scholarly journals Kinematics of prey capture in a flatfish, Pleuronichthys verticalis

1995 ◽  
Vol 198 (5) ◽  
pp. 1173-1183 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Gibb
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Mouth Opening ◽  
Significant Degree ◽  
The Body ◽  
Bilateral Asymmetry ◽  
Ocular Side ◽  
Functional Features ◽  
Prey Capture Behavior ◽  
Pleuronichthys Verticalis

Hornyhead turbot, Pleuronichthys verticalis (Pleuronectiformes: Pleuronectidae), are morphologically asymmetrical teleosts with substantial bilateral asymmetry in the neurocranium, suspensorium and anterior jaws. In order to quantify the kinematics of prey capture and to test for functional bilateral asymmetries, four individuals of this species were video-taped feeding using a high-speed video system at 200 fields s-1. Frame-by-frame analysis revealed several features not commonly found in prey capture behavior of previously studied ray-finned fishes. These features include (1) extreme lateral compression of the suspensorium and opercular series prior to mouth opening, indicating the consistent presence of a preparatory phase during feeding, (2) apparent dissociation of hyoid retraction and lower jaw depression, (3) prolonged hyoid retraction throughout much of the feeding cycle, and (4) concomitant dorsal rotation of the neurocranium and closing of the jaws. P. verticalis also demonstrate a significant degree of functional bilateral asymmetry during prey capture. When approaching prey, fish flex their heads towards the ocular (anatomically the right) side of the body. During prey capture, their jaws bend out of the midline towards the blind (left) side. Comparisons of the displacement and timing for movements of homologous anatomical features on the ocular and blind sides of the head reveal that maximum gape is always larger on the blind side of the head than on the ocular side. In contrast, other kinematic variables measured are similar on both sides of the head. These results suggest that P. verticalis possess unique functional features of prey capture behavior and that morphological bilateral asymmetry of the head and jaws is associated with, and perhaps causally related to, the functional bilateral asymmetry present during feeding.

The kinematics of prey capture in Xystreurys liolepis: do all flatfish feed asymmetrically?

1996 ◽  
Vol 199 (10) ◽  
pp. 2269-2283 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Gibb
Keyword(s):  
Simple Model ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Mouth Opening ◽  
Functional Asymmetry ◽  
Flatfish Species ◽  
Morphological Asymmetry ◽  
Asymmetry Analysis ◽  
Prey Capture Behavior ◽  
Pleuronichthys Verticalis

Previous research has shown that one species of flatfish displays several functional asymmetries of the head and jaws during prey capture. However, it is not known whether the functional asymmetries observed for this species are common to all flatfishes. In order to determine whether functional asymmetry is present in other flatfish taxa, prey-capture behavior was examined in a species of flatfish with little cephalic morphological asymmetry, Xystreurys liolepis (Pleuronectiformes: Paralichthyidae). In addition, X. liolepis is one of a few species of flatfish in which both typical (sinistral) and reversed (dextral) individuals are commonly found. Five individuals (two dextral and three sinistral) of X. liolepis were video-taped feeding at 250 fields s-1 in order to quantify prey-capture kinematics. These data were used to test two hypotheses: (1) that typical and reversed-symmetry individuals have identical prey-capture kinematics, and (2) that X. liolepis exhibit no functional asymmetry during prey capture because they have little morphological asymmetry. Analysis of prey capture indicates that the kinematic variables measured for sinistral and dextral individuals are statistically indistinguishable. In addition, X. liolepis do not exhibit the same suite of functional asymmetries that has been found in a flatfish species with more extreme cephalic morphological asymmetry (Pleuronichthys verticalis). However, asymmetrical anterior movement of the ventral portion of the maxilla does occur in X. liolepis during mouth opening. Examination of osteological preparations and cleared and stained individuals indicates that the maxilla is asymmetrical in length in this species. A simple model indicates that the differential length of the maxilla is sufficient to explain the observed functional asymmetry during prey capture. These results suggest that certain morphological asymmetries of the jaws of flatfishes are modifications for specialized prey-capture behaviors.

scholarly journals Feeding mechanics and bite force modelling of the skull of Dunkleosteus terrelli , an ancient apex predator

2006 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip S.L Anderson ◽  
Mark W Westneat
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Mouth Opening ◽  
Biomechanical Model ◽  
Bite Force ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Large Individual ◽  
Linkage Mechanism ◽  
Feeding Mechanics ◽  
Four Bar Linkage

Placoderms are a diverse group of armoured fishes that dominated the aquatic ecosystems of the Devonian Period, 415–360 million years ago. The bladed jaws of predators such as Dunkleosteus suggest that these animals were the first vertebrates to use rapid mouth opening and a powerful bite to capture and fragment evasive prey items prior to ingestion. Here, we develop a biomechanical model of force and motion during feeding in Dunkleosteus terrelli that reveals a highly kinetic skull driven by a unique four-bar linkage mechanism. The linkage system has a high-speed transmission for jaw opening, producing a rapid expansion phase similar to modern fishes that use suction during prey capture. Jaw closing muscles power an extraordinarily strong bite, with an estimated maximal bite force of over 4400 N at the jaw tip and more than 5300 N at the rear dental plates, for a large individual (6 m in total length). This bite force capability is the greatest of all living or fossil fishes and is among the most powerful bites in animals.

Variation in the feeding kinematics of mole salamanders (Ambystomatidae: Ambystoma)

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 353-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
John T. Beneski Jr. ◽  
John H. Larsen Jr. ◽  
Brian T. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Behavior ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Mouth Opening ◽  
General Increase ◽  
Feeding Kinematics ◽  
High Speed Cinematography ◽  
Mode A ◽  
General Reduction

High-speed cinematography was used to investigate the prey-capture kinematics of six species of mole salamanders (Ambystomatidae). We compared the feeding behavior of the subgenus Ambystoma (A. californiense and A. macrodactylum) with that of the subgenus Linguaelapsus (A. mabeei, A. texanum, A. annulatum, and A. cingulatum). Prey capture by all six species is characterized by a 3-part gape cycle (a period of rapid mouth opening prior to extraoral tongue protraction, followed by a period of relatively stable gape angle during extraoral tongue protraction and retraction, followed by a period of rapid mouth closure), a tongue-extension cycle (protraction and retraction), and anterior head–body displacement. Among the six species, two distinct modes of prey capture are evident: (1) the Ambystoma mode (A. californiense, A. macrodactylum, A. mabeei, and A. texanum), and (2) the Linguaelapsus mode (A. annulatum and A. cingulatum). Most differences in prey-capture kinematics between the two modes are primarily differences of degree rather than the addition or loss of unique behaviors, and include a general reduction in the gape angles and a general increase in the elapsed times associated with specific events in the Linguaelapsus mode. We hypothesize that these differences are primarily the result of a prolonged period of tongue protraction in the Linguaelapsus mode during which the glandular tongue pad is fitted to the prey. In addition to differing from each other, the gape profiles of the ambystomatid subgenera differ markedly from the 4-part gape profiles of plethodontids and salamandrids.

Quantitative analysis of prey-capture kinematics in Anolis equestris (Reptilia: Iguanidae)

1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (10) ◽  
pp. 2192-2198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent L. Bels
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Anterior Part ◽  
The Body ◽  
Original Position ◽  
Forward Movement ◽  
Live Prey ◽  
Capture Process ◽  
Locomotor System ◽  
Cyclic Movement

High-speed cinematography was employed to study the mechanics of prey capture in Anolis equestris. Capture of live prey (adult locusts) consists of a cyclic movement of the upper and lower jaws combined with tongue protraction. Kinematic profiles are presented for the jaws, tongue, and forelimbs. The tongue is projected during the "slow open" stage and most of the "fast open" stage. The tongue protrudes beyond the mandibular symphysis during the slow open stage, and rotates simultaneously around a transverse anteromedian axis. The prey is thus contacted by the dorsal sticky surface of the tongue, and then pulled backward into the oral cavity by a combination of a forward movement of the jaws and retraction of the tongue. Gape angle, defined as the angle between the upper and lower jaws, continues to increase during the initial stages of tongue retraction. During the capture process, the anterior part of the body lunges forward, followed by a return to its original position; this displacement is mediated by the forelimbs, which usually remain well anchored to the floor. The cyclic food-capture movements of the jaws and tongue–hyoid system in A. equestris (Iguanidae) and Chameleo dilepis (Chamaeleontidae) are compared. I argue that one of the primary selection forces in the evolution of the different mechanisms of prey prehension in these two lizard groups was enhancement of the locomotor system and, consequently, foraging ability.

Modulation of prey-capture behavior in the plethodontid salamander Ensatina eschscholtzii

1997 ◽  
Vol 200 (14) ◽  
pp. 1951-1964 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Deban
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Sensory Feedback ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Prey Size ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Prey Type ◽  
Jaw Movements ◽  
Plethodontid Salamander ◽  
Ensatina Eschscholtzii ◽  
Prey Capture Behavior

The hypothesis that salamander prey-capture behavior is highly stereotyped was tested in the plethodontid salamander Ensatina eschscholtzii using high-speed videography and kinematic analysis of feedings on two types of prey (waxworms and termites). The results show that E. eschscholtzii is capable of modulating the timing and magnitude of tongue and jaw movements in response to prey type. Feedings on waxworms, the larger prey, were characterized by shorter durations and higher velocities of tongue and jaw movements compared with feedings on termites, particularly in the latter portion of the feeding sequence (i.e. after prey contact). To test the hypothesis that sensory feedback through the tongue pad plays a role in modulating feeding movements in response to prey type, the ramus lingualis of the glossopharyngeal nerve (cranial nerve IX), which is known to carry sensory information from the tongue pad in salamanders, was transected bilaterally. This experimental deafferentation of the tongue pad had no effect on the degree or direction of differences in feeding kinematics across prey type. These results refute the glossopharyngeal feedback hypothesis, but are consistent with the hypothesis that E. eschscholtzii responds more vigorously to larger prey by assessing prey size visually.

Prey capture in the chain pickerel, Esox niger: correlations between feeding and locomotor behavior

1981 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 1072-1078 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Rand ◽  
George V. Lauder
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Mouth Opening ◽  
Predatory Behavior ◽  
Jaw Movements ◽  
Suction Velocity ◽  
Locomotor Pattern ◽  
Mechanical Unit ◽  
High Speed Cinematography ◽  
Locomotor Patterns

The predatory behavior of the chain pickerel Esox niger was studied by high-speed cinematography to correlate patterns of jaw bone movement with locomotor patterns. Pattern B strikes were initiated at significantly shorter distances from the prey, had higher acceleration rates, and the velocity of mouth opening and suspensorial abduction was greater than for pattern A strikes. No difference was found in the excursion amplitudes of jaw movements between pattern A and pattern B strikes. Significant differences were found between midwater and corner strikes in the amplitude of mouth opening and hyoid depression: both were smaller in corner attacks and suction velocity was higher. Both velocity and amplitude of each mechanical unit in the head can be varied depending on the locomotor pattern and the position of the prey.

The Kinematics of Prey Capture and the Mechanism of Tongue Protraction in the Green Tree Frog Hyla Cinerea

1992 ◽  
Vol 170 (1) ◽  
pp. 235-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
STEPHEN M. DEBAN ◽  
KIISA C. NISHIKAWA
Keyword(s):  
Kinematic Analysis ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Tree Frog ◽  
Hyla Cinerea ◽  
The Family ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Prey Capture Behavior

Prey capture was studied in the green tree frog (Hyla cinerea) before and after denervation of either the m. genioglossus or m. submentalis using high-speed videography and kinematic analysis. The prey capture behavior and extent of tongue protraction of several members of the subfamilies Hylinae, Pelodryadinae and Phyllomedusinae were also studied. Results show that the m. genioglossus is necessary to produce complete tongue protraction and that the m. submentalis is necessary for mandibular bending, but not necessary for complete tongue protraction in Hyla cinerea. The tongue of Hyla cinerea resembles the weakly protrusible tongues of the archaeobatrachian frogs Ascaphus and Discoglossus more than the highly protrusible tongues of other neobatrachians, such as Rana or Bufo. A weakly protrusible tongue is present in the subfamilies Hylinae and Pelodryadinae, and a highly protrusible tongue is present in the subfamily Phyllomedusinae. These results suggest that hyline and pelodryadine hylids have retained the ancestral anuran tongue morphology and that highly protrusible tongues have evolved once within the family Hylidae, in the subfamily Phyllomedusinae.

scholarly journals Kinematics of feeding in the lizard Agama stellio

1996 ◽  
Vol 199 (8) ◽  
pp. 1727-1742 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Herrel ◽  
J Cleuren ◽  
F Vree
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Prey Type ◽  
The Body ◽  
Kinematic Data ◽  
Video Recordings ◽  
Lower Jaw ◽  
Feeding Cycle ◽  
Hyolingual Apparatus ◽  
Opening Phase

The kinematics of prey capture, intraoral transport and swallowing in lizards of the species Agama stellio (Agamidae) were investigated using cineradiography (50 frames s-1) and high-speed video recordings (500 frames s-1). Small metal markers were inserted into different parts of the upper and lower jaw and the tongue. Video and cineradiographic images were digitized, and displacements of the body, head, upper and lower jaw and the tongue were quantified. Twenty additional variables depicting displacements and timing of events were calculated. A factor analysis performed on the kinematic data separates prey capture and swallowing cycles from intraoral transport bites. However, the intraoral transport stage cannot be separated into chewing (reduction) and transport bites. The effect of prey type and size on the feeding kinematics of intraoral transport and swallowing cycles was investigated. During the intraoral transport stage, distinct aspects (e.g. durations, maximal excursions) of the gape and tongue cycle are modulated in response to both the size and type of the prey item. The results for A. stellio generally agree with a previous model, although it is the entire slow opening phase rather than solely the duration of the second part of this phase that is affected by the size of the prey. The intraoral transport cycles in A. stellio show the two synapomorphic characteristics of tetrapods (tongue-based terrestrial intraoral prey transport and the existence of a long preparatory period of prey compression). However, not all five characters of the feeding cycle previously proposed for amniotes are present in A. stellio. One major difference is that in A. stellio the recovery of the hyolingual apparatus does not take place during the slow opening phase but during the slow closing/powerstroke phase.

The Suction Feeding Mechanism in Sunfishes (Lepomis): An Experimental Analysis

1980 ◽  
Vol 88 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
GEORGE V. LAUDER
Keyword(s):  
Negative Pressure ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Mouth Opening ◽  
Positive Phase ◽  
Positive Pressure ◽  
Pressure Reduction ◽  
Hydrodynamic Models ◽  
Suction Feeding ◽  
Pressure Magnitude

The process of prey capture by inertial suction was studied in three species of sunfishes (Lepomis auritus, L. macrochirus, and L. gibbosus) by the simultaneous recording of buccal and opercular cavity pressures in order to test current hydrodynamic models of feeding in fishes. Synchronous high-speed films permitted the correlation of kinematic patterns of jaw bone movement with specific pressure waveforms. Opercular cavity pressures averaged onefifth buccal pressures and pressure magnitude was correlated with prey type. Peak buccal and opercular pressures were −650 cm H2O and −150 cm H2O respectively; peak rate of pressure change was −100 cm H2O/ms. Buccal pressure magnitude varied inversely with degree of predator satiation. Opercular pressure waveforms have an initial positive phase followed by a prolonged negative phase and then a final positive phase. The initial positive pressure may be absent during slow strikes at worms. Buccal pressure waveforms show considerable variability. The modal waveform consists of a sharp negative pressure pulse followed by a positive phase and finally by another pressure reduction. Delayed opercular abduction relative to mouth cavity compression correlates with the presence of a positive buccal phase. The second buccal negative pressure is the result of rapid mouth closing causing a pressure reduction (water hammer effect) as water flow continues posteriorly. These data indicate that (1) the buccal and opercular cavities are functionally separated by a gill curtain of high resistance, (2) that inertial effects of water are important in the description of the suction feeding process, (3) that a reverse flow of water (opercular to buccal cavity) may occur during the early phase of mouth opening prior to establishment of a buccal to opercular flow regime, and (4) current models of respiratory pressure and flow pattern cannot be applied to feeding. Current hydrodynamic models of suction feeding in fishes are re-evaluated in the light of this analysis.

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