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The Thick-Lipped Haplochromine Cichlids of the Lake Edward System a Morphometric Revision

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The Thick-Lipped Haplochromine Cichlids of the Lake Edward System a Morphometric Revision FACULTY OF SCIENCE The thick-lipped haplochromine cichlids of the Lake Edward system A morphometric revision Nathan VRANKEN Promotor: Prof. Dr. Jos Snoeks Thesis presented in Ichthyology Department, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium fulfillment of the requirements Co-promotor: Dr. Maarten Van Steenberge for the degree of Master of Science Ichthyology Department, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium in Biology Academic year 2016 2017 © Copyright by KU Leuven Without written permission of the promotors and the authors it is forbidden to reproduce or adapt in any form or by any means any part of this publication. Requests for obtaining the right to reproduce or utilize parts of this publication should be addressed to KU Leuven, Faculteit Wetenschappen, Geel Huis, Kasteelpark Arenberg 11 bus 2100, 3001 Leuven (Heverlee), Telephone +32 16 32 14 01. A written permission of the promotor is also required to use the methods, products, schematics and programs described in this work for industrial or commercial use, and for submitting this publication in scientific contests. III Acknowledgements I want to express my sincere gratitude to my promotor, prof. dr. Jos Snoeks, and my co-promotor, dr. Maarten Van Steenberge for granting me the opportunity to work on this subject. Together with dr. Eva Decru, I want to thank them for all the guidance I have received. They have taught me to work on a large project in a semi-structured (which is a large improvement) and independent way. I was offered a deep knowledge and insights into the practical aspects of the morphological identification of haplochromine cichlids and ichthyological research in general. The work environment was a very encouraging one. This was not only due to the pies, pancake department, but mainly because of the pleasant people I got the chance to work with. I want to wish them all good luck in the continuation of the HIPE project and their future work. I want to thank my friends and family for supporting me throughout this year and coping with my cichlid talk. I also want to thank dr. Emmanuel Vreven for offering me rides to Leuven and for fixing my lamp multiple times. I am deeply indebted to coffee, without which, this thesis would not have been possible. IV Index ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................................... IV INDEX ...................................................................................................................................................... V SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................... VIII ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................................................................. IX General .......................................................................................................................................... IX Institutions ...................................................................................................................................... IX Measurements & meristics ............................................................................................................. X 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 CICHLIDAE .................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 Haplochromine cichlids ...................................................................................................... 1 1.1.2 The Lake Victoria superflock ............................................................................................. 3 1.2 EVOLUTION OF THE EAST AFRICAN CICHLIDS .................................................................................. 6 1.2.1 Evolutionary mechanisms .................................................................................................. 7 1.2.2 Adaptive radiation .............................................................................................................. 9 1.2.3 Convergent evolution ....................................................................................................... 10 1.2.4 Hypertrophication of the lips ............................................................................................ 11 1.3 LAKE EDWARD ............................................................................................................................ 12 1.3.1 Hydrology and climate ..................................................................................................... 12 1.3.2 Geography ....................................................................................................................... 14 1.3.3 Ichthyofauna .................................................................................................................... 14 1.3.4 The HIPE project.............................................................................................................. 15 1.4 AIM ............................................................................................................................................ 15 2 MATERIAL & METHODS ............................................................................................................. 17 2.1 MEASUREMENTS ......................................................................................................................... 17 2.1.1 Body measurements (fig. 10) ........................................................................................... 17 2.1.2 Head measurements (fig. 11) .......................................................................................... 19 2.1.3 Lower pharyngeal jaw measurements ............................................................................. 20 2.2 MERISTICS ................................................................................................................................. 21 2.2.1 Scale counts (fig. 12) ....................................................................................................... 21 2.2.2 Fin ray counts .................................................................................................................. 22 V 2.2.3 Gill raker counts ............................................................................................................... 22 2.2.4 Oral dentition .................................................................................................................... 22 2.2.5 Vertebra counts ................................................................................................................ 23 2.3 STOMACH CONTENT ANALYSES .................................................................................................... 23 2.4 DATA ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................................... 24 3 RESULTS ..................................................................................................................................... 26 3.1 PRELIMINARY STUDY ................................................................................................................... 26 3.2 IPOCHROMIS THE PAEDOPHAGES ............................................................................................. 27 3.2.1 Measurements ................................................................................................................. 29 3.2.2 Meristics ........................................................................................................................... 30 3.2.3 Stomach content analyses ............................................................................................... 32 3.2.4 Haplochromis taurinus ..................................................................................................... 32 3.2.5 .......................................................................................... 33 3.2.6 ......................................................................................... 34 3.2.7 .......................................................................................... 34 3.2.8 ........................................................................................... 36 3.2.9 Haplochromis occultidens ................................................................................................ 36 3.3 ARALABIDOCHROMIS THE INSECTIVORES.................................................................................. 36 3.3.1 Measurements ................................................................................................................. 38 3.3.2 Meristics ........................................................................................................................... 39 3.3.3 Haplochromis labiatus ..................................................................................................... 39 3.3.4 ............................................................................................... 40 3.3.5 The fleshy-lipped generalists ........................................................................................... 41 3.3.6 The generalists ................................................................................................................ 41 3.3.7 Haplochromis paucidens ................................................................................................
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