Lepidophagy

Lepidophagy

Lepidophagy is a specialised feeding behaviour in fish that involves eating of scales of other fish.cite web|url=http://fishbase.org/Glossary/Glossary.cfm?TermEnglish=lepidophagy|title=Glossary: Lepidophagy|author=Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors.|publisher=FishBase|accessdate=2007-04-12] Lepidophagy is widespread, having been independently evolved in at least five freshwater families and seven marine families.cite journal|url=http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/reprint/208/24/4757.pdf|title=Functional morphology of feeding in the scale-eating specialist "Catoprion mento"|first=Jeff|last=Janovetz|journal=The Journal of Experimental Biology|volume=208|pages=4757–4768|year=2005|format=PDF|doi=10.1242/jeb.01938] Lepidophagy has been reported in a range of fish including: "Chanda nama" (family Ambassidae), [Grubh AR, Winemiller KO (2002) Ontogeny of Scale Feeding in the Asian Glassfish, Chanda nama (Ambassidae) "Copeia" pp. 903–907. doi:10.1643/CE-02-095R1] "Terapon jarbua" (family Terapontidae), several marine catfish (family Ariidae), [Szelistowski WA (1989) Scale-Feeding in Juvenile Marine Catfishes (Pisces: Ariidae) "Copeia" pp.517-519. doi:10.2307/1445459] some piranha, "Exodon paradoxus" and "Roeboides" species (family Characidae), [Janovetz JA, Westneat MW (2007) Biomechanics of a novel feeding behavior: direct force measurements of the scale-feeding strike of Catoprion mento "Journal of Experimental Biology" "In press."] cite web|url=http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=5145|title=Exodon paradoxus,Bucktooth tetra|author=Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors.|publisher=FishBase|accessdate=2007-04-12] [Petersen CC, Winemiller KO (1997) Ontogenic diet shifts and scale-eating in Roeboides dayi, a Neotropical characid "Environmental Biology of Fishes" 49:111-118. doi:10.1023/A:1007353425275] along with "Perissodus eccentricus", "Perissodus microlepis", "Plecodus elaviae", "Plecodus multidentatus", "Plecodus paradoxus" and "Plecodus straeleni" (family Cichlidae) [Yanagisawa Y (1984) Parental strategy of the cichlid fish Perissodus microlepis, with particular reference to intraspecific brood ‘farming out’ "Environmental Biology of Fishes" 12: 241-249.] [Nshombo M (1991) Occasional egg-eating by the scale-eater Plecodus straeleni (Cichlidae) of Lake Tanganyika "Environmental Biology of Fishes" 31:207-212.]

Fish scales are a surprisingly nutritional food source, containing layers of keratin and enamel, as well as a dermal portion and a layer of protein-rich mucus. They are a rich source of calcium phosphate. However, the energy expended to make a strike versus the amount of scales consumed per strike puts a limit on the size of the lepidophage; such fish seldom exceed 20 centimetres and most are under 12 cm. There are a number of advantages to consuming scales: scales are common, covering the body of most fish species, can be regrown relatively quickly by "prey" fish, are abundant and seasonally reliable, and their removal requires specific behaviors or morphological structures.

A diversity of morphologies and attack behaviors are used by lepidophagous predators. The behavioral origins of scale feeding may be different for different lineages.

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • lepidophagy — scale eating, several unrelated taxa are known to specialise in eating scales from other fishes using various methods, e.g. Terapon jarbua removes scales from Mugil cephalus. Scales and associated mucus and skin are not usually the exclusive diet …   Dictionary of ichthyology

  • lepidophagy — noun The feeding on scales …   Wiktionary

  • scale-eating — lepidophagy (scale eating, several unrelated taxa are known to specialise in eating scales from other fishes using various methods, e.g. Terapon jarbua removes scales from Mugil cephalus. Scales and associated mucus and skin are not usually the… …   Dictionary of ichthyology

  • List of feeding behaviours — Feeding is the process by which organisms, typically animals, obtain food. Terminology often uses either the suffix vore from Latin vorare, meaning to devour , or phagy, from Greek φαγειν, meaning to eat . Mosquito drinking blood …   Wikipedia

  • Cannibalism — For non human cannibalism, see Cannibalism (zoology). For other uses, see Cannibal (disambiguation). Cannibalism, Brazil. Engraving by Theodor de Bry for Hans Staden s account of his 1557 captivity …   Wikipedia

  • Carnivore — Carnivorism redirects here. For the diet, see No carbohydrate diet. For other uses, see Carnivore (disambiguation). Lions are voracious carnivores; they require up to seven kilograms (15 lbs) of meat per day. A major component of their diet is… …   Wikipedia

  • Coprophagia — A female Oriental Latrine Fly (Chrysomya megacephala) feeds on animal feces. Coprophagia or coprophagy is the consumption of feces, from the Greek κόπρος copros ( feces ) and φαγεῖν phagein ( to eat ). Many animal species practice coprophagia as… …   Wikipedia

  • Geophagy — The red and green macaw eats clay from exposed riverbanks, allowing it to utilize nutrients in harmful foods. Geophagy is the practice of eating earthy or soil like substances such as clay, and chalk. It exists in animals in the wild and also in… …   Wikipedia

  • Cichlid — Cichlids Common freshwater angelfish, Pterophyllum scalare Scientific classification Kingdom …   Wikipedia

  • Predation — For alternative meanings of predator and prey, see Predator (disambiguation) and Prey (disambiguation). Predating can also mean dating earlier than : see wiktionary:predate. Indian Python swallowing a small Chital deer at Mudumalai National Park …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”