Unprecedented biting performance in herbivorous fish: how the complex biting system of Pomacentridae circumvents performance trade-offs University of Antwerp
Damien Olivier, Eric Parmentier, Bruno Frédérich
It is well accepted that the complexity of functional systems may mitigate performance trade-offs. However, data supporting this theory is hard to find because it needs to be based on a functional system with different complexity levels in closely-related species. The Pomacentridae (damselfishes) provide an excellent opportunity to test the hypothesis because most of the species have two mouth-closing systems: the first using the adductor mandibulae, as in all teleost fishes, and a second one relying on the cerato-mandibular ligament (cmd), a synapomorphic trait of the family. Interestingly, ...