of the scaling relationships between musculoskeletal growth, bite-force generation and dietary ontogeny. To elucidate which biomechanical factors are responsible for allometric changes in bite force and durophagy, we developed and experimentally tested a static model of bite-force generation throughout development in the durophagous turtle Sternotherus minor. Moreover, we quantified the fracture properties of snails found in the diet to evaluate the relationship between bite force and the forces required to process durable prey. We found that (1) the static bite-force model accurately predicts the ontogenetic scaling of bite forces, (2) bite-force positive allometry is accomplished by augmenting muscle size and muscle pennation, and (3) the rupture forces of snails found in the diet show a similar scaling pattern to bite force across ontogeny. These results indicate the importance of muscle pennation for generating high bite forces while maintaining muscle size and provide empirical evidence that the allometric patterns of musculoskeletal growth in S. minor are strongly linked to the structural properties of their primary prey.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph B. Pfaller
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Paul M. Gignac
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Gregory M. Erickson
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Scaling of feeding biomechanics in the horn shark Heterodontus francisci: ontogenetic constraints on durophagy. ZOOLOGY 2009; 112:351-61. [PMID: 19428230 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2008.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2008] [Revised: 10/31/2008] [Accepted: 11/13/2008] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Organismal performance changes over ontogeny as the musculoskeletal systems underlying animal behavior grow in relative size and shape. As performance is a determinant of feeding ecology, ontogenetic changes in the former can influence the latter. The horn shark Heterodontus francisci consumes hard-shelled benthic invertebrates, which may be problematic for younger animals with lower performance capacities. Scaling of feeding biomechanics was investigated in H. francisci (n=16, 19-59cm standard length (SL)) to determine the biomechanical basis of allometric changes in feeding performance and whether this performance capacity constrains hard-prey consumption over ontogeny. Positive allometry of anterior (8-163N) and posterior (15-382N) theoretical bite force was attributed to positive allometry of cross-sectional area in two jaw adducting muscles and mechanical advantage at the posterior bite point (0.79-1.26). Mechanical advantage for anterior biting scaled isometrically (0.52). Fracture forces for purple sea urchins Strongylocentrotus purpuratus consumed by H. francisci ranged from 24 to 430N. Comparison of these fracture forces to the bite force of H. francisci suggests that H. francisci is unable to consume hard prey early in its life history, but can consume the majority of S. purpuratus by the time it reaches maximum size. Despite this constraint, positive allometry of biting performance appears to facilitate an earlier entry into the durophagous niche than would an isometric ontogenetic trajectory. The posterior gape of H. francisci is significantly smaller than the urchins capable of being crushed by its posterior bite force. Thus, the high posterior bite forces of H. francisci cannot be fully utilized while consuming prey of similar toughness and size to S. purpuratus, and its potential trophic niche is primarily determined by anterior biting capacity.
Collapse
|