- Titre du projet
- Evolutionary morphology of accessory auditory structures in piranhas, pacus, and related serrasalmid fishes (EVOMORPHASIS)
- Descriptif du projet
- The evolutionary success of otophysans, a major lineage of fish diversity, is often attributed to a novel morphology involving unique bones, anterior vertebrae, and the swim bladder. This feature, termed the Weberian apparatus (WA), is an accessory hearing organ that transduces sound from the swim bladder to the inner ear. As a result, otophysans have sensitive hearing, however, the adaptive function for such ability is unknown. Further, the effect of WA morphological variation between species is not clear. It is hypothesized that acute hearing facilitates prey detection. This research will test this hypothesis by examining WA morphology and function in Serrasalmidae, an ecologically diverse otophysan family with 15 genera and ~60 species that include piranhas and pacus. Among serrasalmids are species that eat small fishes, scales off other fishes, small invertebrates, and falling fruits. The objectives of this research are to examine WA morphology in serrasalmids, to determine if morphology is related to hearing ability and feeding ecology. This research will utilize the Muséum National de Histoire Nationelle specimen collection along with computerized tomography (CT), 3D imaging, and comparative analysis.
Travaux réalisés par la plateforme AST-RX
