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Geographic and seasonal variation analysis of digestive morphology in the catfish Iheringichthys labrosus along lower Río Uruguay
Authors D'Anatro A, Vidal N, González-Bergonzoni I, de Mello FT, Tana J, Naya DE
Received 25 April 2013
Accepted for publication 12 June 2013
Published 13 August 2013 Volume 2013:5 Pages 9—13
DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/OAAP.S47193
Checked for plagiarism Yes
Review by Single anonymous peer review
Peer reviewer comments 3
Alejandro D'Anatro,1 Nicolás Vidal,2–4 Iván González-Bergonzoni,2–4 Franco Teixeira de Mello,4 Jukka Tana,5 Daniel E Naya1
1Departamento de Ecología y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay; 2Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Silkeborg, Denmark; 3Sino-Danish Centre for Education and Research (SDC), Beijing, People's Republic of China; 4Grupo de Ecología y Rehabilitación de Sistemas Acuáticos, Departamento de Ecología y Evolución, CURE-Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Maldonado, Uruguay; 5ÅF-Consult Ltd, Environmental Consulting, Espoo, Finland
Abstract: The study of geographic variation of individual traits is an important component of evolutionary research, in that individual morphological features can be subjected to multiple selective pressures. The present work is aimed to analyze the geographic and seasonal variation in several digestive traits in Iheringichthys labrosus along three localities in the lower Río Uruguay. Statistically significant differences among locations and between seasons were found for all the variables assessed, the most noticeable of differences being observed were intestinal length, intestine weight, and liver weight. In part, these differences could be an adaptive response to changes in food availability and/or in the energetic costs of reproduction. Results obtained herein also suggest that individuals of this species spend enough time in each locality as to show a consistent response to local conditions in their digestive traits morphology.
Keywords: Iheringichthys labrosus, physiological flexibility, Río Uruguay
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