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- Title
Feeding kinematics of a surgeonfish reveal novel functions and relationships to reef substrata.
- Authors
Mihalitsis, Michalis; Wainwright, Peter C.
- Abstract
Biting to obtain attached benthic prey characterizes a large number of fish species on coral reefs, and is a feeding mode that contributes to important ecosystem functions. We use high-speed video to reveal the mechanisms used by a surgeonfish, Acanthurus leucosternon, to detach algae. After gripping algae in its jaws, the species pulls it by ventrally rotating both the head and the closed jaws, in a novel use of the intra-mandibular joint. These motions remain in the plane of the fish, reducing the use of a lateral head flick to detach the algae. The novel ability to bite and pull algae off the substrate without bending the body laterally minimizes exposure to high water flows, and may be an adaptation to feeding in challenging reef habitats such as the crest and flat. Therefore, our results could potentially represent a key milestone in the evolutionary history of coral reef trophodynamics. High-speed video of feeding in a surgeonfish reveals novel functions, and suggests an adaptation to feeding in high flow environments, as well as how fish interact with the substrate
- Subjects
CORAL reefs &; islands; CORAL reef fishes; REEFS; KINEMATICS; NUMBERS of species; CORALS
- Publication
Communications Biology, 2024, Vol 7, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
2399-3642
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1038/s42003-023-05696-z