Do sharks exhibit heterodonty by tooth position and over ontogeny? A comparison using elliptic Fourier analysis

Tooth morphology is often used to inform the feeding ecology of an organism as these structures are important to procure and process dietary resources. In sharks, differences in morphology may facilitate the capture and handling of prey with different physical properties. However, few studies have investigated differences in tooth morphology over ontogeny, throughout the jaws of a single species, or among species at multiple tooth positions. Bull (Carcharhinus leucas), blacktip (Carcharhinus limbatus), and bonnethead sharks (Sphyrna tiburo) are coastal predators that exhibit ontogenetic dietary shifts, but differ in their feeding ecologies. This study measured tooth morphology at six positions along the upper and lower jaws of each species using elliptic Fourier analysis to make comparisons within and among species over their ontogeny. Significant ontogenetic differences were detected at four of the six tooth positions in bull sharks, but only the posterior position on the lower jaw appeared to exhibit a functionally relevant shift in morphology. No ontogenetic changes in morphology were detected in blacktip or bonnethead sharks. Intraspecific comparisons found that most tooth positions significantly differed from one another across all species, but heterodonty was greatest in bull sharks. Additionally, interspecific comparisons found differences among all species at each tooth position except between bull and blacktip sharks at two positions. These morphological patterns within and among species may have implications for prey handling efficiency, as well as in providing insight for paleoichthyology studies and reevaluating heterodonty in sharks.     

Food capture kinematics of the suction feeding horn shark, Heterodontus francisci

The goal of this study was to examine the feeding kinematics of the horn shark, Heterodontus francisci, a member of the most basal clade of galeomorph sharks, the Heterodontiformes. The accessibility of the food was manipulated to determine if the horn shark modulated capture. Three different methods of presenting food were used to mimic the different positions of prey items found in the natural diet of the horn shark. Food was presented unattached to the substrate, securely attached, or fitted snugly in a tube. Using high-speed video kinematic analysis, capture events were examined. Heterodontus francisci uses inertial suction facilitated by rapid mandible depression and labial cartilage protrusion to capture food. The horn shark conforms to a capture kinematic profile characteristic of both basal and derived inertial suction feeding sharks. Unusual post-capture behaviors include body leveraging, use of the mouth to form a seal over food, and chisel-like palatoquadrate protrusion. When presented with food of different accessibility, Heterodontus francisci used one consistent kinematic pattern for capture that was not modulated. Only post-capture behaviors varied according to food accessibility.     

Food habits of the smooth dogfish, Mustelus canis, dusky shark, Carcharhinus obscurus, Atlantic sharpnose shark, Rhizoprionodon terraenovae, and the sand tiger, Carcharias taurus, from the northwest Atlantic Ocean

Diet and feeding habits of the smooth dogfish, Mustelus canis, Atlantic sharpnose, Rhizoprionodon terraenovae, dusky, Carcharhinus obscurus, and the sand tiger, Carcharias taurus sharks, were investigated through analysis of stomach contents. Diet in M. canis was relatively homogeneous and was dominated by crustaceans, consisting mostly of rock crabs, Cancer irroratus. Diet in R. terraenovae was more heterogeneous and consisted largely of crustaceans and teleosts, in similar levels of prey importance. Use of cumulative prey curves as a measure of precision indicated that data were insufficient to fully describe the diets of C. obscurus and C. taurus. Nonetheless, these data suggested that both species are generalized feeders and consume a variety of teleost and elasmobranch prey. Further studies are necessary to fully characterize diet in these two species.     

东海北部大管鞭虾的食性

根据对2009年6月至2010年5月在东海北部采集到的720尾大管鞭虾胃含物的分析,对不同季节、性别、个体大小以及发育条件下大管鞭虾的摄食习性进行了研究.结果表明: 东海大管鞭虾的饵料生物共有43种(包含未鉴定种),甲壳类、有孔虫类和多毛类为其主要的摄食群类,在食物中所占的数量百分比分别为34.7%、29.4%和12.4%.大管鞭虾的饵料组成具有明显的季节波动,春季以有孔虫、藻类和无脊椎卵为主要食物;夏、秋季以有孔虫、鱼类和多毛类为主要食物;冬季则以多毛类和有孔虫类为主要食物.其摄食强度在春季和夏季较高,秋季较低.不同甲长的个体食性变化显著,小于24 mm的个体主食有孔虫类和藻类,24 mm以上的个体主食有多毛类和十足类;随着性腺发育雌性个体摄食等级呈现减弱的趋势,表明大管鞭虾摄食活动受到繁殖周期的影响.不同性别和不同季节大管鞭虾的食物重叠指数均较高,与栖息环境饵料资源的波动有关.大管鞭虾的营养级为2.67,属低级肉食性动物.     

DNA as a Dietary Biomarker in Antarctic Krill, Euphausia superba

The diet of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) has been studied using a variety of techniques, but current methods still suffer from problems that are difficult to solve. This study examined an alternative approach utilizing DNA as a prey biomarker. Methods were developed for the preservation, extraction, and identification of prey DNA from krill collected in the field. Group-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify diatom prey (Phylum: Bacillariophyta) and the results from DNA clone libraries were compared with microscopic diet analysis. DNA analysis was superior to microscopy for prey detection. However, differences in prey relative abundance estimates between the two techniques suggested some bias in the DNA-based estimates. Quantification showed that large amounts of prey DNA had been successfully preserved and extracted. Overall the results suggest that the application of DNA-based diet analysis to krill warrants further investigation, particularly for prey that are difficult to study using other methods.     

Aspects of the Feeding and Reproductive Biology of the Lake Tanganyikan Cichlid, Lamprologus ornatipinnis (Pisces, Cichlidae)

This project investigated the reproductive and feeding biology of Lamprologus ornatipinnis. Specimens were collected monthly from North Bay, Mbita Island, Zambia for a year. Dentition was examined under a scanning electron microscope, stomach contents were analysed using the Index of Relative Importance (IRI) and mean Gonado-somatic Indices (GSI) were calculated for each month to reveal spawning peaks. Both males and females possess an outer row of six (premaxilla) and eight (dentary) enlarged canines. The remaining inner rows consist of small, recurved canine-like teeth. The lower pharyngeal bone possesses enlarged centrally placed molars with an increasing number of smaller bevelled teeth laterally. This dentition is very similar to a typical benthic arthropod and mollusc eater. Stomach content analysis revealed that L. ornatipinnis feeds predominantly on Chironomidae, Copepoda and Ostracoda. The importance of these prey items in the diet differed significantly between the months sampled. Percentage volume of Copepoda and Cyclopoida was greater in female stomachs than males and the % number of Chironomidae greater in males than females. Gonadosomatic Index (GSI) values indicated males and females breed throughout the year. Females, however have a significant peak (p<0.05) in breeding activity from July to October that coincides with the increased abundance of plankton at this time.