Does Morphology Predict Ecology? Hypothesis Testing within a Freshwater Stream Fish Assemblage

• DOI: 10.2307/3545012
• Publication Date: 2006-11-16T18:10:13Z
• Authors: Michael E. Douglas; William J. Matthews
• Keywords: Mantel test; Canonical analysis; Taxonomic rank; Ecomorphology

in gut analyses; and (c) 34 head, fin, body measurements. Ecological data were arcsine transformed, while morphological converted first into common logarithms, then canonical variate scores from a sheared principal components analysis. A taxonomic matrix based on accepted phylogenetic relationships amongst species of the assemblage was also constructed. Microhabitat, trophic, morphological, matrices compared against one another using pair-wise Mantel tests, correlation analyses, three-way tests. In analyses across families, two-way tests revealed that taxonomy shape (based component scores) each significantly related to another, trophic matrix. Yet, comparisons indicated shapes constituent correlated only with taxonomy, not diet. To circumvent confounding effects largest family study (Cyprinidae, 8 represented) evaluated separately. The same performed as before, microhabitat, adjusted for numbers species. these morphology (represented by microhabitat matrix, no others. Previous field studies have cyprinids segregate along habitat rather than dimensions. Ecomorphological thus appear be valid assay structure within fish assemblages when limited within-family (where history less significant). When many different families are involved analysis, historical influences predominate.