Insight into biting diversity to capture benthic prey in damselfishes (Pomacentridae)

A core eco‐evolutionary aim is to better understand the factors driving the diversification of functions in ecosystems. Using phylogenetic, trophic, and functional information, we tested whether trophic habits (i.e. feeding guilds) affect lineage and functional diversification in two major radiations of reef fishes. Our results from wrasses (Labridae) and damselfishes (Pomacentridae) do not fully support the ‘dead‐end’ hypothesis that specialisation leads to reduce speciation rates because the tempo of lineage diversification did not substantially vary among guilds in both fish families. Our findings also demonstrate a tight relationship between trophic habits and functional roles held by fish in reef ecosystems, which is not associated with a variation in the tempo of functional diversification among guilds. By illustrating the pivotal importance of the generalist feeding strategy during the evolutionary history of reef fishes, our study emphasises the role of this feeding guild as a reservoir for future diversity.

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“…; Olivier et al . ) must possess specific gastric enzymes to be able to digest algae (Clements et al . ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diversification and functional evolution of reef fish feeding guilds

2019

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“…The Pomacentridae are a successful lineage of nearshore reef fishes (399 extant species; Eschmeyer and Fricke, 2016) that are one of the dominant vertebrate groups on coral reefs (Bellwood and Hughes, 2001;Allen, 1991;Bellwood et al, 2016). These fishes are highly amenable to this type of study because the evolution of their cranial morphology has tracked repeated transitions between benthic and pelagic feeding niches Frédérich et al, 2013;Olivier et al, 2016). Their value as an experimental system is further enhanced by the relative ease with which they may be captured in the wild or purchased through the aquarium trade, the readiness with which most damselfishes feed in aquaria and the amount of published information on their diets.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Cooper

Carter

Conith

et al. 2016

Journal of Experimental Biology

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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.

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“…The cerato-mandibular (c-md) ligament, linking the ceratohyal bar of the hyoid apparatus with the coronoid processes of the lower jaw, is a pomacentrid synapomorphy (Olivier et al 2016a;Stiassny 1981). Previous kinematic studies revealed that this ligament allows rapid jaw closure (2 to 4 ms) which is used to produce sound and communicate (Colleye and Parmentier 2012;Parmentier et al 2007), to bite fixed prey (Olivier et al 2015(Olivier et al , 2016b or to graze on small filamentous algae (Olivier et al 2014). This ligament has been lost in several distantly related lineages, resulting in morphological modifications since species lacking this ligament have proportionally longer and thinner mandibles than species that have it (Frédérich et al 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution and diversity of ram-suction feeding in damselfishes (Pomacentridae)

et al. 2017

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The cerato-mandibular (c-md) ligament is a synapomorphy within Pomacentridae that creates a tight link between the lower jaws and the hyoid bars. However, this morphological trait has been secondarily lost in multiple lineages during evolution. A previous study revealed that the loss of this trait acted as a release of evolutionary constraints, leading to a cascade of morphological changes such elongated buccal jaws and a slender body. Ecomorphological interpretations suggested the loss of the c-md ligament has ultimately led to a new adaptive peak in zooplanktivory through an optimization of the ram feeding mode associated with a specialization in pelagic feeding. Here, we tested these hypotheses by comparing functional and diet diversity between damselfish species with and without the c-md ligament. Although species lacking the c-md ligament presented a conserved kinematic pattern resulting from high ram and low suction performances, our results did not support an optimization of the ram feeding mode. Indeed, some species with the c-md ligament showed the same or exceeded the ram performance of species without the c-md ligament. The species with the c-md ligament had a more diverse kinematic pattern exploring the entire ramsuction functional range in damselfishes. Finally, our results did not show any diet variations associated with the loss of the c-md ligament. Our study furthers the understanding of how a morphological trait has shaped, by its presence or absence, the ecomorpho-functional diversification of Pomacentridae.

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Insight into biting diversity to capture benthic prey in damselfishes (Pomacentridae)

Cited by 15 publications

References 43 publications

Diversification and functional evolution of reef fish feeding guilds

Diversification and functional evolution of reef fish feeding guilds

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

Evolution and diversity of ram-suction feeding in damselfishes (Pomacentridae)

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