ORBi: Denoël Mathieu - Trophic habits and aquatic microhabitat use in gilled immature, paedomorphic and metamorphic Alpine newts (Triturus alpestris apuanus) in a pond in central Italy

Reference : Trophic habits and aquatic microhabitat use in gilled immature, paedomorphic and metamor...


	Document type :	Scientific journals : Article
	Discipline(s) :	Life sciences : Aquatic sciences & oceanology Life sciences : Environmental sciences & ecology Life sciences : Zoology
	To cite this reference:	http://hdl.handle.net/2268/3042

Title :	Trophic habits and aquatic microhabitat use in gilled immature, paedomorphic and metamorphic Alpine newts (Triturus alpestris apuanus) in a pond in central Italy
Language :	English
Author, co-author :	Denoël, Mathieu [Université de Liège - ULg > Département des sciences et gestion de l'environnement > Biologie du comportement - Ethologie et psychologie animale >]
	Andreone, F. [Museo di Scienze Naturali di Torino, Italy > > > >]
Publication date :	2003
Journal title :	Belgian Journal of Zoology
Publisher :	Societe Royale Zoologique De Belgique
Volume :	133
Issue/season :	2
Pages :	95-102
Peer reviewed :	Yes (verified by ORBi)
Audience :	International
ISSN :	0777-6276
City :	Diepenbeek
Country :	Belgique
Keywords :	[en] Facultative paedomorphosis ; Resource partitioning ; Habitat ; Diet ; Size-selective predation ; Vacant niches ; Feeding habits ; Density regulation ; Alpine newt ; Polyphenism ; Ichthyosaura alpestris ; Apennines ; Polymorphism ; Eggs ; Oophagy
	[fr] Mesotriton alpestris apuanus ; Triton alpestre ; Amphibien
	[en] Italy ; Amphibian ; Micro-habitat use ; Day and night sampling ; Sex differences ; Heterochrony ; Pond
Abstract :	[en] Current evolutionary models suggest that the presence of heterogeneous habitats favours the evolution of polymorphisms. In such cases, alternative phenotypes can coexist because they use different resources. Facultative paedomorphosis is a heterochronic polymorphism in which a morph - the paedomorph - retains larval traits during the adult stage while the other morph - the metamorph - is fully metamorphosed. The aim of this study was to determine the microhabitat use and the diet of Alpine newt paedomorphs, metamorphs and immatures (Triturus alpestris apuanus) coexisting in a small pond in Tuscany, central Italy, i.e. in a habitat where dimorphism is not expected. Although the two adult morphs do not use exactly the same resources, resource partitioning was weaker than in deep Alpine lakes. Nevertheless, the diet of immature gilled newts (larvae) differed from that of adults (metamorphs and paedomorphs). While the larvae eat a large number of planktonic organisms, the adults focus on insect larvae and newt eggs. The differences in resource use favour the coexistence of aquatic juveniles and adults. In the studied pond, facultative paedomorphosis was previously shown to be favoured by a precocious maturity of the paedomorphs. This study shows that the coexistence of paedomorphs and metamorphs may also be supported by some dietary and spatial segregation, although any advantages gained by this pattern are rather limited in the adult stage.
Funders :	FRIA ; Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (Communauté française de Belgique) - F.R.S.-FNRS
Target :	Researchers ; Professionals
Permalink :	http://hdl.handle.net/2268/3042
Other URL :	http://www.naturalsciences.be/institute/associations/rbzs_website/bjz/back/contents_133_2
Mentions required by the publisher for OA :	The full text is also available in open access on the Royal Belgian Zoological Society website (http://www.naturalsciences.be/institute/associations/rbzs_website/bjz)

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