02522nas a2200289   4500008004100000022002500041245007300066210006900139260001600208490000700224520164700231653001401878653002001892653002001912653002101932653003201953100002401985700002502009700002202034700002902056700002402085700002002109700002302129700001802152700002102170856004102191       2024                        eng d  a2045-7758, 2045-775800aTrophic ecology of the African riverine elephant fishes (Mormyridae)0 aTrophic ecology of the African riverine elephant fishes Mormyrid  cAug-01-20240 v143 a<p><jats p="">Multiple species of the elephant fishes (Mormyridae) commonly coexist in sympatry in most African tropical rivers and lakes. In this study, we investigated the trophic ecology and potential trophic niche partitioning of eleven mormyrid fish species from the Sanaga River system in Cameroon using the stable isotope composition of carbon and nitrogen in the muscle samples. Albeit most mormyrids mainly feed on invertebrates, we found differences in isotope ratios, and we report signs of the trophic niche partitioning among species. We further found significant differences in isotopic signatures within the <jats italic="">Mormyrus</jats> genus, suggesting ecological niche diversification among three closely related species. We have also evaluated differences in the isotopic signals between seasons in four species, which could be possibly caused by species migration and/or anthropogenic agricultural activities. To evaluate body shape, we applied geometric morphometric analyses, and we show that most of the species are clearly morphologically separated. We focused on the mormyrid ecomorphology to identify a possible interaction between shape and ecology, and we found a relationship between the &delta;<jats sup="">13</jats>C (but not &delta;<jats sup="">15</jats>N) isotopic signal and morphology, suggesting their interplay during mormyrid evolution. Overall, we present robust evidence of the trophic niche partitioning within the mormyrid species community, and we integrate trophic ecology with morphometrics, shedding light on the enigmatic evolutionary history of these fascinating African fishes.</jats></p>
10amormyrids10astable isotopes10atrophic ecology10atrophic position10atrophic resource portioning1 aSommer, Gina, Maria1 aNjom, Samuel, Didier1 aIndermaur, Adrian1 aNyom, Arnold, Roger Bitj1 aJandová, Kateřina1 aKukla, Jaroslav1 aPetrtýl, Miloslav1 aHorká, Petra1 aMusilova, Zuzana  uhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70173