ASYMMETRY OF MOUTH-OPENING OF A SMALL HERBIVOROUS CICHLID FISH TELMATOCHROMIS-TEMPORALIS IN LAKE-TANGANYIKA

Citation
Sk. Mboko et al., ASYMMETRY OF MOUTH-OPENING OF A SMALL HERBIVOROUS CICHLID FISH TELMATOCHROMIS-TEMPORALIS IN LAKE-TANGANYIKA, Zoological science, 15(3), 1998, pp. 405-408
Citations number
12
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Zoology
Journal title
ISSN journal
0289-0003
Volume
15
Issue
3
Year of publication
1998
Pages
405 - 408
Database
ISI
SICI code
0289-0003(1998)15:3<405:AOMOAS>2.0.ZU;2-3
Abstract
Direction of mouth-opening of a small herbivorous Tanganyikan cichlid, Telmatochromis temporalis, was studied. Each sample fish opened its m outh either rightward or leftward in some degree. The directions of mo uth-opening were independent of the body curve directions, and the asy mmetry will be due to asymmetric mouth morph individually specific. Th e degree of the mouth asymmetry was not related to body size, suggesti ng the asymmetry being not acquired characters. No fish opened the mou th in lateral symmetry, indicating that the asymmetry is different fro m ''fluctuating asymmetry''. This fish took algae on rock surface usua lly using right or left side of its mouth. However, strong relations b etween directions of mouth-openings and frequencies of mouth side used in foraging were not found, and the biological role of the asymmetry, if any, is not clear now.