Evol Ecol Res 7: 767-778 (2005)     Full PDF if your library subscribes.

Behavioural and morphological responses to cannibalism in Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus)

Jens Andersson* and Lennart Persson

Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden

Author to whom all correspondence should be addressed.
e-mail: jens.andersson@emg.umu.se

ABSTRACT

Question: Does cannibalism lead to resource polymorphism in young Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus, Pisces)?

Hypothesis: Cannibals should evoke a low-activity morph that is well adapted to benthivory but not planktivory, and which differs in morphology compared with a planktivorous morph.

Methods: We reared young-of-the-year charr in laboratory aquaria with and without larger cannibalistic charr present. Thereafter, we measured foraging efficiency on pelagic and benthic resources, swimming speed when foraging, and morphology of the young charr.

Conclusions: Living among cannibals did not affect the morphology of the young charr. It also did not affect the foraging efficiency of the young charr on the benthic resource. However, individuals from cannibal treatments swam closer and had lower foraging efficiency on the pelagic resource.

Keywords: geometric morphometrics, phenotypic plasticity, predation risk, resource polymorphism.

DOWNLOAD A FREE, FULL PDF COPY
IF you are connected using the IP of a subscribing institution (library, laboratory, etc.)
or through its VPN.

 

        © 2005 Jens Andersson. All EER articles are copyrighted by their authors. All authors endorse, permit and license Evolutionary Ecology Ltd. to grant its subscribing institutions/libraries the copying privileges specified below without additional consideration or payment to them or to Evolutionary Ecology, Ltd. These endorsements, in writing, are on file in the office of Evolutionary Ecology, Ltd. Consult authors for permission to use any portion of their work in derivative works, compilations or to distribute their work in any commercial manner.

       Subscribing institutions/libraries may grant individuals the privilege of making a single copy of an EER article for non-commercial educational or non-commercial research purposes. Subscribing institutions/libraries may also use articles for non-commercial educational purposes by making any number of copies for course packs or course reserve collections. Subscribing institutions/libraries may also loan single copies of articles to non-commercial libraries for educational purposes.

       All copies of abstracts and articles must preserve their copyright notice without modification.