Ecomorphology off a predatory strong-sea fish members of the family: does trophic expertise drive hyperspeciation?
A couple of fundamental people regarding speciation certainly aquatic vertebrates try bodily isolation (e.g., lakes and you can channels) and you may small-niche supply (age.grams., tropical reefs). In both relation, the fresh mesopelagic website name of your discover water, World's second biggest collective ecosystem (at the rear of only the bathypelagic website name), would appear retardant. Water movement makes isolation unusual into both latest and you can geological big date/room scales, as well as the insufficient substrate precludes secure micro-niches. Paradoxically, certain pelagic taxa have demostrated a lot higher-than-questioned species fullness for the local balances. A prime example is the dragonfish members of the family Stomiidae, more speciose group of mesopelagic fishes, owing mostly towards subfamily Melanostomiinae (scaleless black dragonfishes), and therefore adds 222 of one's 320 discussed species. Within this genera, types is actually classified nearly exclusively by form of jugular-arranged, bioluminescent barbel, a routine putatively linked to eating (through sufferer luring).