Food switching by two specialized algae-scraping cichlid fishes in Lake Malawi, Africa
- 1 February 1983
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Nature in Oecologia
- Vol. 56 (2-3), 245-248
- https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00379697
Abstract
Two cichlid species morphological specialized for scraping algae were observed in Lake Malawi also to feed extensively upon zooplankton, phytoplankton, detritus, fish fry and fish eggs. These field observations confirm laboratory studies that cichlids are facultative in their feeding repertoire. Such an ability contributes to the success of the family Cichlidae. We hypothesize that the morphological specializations become critically important when food resources are low and effective cropping is required.This publication has 8 references indexed in Scilit:
- A field and laboratory study of the behaviour and ecology of Pseudotropheus zebra (Boulenger), an endemic cichlid of Lake Malawi (Pisces; Cichlidae)M1Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research, 2009
- Field observation on death feigning: a unique hunting behavior by the predatory cichlid, Haplochromis livingstoni, of Lake MalawiEnvironmental Biology of Fishes, 1981
- Specialization: Species Property or Local Phenomenon?Science, 1981
- Adaptive Significance of Intra- and Interspecific Differences in the Feeding Repertoires of Cichlid FishesAmerican Zoologist, 1980
- Modulatory multiplicity in the functional repertoire of the feeding mechanism in cichlid fishes. I. PiscivoresJournal of Morphology, 1978
- Ecological Inferences From Morphological DataAnnual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 1973
- THE TROPHIC INTERRELATIONSHIPS AND ECOLOGY OF SOME LITTORAL COMMUNITIES OF LAKE NYASA WITH ESPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE FISHES, AND A DISCUSSION OF THE EVOLUTION OF A GROUP OF ROCK‐FREQUENTING CICHLIDAEJournal of Zoology, 1959
- 36. The Cichlid Fishes of Lake Nyassa.Journal of Zoology, 1921