10.5061/DRYAD.6F20S
Winkler, Natalia S.
Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
Paz-Goicoechea, Maite
Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
Lamb, Robert W.
Brown University
PĂ©rez-Matus, Alejandro
Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
Data from: Diet reveals links between morphology and foraging in a cryptic
temperate reef fish
Dryad
dataset
2018
Helcogrammoides cunninghami
Microhabitat availability
National Science Foundation
https://ror.org/021nxhr62
Fondecyt 1151094
2018-10-26T00:00:00Z
2018-10-26T00:00:00Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3604
77649 bytes
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Predators select prey so as to maximize energy and minimize manipulation
time. In order to reduce prey detection and handling time, individuals
must actively select their foraging space (microhabitat) and populations
exhibit morphologies that are best suited for capturing locally available
prey. We explored how variation in diet correlates with habitat type, and
how these factors influence key morphological structures (mouth gape, eye
diameter, fin length, fin area, and pectoral fin ratio) in a common
microcarnivorous cryptic reef fish species, the triplefin Helcogrammoides
cunninghami. In a mensurative experiment carried out at six kelp-dominated
sites, we observed considerable differences in diet along 400 km of the
Chilean coast coincident with variation in habitat availability and prey
distributions. Triplefins preferred a single prey type (bivalves or
barnacles) at northern sites, coincident with a low diversity of foraging
habitats. In contrast, southern sites presented varied and heterogeneous
habitats, where triplefin diets were more diverse and included amphipods,
decapods, and cumaceans. Allometry-corrected results indicated that some
morphological structures were consistently correlated with different prey
items. Specifically, large mouth gape was associated with the capture of
highly mobile prey such as decapods, while small mouth gape was more
associated with cumaceans and copepods. In contrast, triplefins that
capture sessile prey such as hydroids tend to have larger eyes. Therefore,
morphological structures co-vary with habitat selection and prey usage in
this species. Our study shows how an abundant generalist reef fish
exhibits variable feeding morphologies in response to the distribution of
potential habitats and prey throughout its range.
Microhabitat availability and fish diet and morphologySpreadsheet 1:
showing Sites (coding) and % microhabitat availability. Spreadsheet 2:
showing dietary information as well as morphometrics of the focal study
fish species across sitesData.xlsx
Humboldt Current System
Subtidal
Central - Northern Chile
Chile