The role of ecomorphological studies in the comparative biology of fishes

Abstract

SynopsisThe goal of an ecomorphological study is to understand the interactions between the morphology of organisms and their ecology. Both the morphology and the ecology presented by an organism are directly or indirectly under the influence of the environmental conditions that the organism experiences and its heritable composition. The development and interpretation of the central element of ecomorphological studies, the comparison between patterns of variation of morphological and ecological characters, depends heavily on the mechanistic framework provided by functional morphological and biomechanical studies. The cause-andeffect hypotheses derived from this comparison can be tested with performance trials . Ecomorphology forms an integral part of comparative biology, along with ecophysiology, behavioral ecology, and evolutionary ecology. Current issues in ecomorphological research that are addressed in this volume include application of a more functional approach to the choice of characters, integration of morphological, behavioral, and physiological information to address adaptation, and the expansion of spatial and temporal (ontogenetic and evolutionary) scales of ecomorphological questions . Future directions for ecomorphology include broadening the knowledge base, further integration of information from other disciplines, examination of the role of environmental and genetic factors in producing and maintaining ecological and morphological diversity, and application of ecomorphological insights to questions of community structure.

Ecomorphological differences between Rhamdia (Bleeker, 1858) populations from the Iguaçu River basin

“…The principal idea in ecomorphology is that different morphologies can result in distinct ecological aspects, influencing the use of food resources, habitat occupation, and the species' fitness (Norton et al 1995). Studies comparing congeneric and sympatric species may provide valuable evolutionary insights (Douglas & Matthews 1999).…”

Ecomorfologia refletindo a dieta dos peixes em um reservatório no sul do Brasil

“…A ecomorfologia tem como idéia fundamental que as formas dos organismos e seus modos de vida estão correlacionados, sendo que o ambiente age sobre o fenótipo através de pressões seletivas, selecionando organismos de acordo com os recursos disponíveis no ambiente (Norton et al 1995). Variações morfológicas entre as espécies refletiriam, ao menos em parte, o uso diferenciado de recursos e por fim, ecologias diferentes, havendo um paralelo entre similaridade morfológica e ecológica (Pianka 2000).…”

Ecomorphology of crabs and swimming crabs (Crustacea DecapodaBrachyura) from coastal ecosystems

“…Ecomorphology is based on the idea that the body shape of an organism and its lifestyle are correlated, and the environment acts on the phenotype, selecting for appropriate traits within the constraints of development and phylogeny (GATZ, 1979;KEAST, 1985;NORTON et al, 1995;LABROPOULOU;ELEFTHERIOU, 1997;PIORSKI et al, 2005). These correlations can be evaluated through the use of multivariate techniques that allow the analysis of large numbers of morphometric characters (WINEMILLER, 1991).…”