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July 29, 2026Journal of Experimental BiologyOpen Access

Experimental evidence for a suction-biting performance tradeoff in mesoamerican cichlids

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Authors

KRKent RussellPWPeter C. Wainwright

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Overview

Experimental examination reveals a tradeoff between suction and biting efficiency in cichlids, indicating functional diversity.

Key Points

  • The study aims to test for a performance tradeoff between suction feeding and biting in cichlids.
  • Measured suction- and biting-based feeding performance across ten cichlid species.
  • Analyzed morphological features of the oral jaws related to feeding performance.
  • Conducted benthic feeding trials to assess biting rates.
  • Found an inverse relationship between suction-based and biting-based feeding performance across species.
  • Larger jaw gape and greater protrusion correlated with better suction feeding but decreased biting efficiency.
  • Observed a five-fold range in biting rates during feeding trials.

Cite This Study

Russell et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a69a2c7c8da07d9defa6ab1https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.252347
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