Flexible feeding kinematics of a tropical carnivorous anuran tadpole

Sousa, Verônica Thiemi Tsutae de; Nomura, Fausto; Venesky, Matthew D.; Rossa-Feres, Denise C.; Pezzuti, Tiago Leite; Andrade, Gilda Vasconcellos de; Wassersug, Richard J.

doi:10.1111/jzo.12135

Cited by 14 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 41 publications

(61 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In species-rich ponds, overlaps in trait distributions are slighter, which corresponds to increased "niche packing" (increased inter- Discrepancies among traits suggest that more attention should be paid to the different traits and their potential contribution to different assembly processes (Spasojevic & Suding, 2012). Though the ecological function attributed to each trait represents the best of our knowledge regarding the biology of neotropical tadpoles (Queiroz et al, 2015;Rossa-Feres et al, 2015;Sousa et al, 2015Sousa et al, , 2014, attributing one trait to one axis or the other is not straightforward (Kraft et al, 2015). For instance, traits reflecting foraging efficiency via detection of chemicals or swimming ability may contribute to both predator escape and the use of various microhab-…”

Section: Implications For Tadpoles' Coexistencementioning

confidence: 99%

Intraspecific and interspecific trait variability in tadpole meta‐communities from the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest

Jordani

Mouquet

Casatti

et al. 2019

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A better understanding of species coexistence and community dynamics may benefit from more insights on trait variability at the individual and species levels. Tadpole assemblages offer an excellent system to understand the relative influence of intraspecific and interspecific variability on community assembly, due to their high phenotypic plasticity, and the strong influence that environmental variables have on their spatial distribution and individual performance. Here, we quantified the intraspecific and interspecific components of tadpoles’ trait variability in order to investigate their relative role in shaping tadpole communities. We selected eight functional traits related to microhabitat use, foraging strategies, and swimming ability. We measured these traits on 678 individuals from 22 species captured in 43 ponds in the Atlantic Forest. We used single‐ and multitrait analyses to decompose trait variability. To explore the action of external and internal filtering on community assembly, we used a variance decomposition approach that compares phenotypic variability at the individual, population, community and regional levels. On average, 33% of trait variability was due to within‐species variation. This decomposition varied widely among traits. We found only a reduced effect of external filtering (low variation in the height of the ventral fin within ponds in comparison to the total variation), whereas the internal filtering was stronger than expected. Traits related to the use of different microhabitats through the water column were generally less variable than traits related to swimming ability to escape of predators, with tail traits being highly variable within species. Our study highlights the importance of incorporating both intraspecific and interspecific, trait differences and of focusing on a diversity of traits related to both stabilizing niche and fitness differences in order to better understand how trait variation relates to species coexistence.

show abstract

Section: Implications For Tadpoles' Coexistencementioning

confidence: 99%

Intraspecific and interspecific trait variability in tadpole meta‐communities from the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest

Jordani

Mouquet

Casatti

et al. 2019

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Tadpoles, however, can exhibit behaviors that do not necessarily correlate with explicit morphological adaptations, such as the diurnal–benthic and nocturnal–neustonic habits of R . schneideri tadpoles (Rossa‐Feres et al, ) and likely exhibit plasticity in their feeding behaviors (de Sousa et al, ). Thus, we can not predict how changes in tadpole feeding kinematics associated with temperature change in a pond will affect the aquatic community overall.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential effects of temperature on the feeding kinematics of the tadpoles of two sympatric anuran species

et al. 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Temperature impacts ectotherm performance by influencing many biochemical and physiological processes. When well adapted to their environment, ectotherms should perform most efficiently at the temperatures they most commonly encounter. In the present study, we tested how differences in temperature affects the feeding kinematics of tadpoles of two anuran species: the benthic tadpole of Rhinella schneideri and the nektonic tadpole of Trachycephalus typhonius. Benthic and nektonic tadpoles have segregated distributions within ponds and thus tend to face different environmental conditions, such as temperature. Muscle contractile dynamics, and thus whole organism performance, is primarily temperature dependent for ectotherms. We hypothesized that changes in mean temperatures would have differential effects on the feeding kinematics of these two species. We conducted a laboratory experiment in which we used high-speed videography to record tadpoles foraging at cold and warm temperatures. In general, tadpoles filmed at warm temperatures opened their jaws faster, attained maximum gape earlier, and exhibited shorter gape cycles than tadpoles in cold temperatures, irrespective of species. We also found species x temperature interactions regarding the closing phase velocity, and the percentage of time it takes tadpoles to achieve maximum gape and to start closing their jaws. These interactions could indicate that these two co-occurring species differ in their sensitivity to differences in water temperature and have temperature-dependent feeding strategies that maximize feeding performance in their preferred environment.

show abstract

“…Wassersug and Yamashita (2001) demonstrated methods for capturing high‐speed video of tadpoles grazing on algae‐covered surfaces and air‐breathing both in unconfined and freely mobile situations. Their methods have been further applied to studying the role of tadpole external oral structures and the mechanisms involved in tadpole feeding, air‐breathing and locomotion (Video S1–S3; Phillips et al, 2020; Sabbag et al, 2022; Schwenk & Phillips, 2020; Sousa et al, 2014; Venesky et al, 2013; Zeng, unpublished data). Other techniques, such as using stop action cameras (O'Connell et al, 2011), time‐lapse cameras (London et al, 1998) and imaging outside of the visible light range (e.g.…”

Section: Making It Happenmentioning

confidence: 99%

The case for studying tadpole autecology, with comments on strategies to study other small,fast‐movinganimals in nature

Annibale¹,

Wassersug

Rossa-Feres

et al. 2023

Austral Ecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Two of the most fundamental questions in tadpole biology, also applicable to most small, under‐studied organisms are: (1) ‘Why are they built the way they are?’ and (2) ‘Why do they live where they do?’ Regrettably, despite significant progress in most aspects of tadpole biology, the answers to these questions are not much better now than they were in the last century. We propose that an autecological approach, that is the careful observation of individuals and how they interact with the environment, is a potential path towards a fuller understanding of tadpole ecomorphology and evolution. We also discuss why more attention should be given to studying atypical tadpoles from atypical environments, such as torrential streams, water‐filled cavities of terrestrial plants and wet rock surfaces neighbouring streams. Granted, tadpoles are rare in these settings, but in those unusual habitats the physical environments can be well described and characterized. In contrast, the more common ponds where tadpoles are found are typically too structurally complex to be easily delineated. This makes it difficult to know exactly what individual tadpoles are doing and what environmental parameters they are responding to. Our overall thesis is that to understand tadpoles we must see exactly what they are doing, where they are doing it, and how they are doing it. This takes work, but we suggest it is feasible and could greatly advance our understanding of how anuran larvae have evolved. The same strategies for studying tadpoles that we encourage here can be applied to the study of many other small and fast‐moving animals.

show abstract

Flexible feeding kinematics of a tropical carnivorous anuran tadpole

Cited by 14 publications

References 41 publications

Intraspecific and interspecific trait variability in tadpole meta‐communities from the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest

Intraspecific and interspecific trait variability in tadpole meta‐communities from the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest

Differential effects of temperature on the feeding kinematics of the tadpoles of two sympatric anuran species

The case for studying tadpole autecology, with comments on strategies to study other small,fast‐movinganimals in nature

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About