Bite and Suction Forces of the Adductor Muscle in Four Sculpin Species

Abstract

To prevent constant competition across species, different species may develop different morphologies to increase their ability to attain a certain food source within a niche. By dissecting the adductor muscle and taking measurements in four sculpin species we can begin to assess how their feeding styles and niches influence their jaw morphology. Many parts of the jaw, such as the mandible, grow with the individual size of the organism, contributing to an ability to consume bigger prey. The advantages of more bite force for crushing harder prey, such as in Enophrys bison, are compared to the advantages of higher velocity and fluid flow in the buccal cavity, such as in the suction using Myoxocephalus polyacanthocephalus. We also found that bigger adductor muscles does not actually lead to larger gape angles, but in fact decreases the maximum gape angles.