Four species were selected within the littoral of Tshegera Island, and include H. astatodon, H. olivaceus, H. crebridens and H. paucidens. These species, identified on basis of the SMRS, express their individuality most strongly with respect to dentition, breeding colours, normal habitat and preferred breeding territory. All four species are maternal mouthbrooders. This reproductive strategy is characterized by complete division of labour and polygamy. Breeding males compete for optimal territories and ready to spawn females. They are characterized by fast growth, large size and overall low condition factor. Females invest in few but large yolked ova and go through a fasting period while incubating the eggs. Females are generally characterized by slower growth, smaller size and higher condition factor when compared to males. In females the energy turnover during gonadal development and subsequent mouthbrooding is high, but the energy expenditure low. Mean fecundity varies between 25 and 36 eggs per brood and mean egg size between 2.6 and 2.7 rnrn. The right ovary, although small, is functional. Breeding of variable intensity goes on throughout the year. The main dry season corresponds to synchronized breeding. During the other months of the year species breed asynchronously. Both types of breeding are related to food availability for adults and offspring. The major breeding peak which starts in July coincides to improved body condition in both sexes. In similarity with the East African flocks, the Lake Kivu haplochromines display subdivision within the major trophic groups and invasion of the major lacustrine habitats. They are nevertheless morphologically and ecologically generalized. They tend to be plesiomorphic with low diversification within each trophic group, have a lake wide distribution (eurytopic) and incline to be altricial within their specialized reproductive guild. The evolutionary status of the Lake Kivu haplochromines may be explained by survival of members of an ancestral fauna in an isolated bay during the Recent volcanic events which destroyed life in the Main Basin. The Lake Kivu flock, therefore, is a relict and is believed not to have evolved within the confines of the present-day lake.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Cichlids are one of the most diverse groups of fishes in the world. The highest concentration of cichlids is found in Lake Malawi, where over 1500 species are recorded to occur, which are dominated by the haplochromine tribe. Several authors proposed that sexual selection has been a major contributor in the high rate of speciation of haplochromine cichlids. However, sexual selection alone may not be sufficient to fully explain high speciation rates among cichlids. Many closely related cichlids in Lake Malawi differ only in coloration, yet occur in sympatry. It is still not fully understood how they remain reproductively isolated. Previous studies suggest that visual cues are primarily used for reproductive isolation and species recognition. In the current study, visual, chemical and acoustic cues were investigated to observe how they may potentially influence species recognition and reproductive isolation between two closely related species, Metriaclima estherae and M. callainos, as well as between alternate colour morphs of M. estherae.

No description available.

Thesis (M.S.)--Worcester Polytechnic Institute. / Keywords: aggression; swimming performance; assessment. Includes bibliographical references (p. 36-39).

Science and medicine have progressed in unfathomable ways over the past century. Paradoxically, as our result of our advancements in medicine we live in a progressively aging society where the majority of people will have multiple morbidities associated with senescence. The World Health Organization estimates that nearly 100% of the population will suffer dental maladies, which left untreated compound with age. We hope to gain new biomedical insight applicable to the advancing field of dental regenerative therapeutics. This dissertation reveals new dental biology through studying the embryology, genetics and evolution of teeth across patterning, morphogenesis and regeneration. We exploit an innovative model, the Lake Malawi cichlid fishes, to study these processes in a natural system. Malawi cichlids have rapidly evolved diverse species-specific dentitions, ranging from hundreds to thousands of teeth that represent a rainbow of shapes and sizes, yet Malawi cichlid species has nearly identical genomes, offering us a powerful genetic system. Furthermore, unlike classic vertebrate models in embryology such as zebrafish, chicken or mice, cichlids have oral teeth and the ability to replace each tooth constantly throughout their lifetimes. In the first study, we break-down the process of whole de-novo tooth replacement in cichlids. We then explore the re-deployment of initiating gene pathways later in the morphogenesis of each replacement tooth (RT). In the second study we investigate the co-patterning of two placode derived oral organs, teeth and taste buds (TBs), and uncover new genes that may modulate their number and size. We subsequently discover a bipotency of progenitor tissue to form both organs and a later plasticity to trans-fate it through coordination of a Wnt-BMP- Hh genetic hierarchy. In the last study, we explore the stem cells that are responsible for the phenomenon of lifelong cichlid tooth replacement. We describe a common epithelium connected to TBs and rich in stem cells, with a newly discovered stem cell niche at the tip of the RT. We uncover the transcriptomes of both organs, and through differential gene expression informed manipulations, coerce dental cells to display TB characteristics. We hypothesize that TB stem cells may be used in dental therapeutics.

All animals must integrate internal and environmental information into an appropriate behavior that ultimately aims to increases fitness. In order to investigate the proximate and ultimate mechanisms underlying adaptive behavior, I examined the role of neuroendocrine molecules at three distinct levels of biological organization. At the level of the individual, I demonstrate that steroid hormone receptors play distinct roles in modulating adaptive behavior, physiology and brain gene expression in dominant and subordinate African cichlid fish. At the level of the social community, I investigate how the behavior and physiology of one individual can affect the behavior, physiology, and brain gene expression of other community members. I found striking covariance patterns that implicate identifiable neuroendocrine pathways as mediators of specific social signals, establishing an important model to investigate the molecular basis of how behavioral phenotypes spread through communities. Finally, I investigate how the neurochemistry of the five major vertebrate classes has changed in a way that covaries with sensory integration, life history, and mating strategy. To address this question, I have laid an important theoretical framework to study the evolution of behavior as well as establishing neuroanatomical brain homologies across vertebrate lineages. I show that variation in where neurochemicals (dopamine, steroids, neuropeptides) are produced in the brain varies across vertebrates while where signals are received (ie receptors) are conserved, providing a novel theory of social brain evolution. In summary, I use a multidisciplinary approach to study hormonal contributions to the proximate and ultimate mechanisms of social behavior on many levels of biological organization and have contributed important novel insights that have significantly increased our understanding of the evolution of behavior and its neural and molecular underpinnings. / text

A new genus and five new species of fossil cichlid fishes (Perciformes: Labroidei) are described from Mahenge, Tanzania. These cichlids represent the oldest confirmed fossils of the family, dating from the middle of the Eocene. The specimens share many lepidological characters, and, from comparison with other members of the family, are identified as being a monophyletic group. Therefore, they are described as belonging to a single genus, Mahengechromis gen. nov., named for the type locality. Detailed anatomical study of the well-preserved specimens allows five species to be identified, M. plethos, M. rotundus, M. brachycranium , M. ellipticus, and M. curvifrons spp. nov. These species are distinguished on the basis of osteological characters, including the shape of the frontal bones, hyomandibulae and opercular bones. The species are believed to be endemic to the type locality, which, along with monophyly of the species, indicates that these fishes formed a species flock. This suggests that the capacity for cichlids to form species flocks arose early in the family's history. / Previously published phylogenetic analyses of the family Cichlidae have included few characters that can be used to incorporate fossil material. Osteological features that may be useful for determining relationships are identified and used in a phylogenetic analysis of the family. The results of this analysis are compared with the results of previous analyses to determine the usefulness of the characters. This comparison indicates that most osteological characters are homoplastic among cichlids, although some of the characters may prove to be phylogenetically useful. Although phylogenetic analysis of osteologic characters does not result in a well-resolved phylogeny, the most parsimonious placement of the fossil cichlids from Mahenge is in a relatively basal position among the African lineages, as the sister group to the hemichromine cichlids from West Africa. / The biogeographic relationships of members of the Cichlidae are examined based on information from the fossil record and the interrelationships of the lineages within the family. Two suggestions have been made for the age of the family; either the cichlids originated in the Early Cretaceous or they evolved near the end of the Mesozoic. The later time of origin would have required a trans-Atlantic dispersal. Based on the distribution of Recent and fossil cichlids, the latter hypothesis is accepted. A reconstruction of the dispersal patterns and possible means of dispersal are evaluated.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Lehigh University, 2004. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 75-84).

No description available.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-07-13T12:10:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2014-12-16. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-07-13T12:25:19Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000836384.pdf: 412403 bytes, checksum: 5c3371fcf3a2491bbc23d94ad1d0711f (MD5) / O tom avermelhado de alguns peixes age como um fator distintivo em relação ao pescado convencional de carne branca, agregando valor e propiciando o surgimento de um novo produto. Por esse motivo, o estudo de fontes pigmentantes para utilização em dietas de peixes de importância econômica é assunto de considerável interesse para a aquicultura e a indústria de alimentos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de diferentes fontes de carotenoides adicionados à ração de tilápias sobre o desempenho zootécnico e as características de qualidade dos filés. Novecentas e sessenta tilápias (Oreochromis niloticus) pesando entre 10 - 30 g foram distribuidas em 24 tanques e, após um período de adaptação, receberam as rações experimentais durante 80 dias. Os tratamentos foram constituídos de um grupo controle, correspondente a uma dieta basal sem aditivos pigmentantes, um grupo contendo astaxantina e quatro grupos contendo diferentes concentrações da biomassa de Rubrivivax gelatinosus como aditivo pigmentante. As variáveis analisadas incluíram consumo de ração, ganho de peso e conversão alimentar aparente das tilápias e pH, composição centesimal, concentração de carotenoides e cor dos filés. Os índices zootécnicos não diferiram estatisticamente, indicando que o uso dos pigmentantes não causou prejuízo ao desempenho produtivo. Os teores de umidade dos grupos que receberam pigmentantes foram inferiores aos encontrados nos filés do grupo controle, sendo este resultado relevante para a estabilidade microbiológica. O teor proteico dos filés dos grupos suplementados com biomassa bacteriana foi superior ao do grupo controle e os valores de pH, cinzas e lipídeos não variaram entre os tratamentos. A luminosidade e a intensidade de amarelo dos filés não diferiram entre os grupos e todos os tratamentos contendo pigmentantes provocaram aumento na intensidade...(Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / The reddish hue of some fish acts as a distinctive factor from traditional white flesh, adding value to the product and providing a new product to consumer market. Because of that, the investigation on pigmenting sources for the diets of fish with economic importance is a matter of great interest for aquaculture and food industry. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of different carotenoids sources in tilapia fish diets on animals' performance and fillets characteristics. Nine hundred sixty tilapias (Oreochromis niloticus) weighing 10 - 30 g were distributed in 24 tanks and, after an adaptation time, they received the experimental diets for 80 days. Treatments consisted of one control group receiving a basal diet with no pigment, one group receiving asthaxanthin and four groups receiving different concentrations of Rubrivivax gelatinosus biomass as the pigmenting ingredient. Variables analyzed included feed consumption, weight gain and feed conversion for the animals and pH, proximate composition, carotenoids content and color for the fillets. Productive parameters did not differ statistically, showing that the use of the pigments did not cause any damage to animals' performance. Moisture contents of the fillets from the groups that received pigments were lower than those in the fillets from control group, what represents an important factor for the product conservation. The protein contents of the fillets from diets supplemented with the bacterial biomass were higher than those in control group while pH, ash and lipids did not vary among treatments. Lightness and yellowness did not differ among the groups but redness and carotenoids contents were higher for the fillets from all groups that received the pigments than for the control group. So, it can be concluded that the use of the pigmenting ingredients did not alter productive parameters but increased...(Complete abstract eletronic access below)