TY - JOUR
T1 - Biology of the molluscivorous fish trematocranus placodon (pisces: Cichlidae) from lake malaŵi
AU - Madsen, H.
AU - Kamanga, K. C.J.
AU - Stauffer, J. R.
AU - Likongwe, J.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2010/9
Y1 - 2010/9
N2 - Tramatocranus placodon is a facultative molluscivore endemic to the Lake Malaŵi catchment basin, Malaŵi, Africa. T. placodon feeds on both Bulinus nyassanus, which is a host of human urinary schistosomes, and Melanoides spp. in the open waters of Lake Malaŵi. We found that there was a dietary shift from insects and small snails to larger snails as the fish grew, and this correlated with the development of the lower pharyngeal bone, which is instrumental in crushing snails. There was also an increase of the proportion B. nyassanus in the diet just before the onset of spawning.
AB - Tramatocranus placodon is a facultative molluscivore endemic to the Lake Malaŵi catchment basin, Malaŵi, Africa. T. placodon feeds on both Bulinus nyassanus, which is a host of human urinary schistosomes, and Melanoides spp. in the open waters of Lake Malaŵi. We found that there was a dietary shift from insects and small snails to larger snails as the fish grew, and this correlated with the development of the lower pharyngeal bone, which is instrumental in crushing snails. There was also an increase of the proportion B. nyassanus in the diet just before the onset of spawning.
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U2 - 10.1080/02705060.2010.9664388
DO - 10.1080/02705060.2010.9664388
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:77956013236
SN - 0270-5060
VL - 25
SP - 449
EP - 455
JO - Journal of Freshwater Ecology
JF - Journal of Freshwater Ecology
IS - 3
ER -