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Science 11 March 1983:
Vol. 219. no. 4589, pp. 1235 - 1237
DOI: 10.1126/science.6828853
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Articles

Science, Vol 219, Issue 4589, 1235-1237
Copyright © 1983 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

Neuromuscular patterns and the origin of trophic specialization in fishes

GV Lauder

The pattern of muscle electrical activity in the pharyngeal muscles of the mollusc-eating sunfish Lepomis microlophus is highly specialized in comparison with the pattern displayed by most other members of the sunfish family and does not change when different prey are eaten. The closest genealogical relative of this species has the specialized muscle activity pattern for crushing prey when it feeds on snails but uses the primitive sequence of muscle activity during swallowing of other prey. The ability of species that crush snails to use molluscan prey effectively is due primarily to the evolutionary transformation of the neuromuscular program controlling the trophic apparatus.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Motor Control Across Trophic Strategies: Muscle Activity of Biting and Suction Feeding Fishes.
M. E. Alfaro, J. Janovetz, and M. W. Westneat (2001)
Integr. Comp. Biol. 41, 1266-1279
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Kinematics of intraoral transport and swallowing in the herbivorous lizard uromastix acanthinurus.
A Herrel and F. Vree (1999)
J. Exp. Biol. 202, 1127-1137
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Role of the Gastropod Shell and Operculum in Inhibiting Predation by Fishes.
S. F. NORTON (1988)
Science 241, 92-94
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