Evolutionary adaptiveness for a highly specialised feeding niche: algae scraping in tropical catfish Ghent University
In this project the evolution towards a highly specialised feeding apparatus, i.e. that for algae scraping by means of a sucker mouth, will be studied. Such a high level of specialized feeding has only been observed in tadpoles and tropical catfishes. With a multidisciplinary appraoch, this projects objectives are to study the ontogeny, function and evolution of such an algae scraping apparatus in three families of traopical catfishes.