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Using cone beam CT scans to reveal headfirst ingestion and possible prey manipulation tactics in sawsharks
Author(s) -
Burke Patrick J.,
Williamson Jane E.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/jfb.14692
Subject(s) - predation , biology , rostrum , ingestion , foraging , zoology , captivity , cone beam ct , orientation (vector space) , ecology , anatomy , computed tomography , radiology , geometry , mathematics , biochemistry , medicine , genus
Prey manipulation through headfirst ingestion is a common foraging tactic in predatory taxa. Sawsharks possess a toothed rostrum that is thought to assist in prey capture, but the process from prey contact to ingestion is unknown. This study provides evidence of headfirst ingestion and possible prey orientation in situ through the use of cone beam CT scans in the common sawshark ( Pristiophorus cirratus ). CT scans provide an efficient method for assessing ingestion and proposing plausible behavioural tactics for food manipulation in a species difficult to observe in the wild or maintain in captivity.