| Grant number: | 18/19399-4 |
| Support type: | Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree |
| Effective date (Start): | December 01, 2018 |
| Effective date (End): | February 28, 2019 |
| Field of knowledge: | Biological Sciences - Zoology - Morphology of Recent Groups |
| Principal Investigator: | Aléssio Datovo da Silva |
| Grantee: | Paulo Presti Migliavacca |
| Supervisor abroad: | George David Johnson |
| Home Institution: | Museu de Zoologia (MZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil |
| Local de pesquisa : | Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, United States |
| Associated to the scholarship: | 17/16192-7 - Phylogenetic relations and evolution of the skeletal-muscle system of Polynemidae (Teleostei: Percomorphacea: Perciformes), BP.MS |
Abstract Polynemidae is a family of primarily marine fishes with eight genera and 41 extant species distributed throughout the globe. Some species can reach up to two meters long and have economic importance in specific regions where their abundance is higher. The phylogenetic allocation of polynemids within Percomorphacea is uncertain and their internal relationships have never been explicitly tested on either morphological or molecular grounds. Polynemid morphology and development are also largely unknown, with little osteological and no detailed ontogenetic information documented in the literature. Even more surprising is the lacking of data on the anatomy and evolution of the most extraordinary morphological feature of polynemids: their highly modified pectoral fins with elongated ventral rays that assume tactile functions. Ontogeny has proven to be a remarkable tool to unravel homologies, especially of intricate and enigmatic evolutionary novelties. The present project aims to study aspects of the development of the polynemid skeleton, elucidate the morphological changes involved in the formation of their specialized pectoral fins, and enrich the phylogenetic analysis of the Polynemidae with data from larval stages. | |