PADIAN, K.; HORNER, J.R.; Univ. of California, Berkeley; Montana State University: “Bizarre” morphological structures in dinosaurs: adaptation, sexual display, or neither? Many dinosaur groups are instantly recognized by “bizarre” horns, frills, plates, and so on. But why did they evolve? Two general explanations are function and display. Functional explanations (and some display explanations) depend on […]

DEVRIES, M.S.*; WAINWRIGHT, P.C.; Univ. of California, Berkeley; Univ. of California, Davis: The effects of acute temperature change on prey capture kinematics in Largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides A common relationship in ectothermic vertebrates is that as temperature decreases, the rate of muscle contraction decreases. Animals moving in cooler water must also contend with the increasing […]

COOPER, W. James; Univ. of Chicago & Field Museum: The Evolution of Feeding Biomechanics in Damselfishes The damselfishes (Perciformes; Pomacentridae) comprise one of the dominant groups of fishes on all coral reefs and are a major component of the trophic ecology within these systems. This study examined the evolution of damselfish feeding mechanisms by combining […]

O’REILLY, J.C.*; INFANTE, C.R.; FENOLIO, D.B.; DEBAN, S.M.; University of Miami, Coral Gables FL; Harvard University, Cambridge MA; University of Miami, Coral Gables FL; University of South Florida, Tampa FL: Prey Capture in �Macrophagous� Tadpoles Generalized tadpoles (e.g., Rana) filter very small food items from the water column or from a suspension generated by scrapping […]

CARROLL, Andrew M.*; WAINWRIGHT, Peter C.; COUGHLIN, David J.; Concord Field Station, Harvard University; University of California, Davis; Widener University: Muscle function and muscular power output during suction feeding Muscle power output is thought to limit suction feeding performance, yet it has never been directly measured. In this study, epaxial activation and strain, hyoid depression, […]

CLARK, A. J.**; SUMMERS, A. P.; Univ. of California, Irvine; Univ. of California, Irvine: Functional morphology and kinematics of the hagfish feeding apparatus Hagfish are basal craniates that lack jaws. Instead of jaws, hagfish possess a cartilaginous dental plate with two rows of cusps that resemble grasping dentition. A series of ventrally situated cartilaginous elements […]

HIGHAM, T. E.*; DAY, S. W.; WAINWRIGHT, P. C.; Univ. of California, Davis; Rochester Institute of Technology; Univ. of California, Davis: Can peak buccal cavity pressure be used to predict peak fluid speed during suction feeding in fishes? Suction-feeding fish capture prey by rapidly expanding their buccal cavity, which generates a flow of water directed […]

Meeting Abstract 44.10  Jan. 6  Vitellogenin induction by commercial fish food: possible implications in endocrine disruptor studies DAVIS, L.K.; HIRANO, T.; GRAU, E.G.*; Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii, Kaneohe lkdavis@hawaii.edu In a number of teleost fish, male plasma has been found to contain substantial levels of 17&beta-estradiol (E2) and in certain cases, vitellogenin (Vg), […]

Meeting Abstract 44.9  Jan. 6  The Transfer of PCBs into Holothurians via Plastic Particles GRAHAM, E.R.; Saint Joseph’s University eg259365@sju.edu Plastic bottles, bags, and other products discarded in the ocean are weathered and degraded, causing tiny fragments to break off. Surveys have confirmed that tiny plastic fragments are common pollutants on the ocean surface, on beaches, and […]

Meeting Abstract 44.8  Jan. 6  Steroidogenesis Acute Regulatory (StAR) Protein, Aromatase (P450arom), 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17beta HSD) and Location-associated Differences in Circulating Estradiol Concentrations in Wild Flatfish in the Southern California Bight Environment HAGSTROM, K. R. E.**; REYES, J.A.; PETSCHAUER, D.M.; KELLEY, K.M.; California State University, Long Beach; California State University, Long Beach; California State University, Long Beach; […]