Diet-induced phenotypic plasticity in European eel (Anguilla anguilla)
Two phenotypes are present within the European eel population: broad-heads and narrow-heads. The expression of these phenotypes has been linked to several factors, such as diet and differential growth. The exact factors causing this dimorphism, however, are still unknown. In this study, we performed...
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ftunivgent:oai:archive.ugent.be:7224400 2023-06-11T04:03:46+02:00 Diet-induced phenotypic plasticity in European eel (Anguilla anguilla) De Meyer, Jens Christiaens, Joachim Adriaens, Dominique 2016 application/pdf https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/7224400 http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-7224400 https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.131714 https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/7224400/file/7224407 eng eng https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/7224400 http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-7224400 http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.131714 https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/7224400/file/7224407 No license (in copyright) info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY ISSN: 0022-0949 Biology and Life Sciences Trophic plasticity Elver eel stage Dimorphism Feeding HEAD-SHAPE SEXUAL-DIMORPHISM BODY SHAPE DIVERGENCE HYPOTHESIS EVOLUTION SIZE SNAKES MORPHOLOGY JAPONICA MODEL journalArticle info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2016 ftunivgent https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.131714 2023-05-10T22:31:07Z Two phenotypes are present within the European eel population: broad-heads and narrow-heads. The expression of these phenotypes has been linked to several factors, such as diet and differential growth. The exact factors causing this dimorphism, however, are still unknown. In this study, we performed a feeding experiment on glass eels from the moment they start to feed. Eels were either fed a hard diet, which required biting and spinning behavior, or a soft diet, which required suction feeding. We found that the hard feeders develop a broader head and a larger adductor mandibulae region than eels that were fed a soft diet, implying that the hard feeders are capable of larger bite forces. Next to this, soft feeders develop a sharper and narrower head, which could reduce hydrodynamic drag, allowing more rapid strikes towards their prey. Both phenotypes were found in a control group, which were given a combination of both diets. These phenotypes were, however, not as extreme as the hard or the soft feeding group, indicating that some specimens are more likely to consume hard prey and others soft prey, but that they do not selectively eat one of both diets. In conclusion, we found that diet is a major factor influencing head shape in European eel and this ability to specialize in feeding on hard or soft prey could decrease intra-specific competition in European eel populations. Article in Journal/Newspaper Anguilla anguilla Ghent University Academic Bibliography Journal of Experimental Biology 219 3 354 363 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Ghent University Academic Bibliography |
op_collection_id |
ftunivgent |
language |
English |
topic |
Biology and Life Sciences Trophic plasticity Elver eel stage Dimorphism Feeding HEAD-SHAPE SEXUAL-DIMORPHISM BODY SHAPE DIVERGENCE HYPOTHESIS EVOLUTION SIZE SNAKES MORPHOLOGY JAPONICA MODEL |
spellingShingle |
Biology and Life Sciences Trophic plasticity Elver eel stage Dimorphism Feeding HEAD-SHAPE SEXUAL-DIMORPHISM BODY SHAPE DIVERGENCE HYPOTHESIS EVOLUTION SIZE SNAKES MORPHOLOGY JAPONICA MODEL De Meyer, Jens Christiaens, Joachim Adriaens, Dominique Diet-induced phenotypic plasticity in European eel (Anguilla anguilla) |
topic_facet |
Biology and Life Sciences Trophic plasticity Elver eel stage Dimorphism Feeding HEAD-SHAPE SEXUAL-DIMORPHISM BODY SHAPE DIVERGENCE HYPOTHESIS EVOLUTION SIZE SNAKES MORPHOLOGY JAPONICA MODEL |
description |
Two phenotypes are present within the European eel population: broad-heads and narrow-heads. The expression of these phenotypes has been linked to several factors, such as diet and differential growth. The exact factors causing this dimorphism, however, are still unknown. In this study, we performed a feeding experiment on glass eels from the moment they start to feed. Eels were either fed a hard diet, which required biting and spinning behavior, or a soft diet, which required suction feeding. We found that the hard feeders develop a broader head and a larger adductor mandibulae region than eels that were fed a soft diet, implying that the hard feeders are capable of larger bite forces. Next to this, soft feeders develop a sharper and narrower head, which could reduce hydrodynamic drag, allowing more rapid strikes towards their prey. Both phenotypes were found in a control group, which were given a combination of both diets. These phenotypes were, however, not as extreme as the hard or the soft feeding group, indicating that some specimens are more likely to consume hard prey and others soft prey, but that they do not selectively eat one of both diets. In conclusion, we found that diet is a major factor influencing head shape in European eel and this ability to specialize in feeding on hard or soft prey could decrease intra-specific competition in European eel populations. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
De Meyer, Jens Christiaens, Joachim Adriaens, Dominique |
author_facet |
De Meyer, Jens Christiaens, Joachim Adriaens, Dominique |
author_sort |
De Meyer, Jens |
title |
Diet-induced phenotypic plasticity in European eel (Anguilla anguilla) |
title_short |
Diet-induced phenotypic plasticity in European eel (Anguilla anguilla) |
title_full |
Diet-induced phenotypic plasticity in European eel (Anguilla anguilla) |
title_fullStr |
Diet-induced phenotypic plasticity in European eel (Anguilla anguilla) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Diet-induced phenotypic plasticity in European eel (Anguilla anguilla) |
title_sort |
diet-induced phenotypic plasticity in european eel (anguilla anguilla) |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/7224400 http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-7224400 https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.131714 https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/7224400/file/7224407 |
genre |
Anguilla anguilla |
genre_facet |
Anguilla anguilla |
op_source |
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY ISSN: 0022-0949 |
op_relation |
https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/7224400 http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-7224400 http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.131714 https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/7224400/file/7224407 |
op_rights |
No license (in copyright) info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.131714 |
container_title |
Journal of Experimental Biology |
container_volume |
219 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
354 |
op_container_end_page |
363 |
_version_ |
1768383137078837248 |