Habitat structure, feeding mode and morphological reversibility: factors influencing phenotypic plasticity in perch
Year: 2005
Type: article
Abstract: Questions: Do both habitat structure and feeding mode contribute to morphological divergence within fish populations? To what extent may an induced morphology be reversed? Organism: Young-of-the-year Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis L.). Methods: An aquarium experiment with a 2 × 2 factorial design (two levels of habitat structure and two levels of feeding mode). The habitat structure and feeding mode were reversed for perch in two habitat treatments midway through the experiment. Results: Both habitat structure and feeding mode contributed to morphological divergence (40.7% and 4.9% of the total variation respectively), which suggests that both habitat complexity and prey type diversity influence morphological adaptations in this fish species. Perch morphology is highly plastic and can be reversed in as short a time as 4 weeks.
Authors: Jens Olsson, Peter Eklöv
Institution: Uppsala University
Language: English
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2133837634