Jaw protrusion enhances forces exerted on prey by suction feeding fishes

Deploy the proboscis!: Functional morphology and kinematics of a novel form of extreme jaw protrusion in the hingemouth, Phractolaemus ansorgii (Gonorynchiformes)

Premaxillary protrusion and the performance advantages it confers are implicated in the success of diverse lineages of teleost fishes, such as Cypriniformes and Acanthomorpha. Although premaxillary protrusion has evolved independently at least five times within bony fishes, much of the functional work investigating this kinesis relates to mechanisms found only in these two clades. Few studies have characterized feeding mechanisms in less-diverse premaxilla-protruding lineages and fewer yet have investigated the distinctive anatomy underlying jaw kinesis in these lineages. Here, we integrated dissection, clearing and staining, histology, micro-CT, and high-speed videography to investigate an isolated and independent origin of jaw protrusion in the hingemouth, Phractolaemus ansorgii, which employs a complex arrangement of bones, musculature, and connective tissues to feed on benthic detritus via a deployable proboscis. Our goals were to provide an integrative account of the underlying architecture of P. ansorgii's feeding apparatus and to assess the functional consequences of this drastic deviation from the more typical teleost condition. Phractolaemus ansorgii's cranial anatomy is distinct from all other fishes in that its adducted lower jaw is caudally oriented, and it possesses a mouth at the terminal end of an elongated, tube-like proboscis that is unique in its lack of skeletal support from the oral jaws. Instead, its mouth is supported primarily by hyaline-cell cartilage and other rigid connective tissues, and features highly flexible lips that are covered in rows of keratinous unculi. Concomitant changes to the adductor musculature likely allow for the flexibility to protrude the mouth dorsally and ventrally as observed during different feeding behaviors, while the intrinsic compliance of the lips allows for more effective scraping of irregular surfaces. From our feeding videos, we find that P. ansorgii is capable of modulating the distance of protrusion, with maximum anterior protrusion exceeding 30% of head length. This represents a previously undescribed example of extreme jaw protrusion on par with many acanthomorph species. Protrusion is much slower in P. ansorgii-reaching an average speed of 2.74 cm/s-compared to acanthomorphs feeding on elusive prey or even benthivorous cypriniforms. However, this reorganization of cranial anatomy may reflect a greater need for dexterity to forage more precisely in multiple directions and on a wide variety of surface textures. Although this highly modified mechanism may have limited versatility over evolutionary timescales, it has persisted in solitude within Gonorynchiformes, representing a novel functional solution for benthic feeding in tropical West African rivers.

A Mechanical Approach for Comparing Jaws in Fishes

This paper aims to propose an quantitative engineering approach to study and compare the jaw mechanisms of different marine species, considering essential mechanical parameters generally used to evaluate the performance of industrial linkage mechanisms. By leveraging these parameters, the paper demonstrates how the species' characteristics and behaviors align with the findings of biologists, enabling a meaningful comparison that was not previously possible. Seven fish species from various families are chosen to maintain a generic approach.

The role of fish predators and their foraging traits in shaping zooplankton community structure

Differentiation of foraging traits among predator populations may help explain observed variation in the structure of prey communities. However, few studies have investigated the phenotypic effects of predators on their prey in natural communities. Here, we use a comparative analysis of 78 Greenlandic lakes to examine how foraging trait variation among threespine stickleback populations can help explain variation in zooplankton community composition among lakes. We find that landscape-scale variation in zooplankton composition was jointly explained by lake properties, such as size and water chemistry, and the presence and absence of both stickleback and arctic char. Additional variation in zooplankton community structure can be explained by stickleback jaw protrusion, a trait with known utility for foraging on zooplankton, but only in lakes where stickleback co-occur with arctic char. Overall, our results illustrate how trait variation of predators, alongside other ecosystem properties, can influence the composition of prey communities in nature.

Functional Trade-offs Asymmetrically Promote Phenotypic Evolution

Trade-offs are thought to bias evolution and are core features of many anatomical systems. Therefore, trade-offs may have far-reaching macroevolutionary consequences, including patterns of morphological, functional, and ecological diversity. Jaws, like many complex anatomical systems, are comprised of elements involved in biomechanical trade-offs. We test the impact of a core mechanical trade-off, transmission of velocity versus force (i.e., mechanical advantage), on rates of jaw evolution in Neotropical cichlids. Across 130 species representing a wide array of feeding ecologies, we find that the velocity-force trade-off impacts evolution of the surrounding jaw system. Specifically, rates of jaw evolution are faster at functional extremes than in more functionally intermediate or unspecialized jaws. Yet, surprisingly, the effect on jaw evolution is uneven across the extremes of the velocity-force continuum. Rates of jaw evolution are 4 to 10-fold faster in velocity-modified jaws, whereas force-modified jaws are 7 to 18-fold faster, compared to unspecialized jaws, depending on the extent of specialization. Further, we find that a more extreme mechanical trade-off resulted in faster rates of jaw evolution. The velocity-force trade-off reflects a gradient from specialization on capture-intensive (e.g., evasive or buried) to processing-intensive prey (e.g., attached or shelled), respectively. The velocity extreme of the trade-off is characterized by large magnitudes of trait change leading to functionally divergent specialists and ecological stasis. By contrast, the force extreme of the trade-off is characterized by enhanced ecological lability made possible by phenotypes more readily co-opted for different feeding ecologies. This asymmetry of macroevolutionary outcomes along each extreme is likely the result of an enhanced utility of the pharyngeal jaw system as force-modified oral jaws are adapted for prey that require intensive processing (e.g., algae, detritus, and molluscs). The velocity-force trade-off, a fundamental feature of many anatomical systems, promotes rapid phenotypic evolution of the surrounding jaw system in a canonical continental adaptive radiation. Considering that the velocity-force trade-off is an inherent feature of all jaw systems that involve a lower element that rotates at a joint, spanning the vast majority of vertebrates, our results may be widely applicable across the tree of life. [adaptive radiation; constraint; decoupling; jaws; macroevolution; specialization].

Morphometric and Genetic Description of Trophic Adaptations in Cichlid Fishes

Since Darwin, biologists have sought to understand the evolution and origins of phenotypic adaptations. The skull is particularly diverse due to intense natural selection on feeding biomechanics. We investigated the genetic and molecular origins of trophic adaptation using Lake Malawi cichlids, which have undergone an exemplary evolutionary radiation. We analyzed morphological differences in the lateral and ventral head shape among an insectivore that eats by suction feeding, an obligate biting herbivore, and their F2 hybrids. We identified variation in a series of morphological traits—including mandible width, mandible length, and buccal length—that directly affect feeding kinematics and function. Using quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, we found that many genes of small effects influence these craniofacial adaptations. Intervals for some traits were enriched in genes related to potassium transport and sensory systems, the latter suggesting co-evolution of feeding structures and sensory adaptations for foraging. Despite these indications of co-evolution of structures, morphological traits did not show covariation. Furthermore, phenotypes largely mapped to distinct genetic intervals, suggesting that a common genetic basis does not generate coordinated changes in shape. Together, these suggest that craniofacial traits are mostly inherited as separate modules, which confers a high potential for the evolution of morphological diversity. Though these traits are not restricted by genetic pleiotropy, functional demands of feeding and sensory structures likely introduce constraints on variation. In all, we provide insights into the quantitative genetic basis of trophic adaptation, identify mechanisms that influence the direction of morphological evolution, and provide molecular inroads to craniofacial variation.

A new theoretical performance landscape for suction feeding reveals adaptive kinematics in a natural population of reef damselfish

Understanding how organismal traits determine performance and, ultimately, fitness is a fundamental goal of evolutionary eco-morphology. However, multiple traits can interact in non-linear and context-dependent ways to affect performance, hindering efforts to place natural populations with respect to performance peaks or valleys. Here, we used an established mechanistic model of suction-feeding performance (SIFF) derived from hydrodynamic principles to estimate a theoretical performance landscape for zooplankton prey capture. This performance space can be used to predict prey capture performance for any combination of six morphological and kinematic trait values. We then mapped in situ high-speed video observations of suction feeding in a natural population of a coral reef zooplanktivore, Chromis viridis, onto the performance space to estimate the population's location with respect to the topography of the performance landscape. Although the kinematics of the natural population closely matched regions of high performance in the landscape, the population was not located on a performance peak. Individuals were furthest from performance peaks on the peak gape, ram speed and mouth opening speed trait axes. Moreover, we found that the trait combinations in the observed population were associated with higher performance than expected by chance, suggesting that these combinations are under selection. Our results provide a framework for assessing whether natural populations occupy performance optima.

Highlighted Article: The in situ feeding performance of Chromis viridis indicates that the population resides close to a local performance peak.

Forensic odontology: Assessing bite wounds to determine the role of teeth in piscivorous fishes

Teeth facilitate the acquisition and processing of food in most vertebrates. However, relatively little is known about the functions of the diverse tooth morphologies observed in fishes. Piscivorous fishes (fish-eating fish) are crucial in shaping community structure and rely on their oral teeth to capture and/or process prey. However, how teeth are utilized in capturing and/or processing prey remains unclear. Most studies have determined the function of teeth by assessing morphological traits. The behavior during feeding, however, is seldom quantified. Here, we describe the function of teeth within piscivorous fishes by considering how morphological and behavioral traits interact during prey capture and processing. This was achieved through aquarium-based performance experiments, where prey fish were fed to 12 species of piscivorous fishes. Building on techniques in forensic odontology, we incorporate a novel approach to quantify and categorize bite damage on prey fish that were extracted from the piscivore’s stomachs immediately after being ingested. We then assess the significance of morphological and behavioral traits in determining the extent and severity of damage inflicted on prey fish. Results show that engulfing piscivores capture their prey whole and head-first. Grabbing piscivores capture prey tail-first using their teeth, process them using multiple headshakes and bites, before spitting them out, and then re-capturing prey head-first for ingestion. Prey from engulfers sustained minimal damage, whereas prey from grabbers sustained significant damage to the epaxial musculature. Within grabbers, headshakes were significantly associated with more severe damage categories. Headshaking behavior damages the locomotive muscles of prey, presumably to prevent escape. Compared to non-pharyngognaths, pharyngognath piscivores inflict significantly greater damage to prey. Overall, when present, oral jaw teeth appear to be crucial for both prey capture and processing (immobilization) in piscivorous fishes.

Functional groups in piscivorous fishes

Piscivory is a key ecological function in aquatic ecosystems, mediating energy flow within trophic networks. However, our understanding of the nature of piscivory is limited; we currently lack an empirical assessment of the dynamics of prey capture and how this differs between piscivores. We therefore conducted aquarium-based performance experiments, to test the feeding abilities of 19 piscivorous fish species. We quantified their feeding morphology, striking, capturing, and processing behavior. We identify two major functional groups: grabbers and engulfers. Grabbers are characterized by horizontal, long-distance strikes, capturing their prey tailfirst and subsequently processing their prey using their oral jaw teeth. Engulfers strike from short distances, from high angles above or below their prey, engulfing their prey and swallowing their prey whole. Based on a meta-analysis of 2,209 published in situ predator-prey relationships in marine and freshwater aquatic environments, we show resource partitioning between grabbers and engulfers. Our results provide a functional classification for piscivorous fishes delineating patterns, which transcend habitats, that may help explain size structures in fish communities.

Elastic energy storage in seahorses leads to a unique suction flow dynamics compared with other actinopterygians

Suction feeding is a dominant prey-capture strategy across actinopterygians, consisting of a rapid expansion of the mouth cavity that drives a flow of water containing the prey into the mouth. Suction feeding is a power-hungry behavior, involving the actuation of cranial muscles as well as the anterior third of the fish's swimming muscles. Seahorses, which have reduced swimming muscles, evolved a unique mechanism for elastic energy storage that powers their suction flows. This mechanism allows seahorses to achieve head rotation speeds that are 50 times faster than those of fish lacking such a mechanism. However, it is unclear how the dynamics of suction flows in seahorses differ from the conserved pattern observed across other actinopterygians, or how differences in snout length across seahorses affect these flows. Using flow visualization experiments, we show that seahorses generate suction flows that are 8 times faster than those of similar-sized fish, and that the temporal patterns of cranial kinematics and suction flows in seahorses differ from the conserved pattern observed across other actinopterygians. However, the spatial patterns retain the conserved actinopterygian characteristics, where suction flows impact a radially symmetric region of ∼1 gape diameter outside the mouth. Within seahorses, increases in snout length were associated with slower suction flows and faster head rotation speeds, resulting in a trade-off between pivot feeding and suction feeding. Overall, this study shows how the unique cranial kinematics in seahorses are manifested in their suction-feeding performance, and highlights the trade-offs associated with their unique morphology and mechanics.

A review of linkage mechanisms in animal joints and related bioinspired designs

This paper presents a review of biological mechanical linkage mechanisms. One purpose is to identify the range of kinematic functions that they are able to perform. A second purpose is to review progress in bioinspired designs. Ten different linkage mechanisms are presented. They are chosen because they cover a wide range of functionality and because they have potential for bioinspired design. Linkage mechanisms enable animal joints to perform highly sophisticated and optimised motions. A key function of animal linkage mechanisms is the optimisation of actuator location and mechanical advantage. This is crucially important for animals where space is highly constrained. Many of the design features used by engineers in linkage mechanisms are seen in nature, such as short coupler links, extended bars, elastic energy storage and latch mechanisms. However, animal joints contain some features rarely seen in engineering such as integrated cam and linkage mechanisms, nonplanar four-bar mechanisms, resonant hinges and highly redundant actuators. The extreme performance of animal joints together with the unusual design features makes them an important area of investigation for bioinspired designs. Whilst there has been significant progress in bioinspiration, there is the potential for more, especially in robotics where compactness is a key design driver.

Constraints on the Ecomorphological Convergence of Zooplanktivorous Butterflyfishes

Whether distantly related organisms evolve similar strategies to meet the demands of a shared ecological niche depends on their evolutionary history and the nature of form-function relationships. In fishes, the visual identification and consumption of microscopic zooplankters, selective zooplanktivory, is a distinct type of foraging often associated with a suite of morphological specializations. Previous work has identified inconsistencies in the trajectory and magnitude of morphological change following transitions to selective zooplanktivory, alluding to the diversity and importance of ancestral effects. Here we investigate whether transitions to selective zooplanktivory have influenced the morphological evolution of marine butterflyfishes (family Chaetodontidae), a group of small-prey specialists well known for several types of high-precision benthivory. Using Bayesian ancestral state estimation, we inferred the recent evolution of zooplanktivory among benthivorous ancestors that hunted small invertebrates and browsed by picking or scraping coral polyps. Traits related to the capture of prey appear to be functionally versatile, with little morphological distinction between species with benthivorous and planktivorous foraging modes. In contrast, multiple traits related to prey detection or swimming performance are evolving toward novel, zooplanktivore-specific optima. Despite a relatively short evolutionary history, general morphological indistinctiveness, and evidence of constraint on the evolution of body size, convergent evolution has closed a near significant amount of the morphological distance between zooplanktivorous species. Overall, our findings describe the extent to which the functional demands associated with selective zooplanktivory have led to generalizable morphological features among butterflyfishes and highlight the importance of ancestral effects in shaping patterns of morphological convergence.

Habitat influences skeletal morphology and density in the snailfishes (family Liparidae)

We tested the hypothesis that deep-sea fishes have poorly mineralized bone relative to shallower-dwelling species using data from a single family that spans a large depth range. The family Liparidae (snailfishes, Cottiformes) has representatives across the entire habitable depth range for bony fishes (0 m-> 8000 m), making them an ideal model for studying depth-related trends in a confined phylogeny. We used micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) scanning to test three aspects of skeletal reduction in snailfishes (50 species) across a full range of habitat depths: 1) reduction of structural dimensions, 2) loss of skeletal elements, and 3) reduction in bone density. Using depth data from the literature, we found that with increasing depth, the length of the dentary, neurocranium, and suborbital bones decreases. The ventral suction disk decreases width with increasing maximum habitat depth and is lost entirely in some deeper-living taxa, though not all. Although visual declines in bone density in deeper-living taxa were evident across full skeletons, individual densities of the lower jaw, vertebra, suction disk, hypural plate, and otoliths did not significantly decline with any depth metric. However, pelagic and polar taxa tended to show lower density bones compared to other species in the family. We propose that skeletal reductions allow snailfishes to maintain neutral buoyancy at great depths in the water column, while supporting efficient feeding and locomotion strategies. These findings suggest that changes in skeletal structure are non-linear and are driven not only by hydrostatic pressure, but by other environmental factors and by evolutionary ancestry, calling the existing paradigm into question.

A Multifunction Trade-Off has Contrasting Effects on the Evolution of Form and Function

Trade-offs caused by the use of an anatomical apparatus for more than one function are thought to be an important constraint on evolution. However, whether multifunctionality suppresses diversification of biomechanical systems is challenged by recent literature showing that traits more closely tied to trade-offs evolve more rapidly. We contrast the evolutionary dynamics of feeding mechanics and morphology between fishes that exclusively capture prey with suction and multifunctional species that augment this mechanism with biting behaviors to remove attached benthic prey. Diversification of feeding kinematic traits was, on average, over 13.5 times faster in suction feeders, consistent with constraint on biters due to mechanical trade-offs between biting and suction performance. Surprisingly, we found that the evolution of morphology contrasts directly with these differences in kinematic evolution, with significantly faster rates of evolution of head shape in biters. This system provides clear support for an often postulated, but rarely confirmed prediction that multifunctionality stifles functional diversification, while also illustrating the sometimes weak relationship between form and function. [Form-function evolution; geometric morphometrics; kinematic evolution; macroevolution; Ornstein-Uhlenbeck; RevBayes; suction feeding].

Hydrodynamic Simulations of the Performance Landscape for Suction-Feeding Fishes Reveal Multiple Peaks for Different Prey Types

The complex interplay between form and function forms the basis for generating and maintaining organismal diversity. Fishes that rely on suction-feeding for prey capture exhibit remarkable phenotypic and trophic diversity. Yet the relationships between fish phenotypes and feeding performance on different prey types are unclear, partly because the morphological, biomechanical, and hydrodynamic mechanisms that underlie suction-feeding are complex. Here we demonstrate a general framework to investigate the mapping of multiple phenotypic traits to performance by mapping kinematic variables to suction-feeding capacity. Using a mechanistic model of suction-feeding that is based on core physical principles, we predict prey capture performance across a broad range of phenotypic trait values, for three general prey types: mollusk-like prey, copepod-like prey, and fish-like prey. Mollusk-like prey attach to surfaces, copepod-like prey attempt to escape upon detecting the hydrodynamic disturbance produced by the predator, and fish-like prey attempt to escape when the predator comes within a threshold distance. This approach allowed us to evaluate suction-feeding performance for any combination of six key kinematic traits, irrespective of whether these trait combinations were observed in an extant species, and to generate a multivariate mapping of phenotype to performance. We used gradient ascent methods to explore the complex topography of the performance landscape for each prey type, and found evidence for multiple peaks. Characterization of phenotypes associated with performance peaks indicates that the optimal kinematic parameter range for suction-feeding on different prey types are narrow and distinct from each other, suggesting different functional constraints for the three prey types. These performance landscapes can be used to generate hypotheses regarding the distribution of extant species in trait space and their evolutionary trajectories toward adaptive peaks on macroevolutionary fitness landscapes.

Suction Feeding by Small Organisms: Performance Limits in Larval Vertebrates and Carnivorous Plants

Suction feeding has evolved independently in two highly disparate animal and plant systems, aquatic vertebrates and carnivorous bladderworts. We review the suction performance of animal and plant suction feeders to explore biomechanical performance limits for aquatic feeders based on morphology and kinematics, in the context of current knowledge of suction feeding. While vertebrates have the greatest diversity and size range of suction feeders, bladderworts are the smallest and fastest known suction feeders. Body size has profound effects on aquatic organismal function, including suction feeding, particularly in the intermediate flow regime that tiny organisms can experience. A minority of tiny organisms suction feed, consistent with model predictions that generating effective suction flow is less energetically efficient and also requires more flow-rate specific power at small size. Although the speed of suction flows generally increases with body and gape size, some specialized tiny plant and animal predators generate suction flows greater than those of suction feeders 100 times larger. Bladderworts generate rapid flow via high-energy and high-power elastic recoil and suction feed for nutrients (relying on photosynthesis for energy). Small animals may be limited by available muscle energy and power, although mouth protrusion can offset the performance cost of not generating high suction pressure. We hypothesize that both the high energetic costs and high power requirements of generating rapid suction flow shape the biomechanics of small suction feeders, and that plants and animals have arrived at different solutions due in part to their different energy budgets.

Thermodynamics of the Bladderwort Feeding Strike-Suction Power from Elastic Energy Storage

The carnivorous plant bladderwort exemplifies the use of accumulated elastic energy to power motion: respiration-driven pumps slowly load the walls of its suction traps with elastic energy (∼1 h). During a feeding strike, this energy is released suddenly to accelerate water (∼1 ms). However, due to the traps' small size and concomitant low Reynolds number, a significant fraction of the stored energy may be dissipated as viscous friction. Such losses and the mechanical reversibility of Stokes flow are thought to degrade the feeding success of other suction feeders in this size range, such as larval fish. In contrast, triggered bladderwort traps are generally successful. By mapping the energy budget of a bladderwort feeding strike, we illustrate how this smallest of suction feeders can perform like an adult fish.

Rapid adaptive evolution of scale-eating kinematics to a novel ecological niche

The origins of novel trophic specialization, in which organisms begin to exploit resources for the first time, may be explained by shifts in behavior such as foraging preferences or feeding kinematics. One way to investigate behavioral mechanisms underlying ecological novelty is by comparing prey capture kinematics among species. We investigated the contribution of kinematics to the origins of a novel ecological niche for scale-eating within a microendemic adaptive radiation of pupfishes on San Salvador Island, Bahamas. We compared prey capture kinematics across three species of pupfish while they consumed shrimp and scales in the lab, and found that scale-eating pupfish exhibited peak gape sizes twice as large as in other species, but also attacked prey with a more obtuse angle between their lower jaw and suspensorium. We then investigated how this variation in feeding kinematics could explain scale-biting performance by measuring bite size (surface area removed) from standardized gelatin cubes. We found that a combination of larger peak gape and more obtuse lower jaw and suspensorium angles resulted in approximately 40% more surface area removed per strike, indicating that scale-eaters may reside on a performance optimum for scale biting. To test whether feeding performance could contribute to reproductive isolation between species, we also measured F1 hybrids and found that their kinematics and performance more closely resembled generalists, suggesting that F1 hybrids may have low fitness in the scale-eating niche. Ultimately, our results suggest that the evolution of strike kinematics in this radiation is an adaptation to the novel niche of scale eating.

Suction Flows Generated by the Carnivorous Bladderwort Utricularia—Comparing Experiments with Mechanical and Mathematical Models

Suction feeding is a well-understood feeding mode among macroscopic aquatic organisms. The little we know about small suction feeders from larval fish suggests that small suction feeders are not effective. Yet bladderworts, an aquatic carnivorous plant with microscopic underwater traps, have strong suction performances despite having the same mouth size as that of fish larvae. Previous experimental studies of bladderwort suction feeding have focused on the solid mechanics of the trap door’s opening mechanism rather than the mechanics of fluid flow. As flows are difficult to study in small suction feeders due to their small size and brief event durations, we combine flow visualization on bladderwort traps with measurements on a mechanical, dynamically scaled model of a suction feeder. We find that bladderwort traps generate flows that are more similar to the inertia-dominated flows of adult fish than the viscosity-dominated flows of larval fish. Our data further suggest that axial flow transects through suction flow fields, often used in biological studies to characterize suction flows, are less diagnostic of the relative contribution of inertia versus viscosity than transverse transects.

The Evolutionary Dynamics of Mechanically Complex Systems

Animals use a diverse array of motion to feed, escape predators, and reproduce. Linking morphology, performance, and fitness is a foundational paradigm in organismal biology and evolution. Yet, the influence of mechanical relationships on evolutionary diversity remains unresolved. Here, I focus on the many-to-one mapping of form to function, a widespread, emergent property of many mechanical systems in nature, and discuss how mechanical redundancy influences the tempo and mode of phenotypic evolution. By supplying many possible morphological pathways for functional adaptation, many-to-one mapping can release morphology from selection on performance. Consequently, many-to-one mapping decouples morphological and functional diversification. In fish, for example, parallel morphological evolution is weaker for traits that contribute to mechanically redundant motions, like suction feeding performance, than for systems with one-to-one form-function relationships, like lower jaw lever ratios. As mechanical complexity increases, historical factors play a stronger role in shaping evolutionary trajectories. Many-to-one mapping, however, does not always result in equal freedom of morphological evolution. The kinematics of complex systems can often be reduced to variation in a few traits of high mechanical effect. In various different four-bar linkage systems, for example, mechanical output (kinematic transmission) is highly sensitive to size variation in one or two links, and insensitive to variation in the others. In four-bar linkage systems, faster rates of evolution are biased to traits of high mechanical effect. Mechanical sensitivity also results in stronger parallel evolution-evolutionary transitions in mechanical output are coupled with transition in linkages of high mechanical effect. In other words, the evolutionary dynamics of complex systems can actually approximate that of simpler, one-to-one systems when mechanical sensitivity is strong. When examined in a macroevolutionary framework, the same mechanical system may experience distinct selective pressures in different groups of organisms. For example, performance tradeoffs are stronger for organisms that use the same mechanical structure for more functions. In general, stronger performance tradeoffs result in less phenotypic diversity in the system and, sometimes, a slower rate of evolution. These macroevolutionary trends can contribute to unevenness in functional and lineage diversity across the tree of life. Finally, I discuss how the evolution of mechanical systems informs our understanding of the relative roles of determinism and contingency in evolution.

Beyond Suction-Feeding Fishes: Identifying New Approaches to Performance Integration During Prey Capture in Aquatic Vertebrates

Organisms are composed of hierarchically arranged component parts that must work together to successfully achieve whole organism functions. In addition to integration among individual parts, some ecological demands require functional systems to work together in a type of inter-system performance integration. While performance can be measured by the ability to successfully accomplish ecologically relevant tasks, integration across performance traits can provide a deeper understanding of how these traits allow an organism to survive. The ability to move and the ability to consume food are essential to life, but during prey capture these two functions are typically integrated. Suction-feeding fishes have been used as a model of these interactions, but it is unclear how other ecologically relevant scenarios might reduce or change integration. To stimulate further research into these ideas, we highlight three contexts with the potential to result in changes in integration and underlying performance traits: (1) behavioral flexibility in aquatic feeding modes for capturing alternative prey types, (2) changes in the physical demands imposed by prey capture across environments, and (3) secondary adaptation for suction prey capture behaviors. These examples provide a broad scope of potential drivers of integration that are relevant to selection pressures experienced across vertebrate evolution. To demonstrate how these ideas can be applied and stimulate hypotheses, we provide observations from preliminary analyses of locally adapted populations of Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata) capturing prey using suction and biting feeding strategies and an Atlantic mudskipper (Periophthalmus barbarus) capturing prey above and below water. We also include a re-analysis of published data from two species of secondarily aquatic cetaceans, beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) and Pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens), to examine the potential for secondary adaptation to affect integration in suction prey capture behaviors. Each of these examples support the broad importance of integration between locomotor and feeding performance but outline new ways that these relationships can be important when suction demands are reduced or altered. Future work in these areas will yield promising insights into vertebrate evolution and we hope to encourage further discussion on possible avenues of research on functional integration during prey capture.

Functional coupling in the evolution of suction feeding and gill ventilation of sculpins (Perciformes: Cottoidei)

Suction feeding and gill ventilation in teleosts are functionally coupled, meaning that there is an overlap in the structures involved with both functions. Functional coupling is one type of morphological integration, a term that broadly refers to any covariation, correlation, or coordination among structures. Suction feeding and gill ventilation exhibit other types of morphological integration, including functional coordination (a tendency of structures to work together to perform a function) and evolutionary integration (a tendency of structures to covary in size or shape across evolutionary history). Functional coupling, functional coordination, and evolutionary integration have each been proposed to limit morphological diversification to some extent. Yet teleosts show extraordinary cranial diversity, suggesting that there are mechanisms within some teleost clades that promote morphological diversification, even within the highly integrated suction feeding and gill ventilatory systems. To investigate this, we quantified evolutionary integration among four mechanical units associated with suction feeding and gill ventilation in a diverse clade of benthic, primarily suction-feeding fishes (Cottoidei; sculpins and relatives). We reconstructed cottoid phylogeny using molecular data from 108 species, and obtained 24 linear measurements of four mechanical units (jaws, hyoid, opercular bones, and branchiostegal rays) from micro-CT reconstructions of 44 cottoids and 1 outgroup taxon. We tested for evolutionary correlation and covariation among the four mechanical units using phylogenetically corrected principal component analysis to reduce the dimensionality of measurements for each unit, followed by correlating phylogenetically independent contrasts and computing phylogenetic generalized least squares models from the first principle component axis of each of the four mechanical units. The jaws, opercular bones, and branchiostegal rays show evolutionary integration, but the hyoid is not positively integrated with these units. To examine these results in an ecomorphological context, we used published ecological data in phylogenetic ANOVA models to demonstrate that the jaw is larger in fishes that eat elusive or grasping prey (e.g., prey that can easily escape or cling to the substrate) and that the hyoid is smaller in intertidal and hypoxia-tolerant sculpins. Within Cottoidei, the relatively independent evolution of the hyoid likely has reduced limitations on morphological evolution within the highly morphologically integrated suction feeding and gill ventilatory systems.

Skeletal kinematics of the hyoid arch in the suction-feeding shark Chiloscyllium plagiosum

White-spotted bamboo sharks, Chiloscyllium plagiosum, generate strong suction-feeding pressures that rival the highest levels measured in ray-finned fishes. However, the hyostylic jaw suspension of these sharks is fundamentally different from the actinopterygian mechanism, including more mobile hyomandibulae, with the jaws and ceratohyal suspended from the hyomandibulae. Prior studies have proposed skeletal kinematics during feeding in orectolobid sharks from indirect measurements. Here, we tested these hypotheses using XROMM to measure cartilage motions directly. In agreement with prior hypotheses, we found extremely large retraction and depression of the ceratohyal, facilitated by large protraction and depression of the hyomandibula. Somewhat unexpectedly, XROMM also showed tremendous long-axis rotation (LAR) of both the ceratohyal and hyomandibula. This LAR likely increases the range of motion for the hyoid arch by keeping the elements properly articulated through their large arcs of motion. XROMM also confirmed that upper jaw protraction occurs before peak gape, similarly to actinopterygian suction feeders, but different from most other sharks in which jaw protrusion serves primarily to close the mouth. Early jaw protraction results from decoupling the rotations of the hyomandibula, with much of protraction occurring before peak gape with the other rotations lagging behind. In addition, the magnitudes of retraction and protraction of the hyoid elements are independent of the magnitude of depression, varying the shape of the mouth among feeding strikes. Hence, the large variation in suction-feeding behavior and performance may contribute to the wide dietary breadth of bamboo sharks.

Rapid Divergence of Predator Functional Traits Affects Prey Composition in Aquatic Communities

Identifying traits that underlie variation in individual performance of consumers (i.e., trait utility) can help reveal the ecological causes of population divergence and the subsequent consequences for species interactions and community structure. Here, we document a case of rapid divergence (over the past 100 generations, or ∼150 years) in foraging traits and feeding efficiency between a lake and stream population pair of threespine stickleback. Building on predictions from functional trait models of fish feeding, we analyzed foraging experiments with a Bayesian path analysis and elucidated the traits explaining variation in foraging performance and the species composition of ingested prey. Despite extensive previous research on the divergence of foraging traits among populations and ecotypes of stickleback, our results provide novel experimental evidence of trait utility for jaw protrusion, gill raker length, and gill raker spacing when foraging on a natural zooplankton assemblage. Furthermore, we discuss how these traits might contribute to the differential effects of lake and stream stickleback on their prey communities, observed in both laboratory and mesocosm conditions. More generally, our results illustrate how the rapid divergence of functional foraging traits of consumers can impact the biomass, species composition, and trophic structure of prey communities.

Finding the weakest link: mechanical sensitivity in a fish cranial linkage system

Understanding the physical mechanics behind morphological systems can offer insights into their evolution. Recent work on linkage systems in fish and crustaceans has suggested that the evolution of such systems may depend on mechanical sensitivity, where geometrical changes to different parts of a biomechanical system have variable influence on mechanical outputs. While examined at the evolutionary level, no study has directly explored this idea at the level of the mechanism. We analyse the mechanical sensitivity of a fish cranial linkage to identify the influence of linkage geometry on the kinematic transmission (KT) of the suspensorium, hyoid and lower jaw. Specifically, we answer two questions about the sensitivity of this linkage system: (i) What changes in linkage geometry affect one KT while keeping the other KTs constant? (ii) Which geometry changes result in the largest and smallest changes to KT? Our results show that there are ways to alter the morphology that change each KT individually, and that there are multiple ways to alter a single link that have variable influence on KT. These results provide insight into the morphological evolution of the fish skull and highlight which structural features in the system may have more freedom to evolve than others.

Hydrodynamic performance of suction feeding is virtually unaffected by variation in the shape of the posterior region of the pharynx in fish

To capture prey by suction, fish generate a flow of water that enters the mouth and exits at the back of the head. It was previously hypothesized that prey-capture performance is improved by a streamlined shape of the posterior region of the pharynx, which enables an unobstructed outflow with minimal hydrodynamic resistance. However, this hypothesis remained untested for several decades. Using computational fluid dynamics simulations, we now managed to quantify the effects of different shapes of the posterior pharynx on the dynamics of suction feeding, based on a feeding act of a sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus). In contrast to what was hypothesized, the effects of the imposed variation in shape were negligible: flow velocity patterns remained essentially identical, and the effects on feeding dynamics were negligibly small. This remarkable hydrodynamic insensitivity implies that, in the course of evolution, the observed wedge-like protrusions of the pectoral surfaces of the pharynx probably resulted from spatial constraints and/or mechanical demands on the musculoskeletal linkages, rather than constraints imposed by hydrodynamics. Our study, therefore, exceptionally shows that a streamlined biological shape subjected to fluid flows is not always the result of selection for hydrodynamic improvement.

Functional Innovations and the Conquest of the Oceans by Acanthomorph Fishes

The world's oceans are home to many fantastic creatures, including about 16,000 species of actinopterygian, or ray-finned, fishes. Notably, 85% of marine fish species come from a single actinopterygian subgroup, the acanthomorph or spiny-rayed fishes. Here, we review eight functional innovations found in marine acanthomorphs that have been instrumental in the adaptive radiation of this group in the marine realm. Jaw protrusion substantially enhances the suction feeding mechanism found in all fish. Fin spines serve as a major deterrent to predators and enhance the locomotor function of fins. Pharyngognathy, a specialization of the second pair of jaws in the pharynx, enhances the ability of fishes to process hard and tough prey. Endothermy allows fishes to function at high levels of physiological performance in cold waters and facilitates frequent movement across strong thermal gradients found in the open ocean. Intramandibular joints enhance feeding for fishes that bite and scrape prey attached to hard surfaces. Antifreeze proteins prevent ice crystal growth in extracellular fluids, allowing fish to function in cold waters that would otherwise freeze them. Air-breathing allowed fishes at the water's edge to exploit terrestrial habitats. Finally, bioluminescence functions in communication, attracting prey and in hiding from predators, particularly for fishes of the deep ocean. All of these innovations have evolved multiple times in fishes. The frequent occurrence of convergent evolution of these complex functional novelties speaks to the persistence and potency of the selective forces in marine environments that challenge fishes and stimulate innovation.

Feeding ecology underlies the evolution of cichlid jaw mobility

The fish feeding apparatus is among the most diverse functional systems in vertebrates. While morphological and mechanical variations of feeding systems are well studied, we know far less about the diversity of the motions that they produce. We explored patterns of feeding movements in African cichlids from Lakes Malawi and Tanganyika, asking whether the degree of kinesis is associated with dietary habits of species. We used geometric morphometrics to measure feeding kinesis as trajectories of shape change, based on 326 high-speed videos in 56 species. Cranial morphology was significantly related to feeding movements, both of which were distributed along a dietary axis associated with prey evasiveness. Small-mouthed cichlids that feed by scraping algae and detritus from rocks had low kinesis strikes, while large-mouthed species that eat large, evasive prey (fishes and shrimps) generated the greatest kinesis. Despite having higher overall kinesis, comparisons of trajectory shape (linearity) revealed that cichlids that eat mobile prey also displayed more kinematically conserved, or efficient, feeding motions. Our work indicates that prey evasiveness is strongly related to the evolution of cichlid jaw mobility, suggesting that this same relationship may explain the origins and diversity of highly kinetic jaws that characterize the super-radiation of spiny-rayed fishes.

Aquatic-terrestrial transitions of feeding systems in vertebrates: a mechanical perspective

Transitions to terrestrial environments confront ancestrally aquatic animals with several mechanical and physiological problems owing to the different physical properties of water and air. As aquatic feeders generally make use of flows of water relative to the head to capture, transport and swallow food, it follows that morphological and behavioral changes were inevitably needed for the aquatic animals to successfully perform these functions on land. Here, we summarize the mechanical requirements of successful aquatic-to-terrestrial transitions in food capture, transport and swallowing by vertebrates and review how different taxa managed to fulfill these requirements. Amphibious ray-finned fishes show a variety of strategies to stably lift the anterior trunk, as well as to grab ground-based food with their jaws. However, they still need to return to the water for the intra-oral transport and swallowing process. Using the same mechanical perspective, the potential capabilities of some of the earliest tetrapods to perform terrestrial feeding are evaluated. Within tetrapods, the appearance of a mobile neck and a muscular and movable tongue can safely be regarded as key factors in the colonization of land away from amphibious habitats. Comparative studies on taxa including salamanders, which change from aquatic feeders as larvae to terrestrial feeders as adults, illustrate remodeling patterns in the hyobranchial system that can be linked to its drastic change in function during feeding. Yet, the precise evolutionary history in form and function of the hyolingual system leading to the origin(s) of a muscular and adhesive tongue remains unknown.

Conserved spatio-temporal patterns of suction-feeding flows across aquatic vertebrates: a comparative flow visualization study

Suction feeding is a widespread prey capture strategy among aquatic vertebrates. It is almost omnipresent across fishes, and has repeatedly evolved in other aquatic vertebrates. By rapidly expanding the mouth cavity, suction-feeders generate a fluid flow outside of their mouth, drawing prey inside. Fish and other suction feeding organisms display remarkable trophic diversity, echoed in the diversity of their skull and mouth morphologies. Yet, it is unclear how variable suction flows are across species, and whether variation in suction flows supports trophic diversity. Using a high-speed flow visualization technique, we characterized the spatio-temporal patterns in the flow fields produced during feeding in 14 species of aquatic suction feeders. We found that suction-feeding hydrodynamics are highly conserved across species. Suction flows affected only a limited volume of ∼1 gape diameter away from the mouth, and peaked around the timing of maximal mouth opening. The magnitude of flow speed increased with increasing mouth diameter and, to a lesser extent, with decreasing time to peak gape opening. Other morphological, kinematic and behavioral variables played a minor role in shaping suction-feeding dynamics. We conclude that the trophic diversity within fishes, and likely other aquatic vertebrates, is not supported by a diversity of mechanisms that modify the characteristics of suction flow. Rather, we suggest that suction feeding supports such trophic diversity due to the general lack of strong trade-offs with other mechanisms that contribute to prey capture.

Many-to-one form-to-function mapping weakens parallel morphological evolution

Evolutionary ecologists aim to explain and predict evolutionary change under different selective regimes. Theory suggests that such evolutionary prediction should be more difficult for biomechanical systems in which different trait combinations generate the same functional output: "many-to-one mapping." Many-to-one mapping of phenotype to function enables multiple morphological solutions to meet the same adaptive challenges. Therefore, many-to-one mapping should undermine parallel morphological evolution, and hence evolutionary predictability, even when selection pressures are shared among populations. Studying 16 replicate pairs of lake- and stream-adapted threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), we quantified three parts of the teleost feeding apparatus and used biomechanical models to calculate their expected functional outputs. The three feeding structures differed in their form-to-function relationship from one-to-one (lower jaw lever ratio) to increasingly many-to-one (buccal suction index, opercular 4-bar linkage). We tested for (1) weaker linear correlations between phenotype and calculated function, and (2) less parallel evolution across lake-stream pairs, in the many-to-one systems relative to the one-to-one system. We confirm both predictions, thus supporting the theoretical expectation that increasing many-to-one mapping undermines parallel evolution. Therefore, sole consideration of morphological variation within and among populations might not serve as a proxy for functional variation when multiple adaptive trait combinations exist.

The evolution of jaw protrusion mechanics is tightly coupled to bentho-pelagic divergence in damselfishes (Pomacentridae)

Most species-rich lineages of aquatic organisms have undergone divergence between forms that feed from the substrate (benthic feeding) and forms that feed from the water column (pelagic feeding). Changes in trophic niche are frequently accompanied by changes in skull mechanics, and multiple fish lineages have evolved highly specialized biomechanical configurations that allow them to protrude their upper jaws toward the prey during feeding. Damselfishes (family Pomacentridae) are an example of a species-rich lineage with multiple trophic morphologies and feeding ecologies. We sought to determine whether bentho-pelagic divergence in the damselfishes is tightly coupled to changes in jaw protrusion ability. Using high-speed video recordings and kinematic analysis, we examined feeding performance in 10 species that include three examples of convergence on herbivory, three examples of convergence on omnivory and two examples of convergence on planktivory. We also utilized morphometrics to characterize the feeding morphology of an additional 40 species that represent all 29 damselfish genera. Comparative phylogenetic analyses were then used to examine the evolution of trophic morphology and biomechanical performance. We find that pelagic-feeding damselfishes (planktivores) are strongly differentiated from extensively benthic-feeding species (omnivores and herbivores) by their jaw protrusion ability, upper jaw morphology and the functional integration of upper jaw protrusion with lower jaw abduction. Most aspects of cranial form and function that separate these two ecological groups have evolved in correlation with each other and the evolution of the functional morphology of feeding in damselfishes has involved repeated convergence in form, function and ecology.

Replicated divergence in cichlid radiations mirrors a major vertebrate innovation

Decoupling of the upper jaw bones--jaw kinesis--is a distinctive feature of the ray-finned fishes, but it is not clear how the innovation is related to the extraordinary diversity of feeding behaviours and feeding ecology in this group. We address this issue in a lineage of ray-finned fishes that is well known for its ecological and functional diversity--African rift lake cichlids. We sequenced ultraconserved elements to generate a phylogenomic tree of the Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi cichlid radiations. We filmed a diverse array of over 50 cichlid species capturing live prey and quantified the extent of jaw kinesis in the premaxillary and maxillary bones. Our combination of phylogenomic and kinematic data reveals a strong association between biting modes of feeding and reduced jaw kinesis, suggesting that the contrasting demands of biting and suction feeding have strongly influenced cranial evolution in both cichlid radiations.

Modulation of shark prey capture kinematics in response to sensory deprivation

The ability of predators to modulate prey capture in response to the size, location, and behavior of prey is critical to successful feeding on a variety of prey types. Modulating in response to changes in sensory information may be critical to successful foraging in a variety of environments. Three shark species with different feeding morphologies and behaviors were filmed using high-speed videography while capturing live prey: the ram-feeding blacktip shark, the ram-biting bonnethead, and the suction-feeding nurse shark. Sharks were examined intact and after sensory information was blocked (olfaction, vision, mechanoreception, and electroreception, alone and in combination), to elucidate the contribution of the senses to the kinematics of prey capture. In response to sensory deprivation, the blacktip shark demonstrated the greatest amount of modulation, followed by the nurse shark. In the absence of olfaction, blacktip sharks open the jaws slowly, suggestive of less motivation. Without lateral line cues, blacktip sharks capture prey from greater horizontal angles using increased ram. When visual cues are absent, blacktip sharks elevate the head earlier and to a greater degree, allowing them to overcome imprecise position of the prey relative to the mouth, and capture prey using decreased ram, while suction remains unchanged. When visual cues are absent, nurse sharks open the mouth wider, extend the labial cartilages further, and increase suction while simultaneously decreasing ram. Unlike some bony fish, neither species switches feeding modalities (i.e. from ram to suction or vice versa). Bonnetheads failed to open the mouth when electrosensory cues were blocked, but otherwise little to no modulation was found in this species. These results suggest that prey capture may be less plastic in elasmobranchs than in bony fishes, possibly due to anatomical differences, and that the ability to modulate feeding kinematics in response to available sensory information varies by species, rather than by feeding modality.

Morphology, Kinematics, and Dynamics: The Mechanics of Suction Feeding in Fishes

Suction feeding is pervasive among aquatic vertebrates, and our understanding of the functional morphology and biomechanics of suction feeding has recently been advanced by combining experimental and modeling approaches. Key advances include the visualization of the patterns of flow in front of the mouth of a feeding fish, the measurement of pressure inside their mouth cavity, and the employment of analytical and computational models. Here, we review the key components of the morphology and kinematics of the suction-feeding system of anatomically generalized, adult ray-finned fishes, followed by an overview of the hydrodynamics involved. In the suction-feeding apparatus, a strong mechanistic link among morphology, kinematics, and the capture of prey is manifested through the hydrodynamic interactions between the suction flows and solid surfaces (the mouth cavity and the prey). It is therefore a powerful experimental system in which the ecology and evolution of the capture of prey can be studied based on first principals.

Bottom Feeding and Beyond: How the Premaxillary Protrusion of Cypriniforms Allowed for a Novel Kind of Suction Feeding

While much of the functional work on suction feeding has involved members of Acanthopterygii, an earlier cypriniform radiation led to over 3200 species filling nearly every freshwater trophic niche. Within the great majority of acanthomorph clades that have been investigated suction feeding and the underlying morphology responsible for the generation of rapid suction have been largely conserved. This conserved feeding-apparatus is often associated with increasing the force experienced by the prey item, thus making a strike on elusive prey more effective. Cypriniforms' trophic anatomy is comprised of a number of novelties used for benthic feeding, which characterized early members of this clade. The modified cypriniform structure of the oral jaws represents a situation in which a particular type of suction feeding allowed for probing the benthos with a more functionally maneuverable anatomy. Requisite evolutionary modifications included origin and elongation of a median kinethmoid, duplications of certain divisions of the muscles of the adductor mandibulae, and origin of a dorsal, intra-buccal muscular palatal organ used in winnowing detritus. The elongated kinethmoid (coupled with modified adductor muscles) allowed for a type of premaxillary protrusion that decoupled the upper and lower jaws, enabled premaxillary protrusions with a closed mouth, and facilitated benthic feeding by increasing functional flexibility. The resultant flow of fluid generated by cypriniforms is also quite flexible, with multiple instances of peak flow in a single feeding event. This greatly modified morphology allowed for a degree of kinematic maneuverability not seen within most acanthomorphs. Later cypriniform radiations into piscivorous, insectivorous, or planktivorous feeding guilds were associated with shortening of the kinethmoid and with simplified morphology of the adductor, likely involving an emphasis on ram feeding. Although this suite of morphological novelties seemingly originated within the context of benthic feeding, with minimal modifications these anatomical features were later coopted during radiations into different functional niches.

Body ram, not suction, is the primary axis of suction feeding diversity in spiny-rayed fishes

Suction feeding fishes exhibit diverse prey capture strategies that vary in their relative use of suction and predator approach (ram), which is often referred to as the ram-suction continuum. Previous research has found that ram varies more than suction distances among species, such that ram accounts for most differences in prey capture behaviors. To determine whether these findings hold at broad evolutionary scales, we collected high-speed videos of 40 species of spiny-rayed fishes (Acanthomorpha) feeding on live prey. For each strike, we calculated the contributions of suction, body ram (swimming), and jaw ram (mouth movement relative to the body) to closing the distance between predator and prey. We confirm that the contribution of suction distance is limited even in this phylogenetically and ecologically broad sample of species, with the extreme suction area of prey capture space conspicuously unoccupied. Instead of a continuum from suction to ram, we find that variation in body ram is the major factor underlying the diversity of prey-capture strategies among suction-feeding fishes. Independent measurement of the contribution of jaw ram revealed that it is an important component of diversity among spiny-rayed fishes, with a number of ecomorphologies relying heavily on jaw ram, including pivot feeding in syngnathiforms, extreme jaw protruders, and benthic sit-and-wait ambush predators. A combination of morphological and behavioral innovations have allowed fish to invade the extreme jaw ram area of prey capture space. We caution that while two-species comparisons may support a ram-suction trade-off, these patterns do not speak to broader patterns across spiny-rayed fishes

Adaptive landscape and functional diversity of Neotropical cichlids: implications for the ecology and evolution of Cichlinae (Cichlidae; Cichliformes)

Morphological, lineage and ecological diversity can vary substantially even among closely related lineages. Factors that influence morphological diversification, especially in functionally relevant traits, can help to explain the modern distribution of disparity across phylogenies and communities. Multivariate axes of feeding functional morphology from 75 species of Neotropical cichlid and a stepwise-AIC algorithm were used to estimate the adaptive landscape of functional morphospace in Cichlinae. Adaptive landscape complexity and convergence, as well as the functional diversity of Cichlinae, were compared with expectations under null evolutionary models. Neotropical cichlid feeding function varied primarily between traits associated with ram feeding vs. suction feeding/biting and secondarily with oral jaw muscle size and pharyngeal crushing capacity. The number of changes in selective regimes and the amount of convergence between lineages was higher than expected under a null model of evolution, but convergence was not higher than expected under a similarly complex adaptive landscape. Functional disparity was compatible with an adaptive landscape model, whereas the distribution of evolutionary change through morphospace corresponded with a process of evolution towards a single adaptive peak. The continentally distributed Neotropical cichlids have evolved relatively rapidly towards a number of adaptive peaks in functional trait space. Selection in Cichlinae functional morphospace is more complex than expected under null evolutionary models. The complexity of selective constraints in feeding morphology has likely been a significant contributor to the diversity of feeding ecology in this clade.

Modelled three-dimensional suction accuracy predicts prey capture success in three species of centrarchid fishes

Prey capture is critical for survival, and differences in correctly positioning and timing a strike (accuracy) are likely related to variation in capture success. However, an ability to quantify accuracy under natural conditions, particularly for fishes, is lacking. We developed a predictive model of suction hydrodynamics and applied it to natural behaviours using three-dimensional kinematics of three centrarchid fishes capturing evasive and non-evasive prey. A spheroid ingested volume of water (IVW) with dimensions predicted by peak gape and ram speed was verified with known hydrodynamics for two species. Differences in capture success occurred primarily with evasive prey (64-96% success). Micropterus salmoides had the greatest ram and gape when capturing evasive prey, resulting in the largest and most elongate IVW. Accuracy predicted capture success, although other factors may also be important. The lower accuracy previously observed in M. salmoides was not replicated, but this is likely due to more natural conditions in our study. Additionally, we discuss the role of modulation and integrated behaviours in shaping the IVW and determining accuracy. With our model, accuracy is a more accessible performance measure for suction-feeding fishes, which can be used to explore macroevolutionary patterns of prey capture evolution.

Suction-feeding across fish life stages: Flow dynamics from larvae to adults and implications for prey capture

Suction-feeding is thought to be the primary mode of prey capture in most larval fishes. Similar to adult suction-feeders, larvae swim towards their prey while rapidly expanding their mouth cavity to generate an inward flow of water that draws the prey into the mouth. Although larvae are known to experience flows with lower Reynolds numbers than adults, it is unclear how the suction-induced flow field changes throughout ontogeny, and how such changes relate to prey capture performance. To address these questions, we determined mouth dimensions and opening speeds in Sparus aurata from first-feeding larvae to adults. We proceeded to develop a computational model of mouth expansion in order to analyze the scaling of suction flows under the observed parameters. Larval fish produced suction flows that were ~2 orders of magnitude slower than those of adults. Compared to adult fish, in which flow speed decays steeply with distance in front of the mouth, flow speed decayed more gradually in larval fish. This difference indicates that viscous forces in low Reynolds number flows modify the spatial distribution flow speed in front of the mouth. Consequently, simulated predator-prey encounters showed that larval fish could capture inert prey from a greater distance compared to adults. If prey attempted to escape, however, larval fish performed poorly: simulations inferred capture success in only weakly escaping prey immediately in front of the mouth. These ontogenetic changes in Reynolds number, suction-induced flow field, and feeding performance may explain a widespread ontogenetic diet shift from passive prey at early life stages to evasive prey as larvae mature.

Functional basis of ecological divergence in sympatric stickleback

Background

The evolution of ecological divergence in closely related species is a key component of adaptive radiation. However, in most examples of adaptive radiation the mechanistic basis of ecological divergence remains unclear. A classic example is seen in the young benthic and limnetic stickleback species pairs of British Columbia. In each pair the benthic species feeds on littoral macroinvertebrates whereas the limnetic feeds on pelagic zooplankton. Previous studies indicate that in both short-term feeding trials and long-term enclosure studies, benthics and limnetics exhibit enhanced performance on their own resource but fare more poorly on the other species’ resource. We examined the functional basis of ecological divergence in the stickleback species pair from Paxton Lake, BC, using biomechanical models of fish feeding applied to morphological traits. We examined the consequences of morphological differences using high speed video of feeding fish.

Results

Benthic stickleback possess morphological traits that predict high suction generation capacity, including greatly hypertrophied epaxial musculature. In contrast, limnetic stickleback possess traits thought to enhance capture of evasive planktonic prey, including greater jaw protrusion than benthics and greater displacement advantage in both the lower jaw-opening lever system and the opercular four-bar linkage. Kinematic data support the expectations from the morphological analysis that limnetic stickleback exhibit faster strikes and greater jaw protrusion than benthic fish, whereas benthics exert greater suction force on attached prey.

Conclusions

We reveal a previously unknown suite of complex morphological traits that affect rapid ecological divergence in sympatric stickleback. These results indicate that postglacial divergence in stickleback involves many functional systems and shows the value of investigating the functional consequences of phenotypic divergence in adaptive radiation.