Cyprinodon brontotheroides

Cyprinodon brontotheroides
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cyprinodontiformes
Family: Cyprinodontidae
Genus: Cyprinodon
Species: C. brontotheroides
Binomial name
Cyprinodon brontotheroides
C. H. Martin & Wainwright, 2013

Cyprinodon brontotheroides is a species of fish in the Cyprinodon genus. It is endemic to hypersaline interior lakes on San Salvador Island, Bahamas. It coexists alongside two other closely related Cyprinodon species C. desquamator and C. variegatus. Together, these three species represent a recent adaptive radiation, each having moved into a difference niche within their specialized environment. Each of these species are defined by distinct trophic adaptations that have affected various aspects of functional morphology.[1]

Cyprinodon brontotheroides has a large in-lever to out-lever ratio for closing its lower jaw with force and a protruding, reinforced nasal region probably used for crushing its specialized diet of ostracods and gastropods.[2]

References

  1. Martin, Christoper (11 January 2013). "Multiple Fitness Peaks on the Adaptive Landscape Drive Adaptive Radiation in the Wild". Science. 339 (6116): 208–211. doi:10.1126/science.1227710.
  2. Martin, Christopher. "Trophic novelty is linked to exceptional rates of morphological diversification in two adaptive radiations of Cyprinodon pupfish". Evolution.
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