Ecology of Amazonian needlefishes (Belonidae)

Habitat transitions alter the adaptive landscape and shape phenotypic evolution in needlefishes (Belonidae)

“…Across a myriad examples of habitat transitions, from marine Antarctic shallows, to tropical reefs and non‐reefs, or within African Rift lakes, fishes have evolved along a bentho‐pelagic axis, with deeper, laterally compressed bodies associated with complex benthic habitats and more fusiform shapes associated with open water (Hulsey et al, 2013; Rutschmann et al, 2012; Tavera et al, 2018). In contrast, we find that needlefishes in marine and freshwater exhibit niche conservatism because they have not deviated from epipelagic or limnetic habitats, typically cruising just below the water's surface (Goulding & Carvalho, 1983). Instead, we suggest that microhabitat and locomotory demands for either precise maneuvering (most freshwater taxa) or sustained swimming (many marine taxa) are key determinants of body shape evolution in needlefishes and have directed phenotypic novelty (Figures 2 and 3).…”

“…Interestingly, phenotypic novelty in freshwater needlefishes evolved independently in different geographic areas. For example, freshwater lineages including South American Potamorrhaphis and Belonion , as well as Southeast Asian Xenentodon, invaded novel regions of morphospace relative to marine taxa and likely in response to open niches in continental rivers (Foster, 1973; Goulding & Carvalho, 1983), as indicated by the phylomorphospace (Figure 2). Both lineages exhibit an overall shortening of the body relative to marine taxa, while also having rounded or squared caudal fins (Collette, 1966; Foster, 1973), which likely facilitate maneuvering in the highly structured habitats in which they occur, that is, smaller rivers, streams, and wetland habitats.…”

“…They exhibit considerable body size variation, ranging in length from the 5.0 cm freshwater Belonion apodion (Collette, 1966) to pelagic marine species that reach up to 2.0 m, such as Tylosurus crocodilus (Péron & Lesueur, 1821) and Ablennes hians (Valenciennes, 1846) (Collette, 2003). The repeated invasions of freshwater by marine beloniformes on multiple continents, their variation in body size and shape, and putative ecological novelty in riverine habitats (Collette, 1966; Goulding & Carvalho, 1983; Lovejoy & De Araújo, 2000) make them an excellent study system for examining morphological diversification associated with habitat transitions.…”

Comparative cytogenetic analysis of marine needlefishes (Beloniformes) from southern Brazil

“…It occurs mainly in tropical and subtropical regions, river basins of Central and South America, Australia, and Asia, as well as in the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans (Collette 2003). It is among the main piscivorous families in estuaries, characterized by an elongated body, dorsal and anal fins positioned posteriorly, and both upper and lower jaws extended into long beaks filled with sharp teeth (Goulding and Carvalho 1984;Liao 2002). According to Collette et al (1984), the Belonidae family consists of 48 species and subspecies distributed in 10 genera (Ablennes, Belone, Belonion, Petalichthys, Platybelone, Potamorrhaphis, Pseudotylosurus, Strongylura, Tylosurus, and Xenentodon).…”

Increased geographical distribution of Potamorrhaphis guianensis (Jardine, 1843) (Beloniformes: Belonidae) in the Brazilian Amazon Region

“…The Belonidae Family, commonly known by needlefishes, has 10 genera and 48 species of fish that are distributed in the coastal region of the American continent (East Pacific and West Atlantic) and in freshwater basins of Central and South America (Lovejoy et al, 2001;Lovejoy and Collette, 2003). In the Neotropical Region there are three genera that live exclusively in fresh water (Potamorrhaphis, Pseudotylosurus and Belonion) (Goulding and Carvalho, 1984;Collette, 2003;Lovejoy and Collette, 2003). Of these, currently the genus Potamorrhaphis presents more diverse, including four species (Sant'Anna et al, 2012).…”