Líffræðifélag Íslands - biologia.is
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2021
Erindi/veggspjald / Talk/poster E60
Höfundar / Authors: Guðbjörg Ósk Jónsdóttir (1), Finnur Ingimarsson (2), Sigurður Sveinn Snorrason (1), Sarah Elizabeth Steele (1) and Arnar Pálsson (1).
Starfsvettvangur / Affiliations: (1) Háskóli Íslands, (2) Náttúrufræðistofa Kópavogs.
Kynnir / Presenter: Guðbjörg Ósk Jónsdóttir
The diversity of functional anatomy related to feeding has been influenced by natural selection. This diversity is particularly impressive in fishes and correlates with ecological specialization and habitat choice. Differences between species originate as variation within species that selection acts upon. Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus, is a freshwater fish species known for its phenotypic variation and sympatric polymorphism throughout its distribution. In Lake Thingvallavatn, four different morphs of Arctic charr coexist: large benthivorous, small benthivorous, planktivorous and piscivorous charr, who differ in prey type and niche choice which is associate with differences in head shape and feeding morphology. It been hypothesized that the internal functional feeding elements have also undergone adaptative evolution. One prior study found evidence of differences in specific structures. However, more knowledge of these traits is needed. The aim is to answer the following questions. 1) Which functional feeding elements vary among the morphs? 2) How independent/integrated are traits in different sections of the feeding apparatus? In this project adult fish from all four charr morphs in the lake were gathered. The heads of the fish were boiled to retrieve the bones and their structures examined using geometric morphometrics. The results will hopefully allow us to better understand how ecological divergence among Arctic charr ecomorphs manifests in internal feeding morphology.