Meeting Abstract

18.6  Jan. 5  Cichlid Pectoral Fins: Is there a Link Between Locomotion and Feeding? HULSEY, CD*; ROBERTS, R; STREELMAN, JT; Georgia Tech; Georgia Tech; Georgia Tech dh251@mail.gatech.edu

Although the unparalleled feeding diversity of cichlid fishes in the African Great Lakes is widely recognized, the locomotory diversity of these rapidly radiating groups remains underappreciated. We quantified pectoral fin musculature and shape in 30 cichlid species from Lake Malawi and examined the relationship of these variables to feeding modes. When accounting for newly reconstructed phylogenetic relationships, surprising correlations between locomotory morphology and trophic variation were uncovered.