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The function of the caudal keel inPercina (Percidae)

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Unique to darters of the subgenusOdontopholis ofPercina andPercina (Imostoma)antesella is the development of a caudal keel in breeding males. The keel is a semicircular extension of the ventral surface of the caudal peduncle and anterior lower caudal fin. The reproductive behavior of species ofPercina implies an adaptive function related to the burial and fertilization of eggs. The caudal keel appears to serve as a plow-share which, in conjunction with an elongated anal fin, facilitates the transfer of sperm from the male's genital opening to eggs buried in the substrate by the female.

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  1. Illinois Natural History Survey, 61820, Champaign, IL, USA

    Lawrence M. Page & Mark H. Sabaj

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  1. Lawrence M. Page
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  2. Mark H. Sabaj
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Page, L.M., Sabaj, M.H. The function of the caudal keel inPercina (Percidae). Environ Biol Fish 40, 105–107 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00002185

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00002185

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