Comparative analysis of oropharyngeal structures in ratfishes (Teleostei: Gadiformes: Macrouridae)

• Grant number: 24/19908-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: May 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology - Anatomy
• Principal Investigator: George Mendes Taliaferro Mattox
• Grantee: Lara Baddini Bicudo
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Humanas e Biológicas (CCHB). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Sorocaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The family Macrouridae has around 460 species, 29 of which have already been recorded in Brazilian waters. They are popularly known as grenadier fish or rat fish, and occur in all oceans, associated with continental slopes and elevations, seamounts and volcanic islands. In Brazil, they are not fished for economic purposes so they end up being discarded en masse, which causes the death of the majority caught by accident, causing an environmental problem. Furthermore, studies about the family are limited and there is a lack of understanding of their importance for the ecosystems they belong to. From this perspective, this research aims to increase data regarding the anatomy of three species, through the description of the skeleton, musculature and dentition for a greater understanding regarding the way they capture food, since these adaptations have allowed the great diversification of the family. To this end, the methodologie of Taylor and Van Dyke (1985) will be used to stain the specimens, using alizarin red for the bones and methylene blue for the cartilage. In addition to comparing species in order to establish relationships with the conditions that lead species to prey on the same and different organisms. In this way, we hope to increase basic information on the family in order to contribute to its understanding and conservation.