Ecomorphological adaptation in three mudskippers (Teleostei: Gobioidei: Gobiidae) from the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman

We hypothesise that the body shapes of three mudskipper species (Boleophthalmus dussumieri, Periophthalmus waltoni, and Scartelaos tenuis) are ecomorphological adaptations to different epi- and infaunal habitats. We investigated: (i) the association between burrow density and selected ecological variables; (ii) the phylogenetic relationships among these species, based on two mtDNA and one nDNA markers; (iii) their geometric morphometrics and ancestral shape reconstructions, based on two-dimensional landmark configurations; and (iv) their body surface-to-volume ratios (SAV), based on a geometric model. Boleophthalmus dussumieri and S. tenuis are more closely related, and more elongated than P. waltoni; the body of S. tenuis also has a higher SAV, and its elongated shape appears to be a divergent trait. P. waltoni is found in a wide range of conditions, including vegetated habitats; B. dussumieri is associated with low-energy conditions and fine unvegetated deposits; and S. tenuis is asso...