Functional traits derived from morphology: does a fish’s face tell you what it eats?
Abstract: Relating morphological traits and feeding potential in fishes has been the subject of many studies, most of which applied correlative approaches. Other studies focused on the functionality of traits in relation to the mechanics of feeding, based on functional morphology and experiments on search, capture, selection, and internal processing of food by fish. One such eco-morphological approach links functional traits of the predator to the biomechanical, behavioural, and chemical characteristics of prey types, resulting in a food-fish model (FFM). The FFM shows which food properties are most critical in feeding and how fish can optimise coping with them. It was initially developed for the Lake Tana Labeobarbus species flock in northern Ethiopia and its purpose was to explore and predict competitive trophic interactions between these carp-like species. It was thought that these interactions could serve as an explanation for the adaptive radiation of the species within the lake. Moreover, the model was aimed at predicting trophic shifts in case of (human-induced) pressures on the fish community, such as fisheries or water quality changes. The FFM has since been applied in several cases and is still under development. Here it is illustrated by three examples, starting with the Lake Tana Labeobarbus species flock, the group for which the method was developed. Next the method is shown for detrivore and zooplanktivore haplochromine cichlids in the Mwanza Gulf of Lake Victoria that are recovering after being decimated since the beginning of the upsurge of the Nile perch in the mid-1980s. Finally, the predictive power for the invasive potential of alien species will be discussed, based on the analysis of functional trophic traits of native freshwater fish species and alien Ponto-Caspian gobies in the Netherlands. The structure and development of the model are discussed, as well as some caveats and proposals for further improvement and optimisation.
Homepage Dr Leopold A.J. Nagelkerke
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