Functional morphology and kinematics of terrestrial feeding in the largescale foureyes (Anableps anableps)
Krijn B. Michel, Peter Aerts, Alice C Gibb, Sam Van Wassenbergh
A major challenge for aquatic vertebrates that invade land is feeding in the terrestrial realm. The capacity of the gape to become parallel with the ground has been shown to be a key factor to allow fishes to feed on prey lying on a terrestrial surface. To do so, two strategies have been identified that involve a nose-down tilting of the head: (1) by pivoting on the pectoral fins as observed in mudskippers, and (2) curling of the anterior part of the body supported by a long and flexible eel-like body as shown in eel-catfish. Although Anableps anableps successfully feeds on land, it does not possess an eel-like body or pectoral fins to support or lift the anterior part of the body. We identified the mechanism of terrestrial prey capture in A. anableps by studying kinematics and functional morphology of the cranial structures, using high-speed video and graphical 3D reconstructions from computed tomography scans. In contrast to the previously described mechanisms, A. anableps relies solely on upper and lower jaw movement for re-orientation of the gape towards the ground. The premaxilla is protruded anteroventrally, and the lower jaw is depressed to a right angle with the substrate. Both the lower and upper jaws are selectively positioned onto the prey. Anableps anableps thereby uses the jaw protrusion mechanism previously described for other cyprinodontiforms to allow a continued protrusion of the premaxilla even while closing the jaws. Several structural adaptations appear to allow more controlled movements and increased amplitude of anterior and ventral protrusion of the upper jaw compared with other cyprinodontiforms.
https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.124644
functional morphology
Catfishes
prey capture
Premaxilla
Michel, K. B., Aerts, P., Gibb, A. C., & Van Wassenbergh, S. (2015). Functional morphology and kinematics of terrestrial feeding in the largescale foureyes (Anableps anableps). Journal of Experimental Biology, 218(18), 2951-2960. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.124644
Functional morphology and kinematics of terrestrial feeding in the largescale foureyes (Anableps anableps). / Michel, Krijn B.; Aerts, Peter; Gibb, Alice C; Van Wassenbergh, Sam.
In: Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol. 218, No. 18, 01.09.2015, p. 2951-2960.
Michel, KB, Aerts, P, Gibb, AC & Van Wassenbergh, S 2015, 'Functional morphology and kinematics of terrestrial feeding in the largescale foureyes (Anableps anableps)', Journal of Experimental Biology, vol. 218, no. 18, pp. 2951-2960. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.124644
Michel KB, Aerts P, Gibb AC, Van Wassenbergh S. Functional morphology and kinematics of terrestrial feeding in the largescale foureyes (Anableps anableps). Journal of Experimental Biology. 2015 Sep 1;218(18):2951-2960. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.124644
Michel, Krijn B. ; Aerts, Peter ; Gibb, Alice C ; Van Wassenbergh, Sam. / Functional morphology and kinematics of terrestrial feeding in the largescale foureyes (Anableps anableps). In: Journal of Experimental Biology. 2015 ; Vol. 218, No. 18. pp. 2951-2960.
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title = "Functional morphology and kinematics of terrestrial feeding in the largescale foureyes (Anableps anableps)",
abstract = "A major challenge for aquatic vertebrates that invade land is feeding in the terrestrial realm. The capacity of the gape to become parallel with the ground has been shown to be a key factor to allow fishes to feed on prey lying on a terrestrial surface. To do so, two strategies have been identified that involve a nose-down tilting of the head: (1) by pivoting on the pectoral fins as observed in mudskippers, and (2) curling of the anterior part of the body supported by a long and flexible eel-like body as shown in eel-catfish. Although Anableps anableps successfully feeds on land, it does not possess an eel-like body or pectoral fins to support or lift the anterior part of the body. We identified the mechanism of terrestrial prey capture in A. anableps by studying kinematics and functional morphology of the cranial structures, using high-speed video and graphical 3D reconstructions from computed tomography scans. In contrast to the previously described mechanisms, A. anableps relies solely on upper and lower jaw movement for re-orientation of the gape towards the ground. The premaxilla is protruded anteroventrally, and the lower jaw is depressed to a right angle with the substrate. Both the lower and upper jaws are selectively positioned onto the prey. Anableps anableps thereby uses the jaw protrusion mechanism previously described for other cyprinodontiforms to allow a continued protrusion of the premaxilla even while closing the jaws. Several structural adaptations appear to allow more controlled movements and increased amplitude of anterior and ventral protrusion of the upper jaw compared with other cyprinodontiforms.",
keywords = "Cyprinodontiformes, Functional morphology, Premaxilla",
author = "Michel, {Krijn B.} and Peter Aerts and Gibb, {Alice C} and {Van Wassenbergh}, Sam",
doi = "10.1242/jeb.124644",
journal = "Journal of Experimental Biology",
publisher = "Company of Biologists Ltd",
T1 - Functional morphology and kinematics of terrestrial feeding in the largescale foureyes (Anableps anableps)
AU - Michel, Krijn B.
AU - Aerts, Peter
AU - Gibb, Alice C
AU - Van Wassenbergh, Sam
N2 - A major challenge for aquatic vertebrates that invade land is feeding in the terrestrial realm. The capacity of the gape to become parallel with the ground has been shown to be a key factor to allow fishes to feed on prey lying on a terrestrial surface. To do so, two strategies have been identified that involve a nose-down tilting of the head: (1) by pivoting on the pectoral fins as observed in mudskippers, and (2) curling of the anterior part of the body supported by a long and flexible eel-like body as shown in eel-catfish. Although Anableps anableps successfully feeds on land, it does not possess an eel-like body or pectoral fins to support or lift the anterior part of the body. We identified the mechanism of terrestrial prey capture in A. anableps by studying kinematics and functional morphology of the cranial structures, using high-speed video and graphical 3D reconstructions from computed tomography scans. In contrast to the previously described mechanisms, A. anableps relies solely on upper and lower jaw movement for re-orientation of the gape towards the ground. The premaxilla is protruded anteroventrally, and the lower jaw is depressed to a right angle with the substrate. Both the lower and upper jaws are selectively positioned onto the prey. Anableps anableps thereby uses the jaw protrusion mechanism previously described for other cyprinodontiforms to allow a continued protrusion of the premaxilla even while closing the jaws. Several structural adaptations appear to allow more controlled movements and increased amplitude of anterior and ventral protrusion of the upper jaw compared with other cyprinodontiforms.
AB - A major challenge for aquatic vertebrates that invade land is feeding in the terrestrial realm. The capacity of the gape to become parallel with the ground has been shown to be a key factor to allow fishes to feed on prey lying on a terrestrial surface. To do so, two strategies have been identified that involve a nose-down tilting of the head: (1) by pivoting on the pectoral fins as observed in mudskippers, and (2) curling of the anterior part of the body supported by a long and flexible eel-like body as shown in eel-catfish. Although Anableps anableps successfully feeds on land, it does not possess an eel-like body or pectoral fins to support or lift the anterior part of the body. We identified the mechanism of terrestrial prey capture in A. anableps by studying kinematics and functional morphology of the cranial structures, using high-speed video and graphical 3D reconstructions from computed tomography scans. In contrast to the previously described mechanisms, A. anableps relies solely on upper and lower jaw movement for re-orientation of the gape towards the ground. The premaxilla is protruded anteroventrally, and the lower jaw is depressed to a right angle with the substrate. Both the lower and upper jaws are selectively positioned onto the prey. Anableps anableps thereby uses the jaw protrusion mechanism previously described for other cyprinodontiforms to allow a continued protrusion of the premaxilla even while closing the jaws. Several structural adaptations appear to allow more controlled movements and increased amplitude of anterior and ventral protrusion of the upper jaw compared with other cyprinodontiforms.
KW - Cyprinodontiformes
KW - Functional morphology
KW - Premaxilla
U2 - 10.1242/jeb.124644
DO - 10.1242/jeb.124644
JO - Journal of Experimental Biology
JF - Journal of Experimental Biology
10.1242/jeb.124644