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Feeding biomechanics of five demersal Antarctic fishes

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Abstract

There is scant information available on the ecomorphology of Antarctic fishes, and especially on their feeding capabilities. We measured interspecific variation in mechanical advantage (MA), force-producing capability, and suction index for the jaws of the five dominant taxa of high-Antarctic fishes: the nototheniid Trematomus bernacchii; the zoarcids Pachycara brachycephalum, Lycodichthys dearborni, and Ophthalmolycus amberensis; and the liparid Paraliparis devriesi. Analysis of variance indicated significant differences in jaw metrics, and ordinations of morphological traits identified three loosely defined groups reflecting their family-level taxonomy. Principal component analyses showed distinct segregation between the nototheniid and the liparid, indicating that they are at the extremes of the feeding performance continuum. The zoarcids fell in the middle, suggesting that they utilize a combination of feeding modes to capture prey. The liparid had the lowest MA and bite force, but a large epaxialis implied a ram-suction-feeding mode. The large adductor mandibulae in the zoarcids P. brachycephalum and L. dearborni suggest that they are capable of grasping mobile prey and manipulating sedentary, hard-shelled macroinvertebrates. The zoarcids had a smaller epaxialis than the liparid and may not be as efficient as suction-feeders. Values for mechanical advantage ratios and suction indices in Antarctic fishes were within the range known for non-Antarctic fishes. The five Antarctic species do not possess dentition specialized for durophagous feeding; however, the high mechanical advantage ratio in the nototheniid and, to a lesser extent, in the zoarcids, suggests that durophagy may be possible.

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Acknowledgments

We thank K.E. Smith, S. Thatje, L.T. Toth, and especially R.G. Turingan for helpful advice and discussion. This research was supported by grants from the U.S. National Science Foundation: ANT-9416870 and ANT-0436190 to J.T.E., and ANT-0838846 and ANT-1141877 to R.B.A. We are also grateful to Danette Pratt for assembling the figures and to John Sattler for photography. This is contribution 125 from the Institute for Research on Global Climate Change at the Florida Institute of Technology.

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL, 32901, USA

    Mugdha A. Bansode & Richard B. Aronson

  2. Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA

    Joseph T. Eastman

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  1. Mugdha A. Bansode
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Bansode, M.A., Eastman, J.T. & Aronson, R.B. Feeding biomechanics of five demersal Antarctic fishes. Polar Biol 37, 1835–1848 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-014-1565-z

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