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<p>Anthropogenic pressures such as overfishing and habitat degradation are driving global marine ecosystem restructuring. The anatomical structure and corresponding functions of fish could regulate the population dynamic fluctuations, especially for species with exceptional adaptive plasticity. The Bombay duck (<i>Harpadon nehereus</i>), a mesopelagic-derived predator, has recently undergone explosive population growth in the East China Sea, displacing declining high-trophic-level fisheries. Using integrative anatomical, histological, and biomechanical approaches, we reveal how this species’ unique morphological and physiological adaptations underpin its ecological success. Osteological analyses demonstrate a decoupled craniovertebral system—marked by maxillary loss, elongated lower jaws, and cartilaginous occipital-vertebral junctions—enabling extreme gape angles for prey capture. Hydrostatic stability via reduced ossification and muscle membrane adaptations facilitates vertical migration from water surface to the deep sea. Polynucleated muscle cells enhance metabolic resilience to hypoxia, while proliferative lymphoid progenitor cells in hepatic, splenic, and renal tissues suggest heightened immune capacity. A biomechanical model of jaw adduction reveals that upper jaw involvement in loosejaw species improves closure efficiency by 30%, optimizing rapid prey engulfment. These innovations collectively position&#xa0;<i>H. nehereus&#xa0;</i>as a paradigm of ecological opportunism in anthropogenically altered seas, with implications for predicting trophic shifts under climate change.</p>

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Bombay duck’s triumph: decoding morphological, physiological, and biomechanical adaptations

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年12月12日

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  • Bin Kang,
  • Yang Yan,
  • Huan Zhang

摘要

Anthropogenic pressures such as overfishing and habitat degradation are driving global marine ecosystem restructuring. The anatomical structure and corresponding functions of fish could regulate the population dynamic fluctuations, especially for species with exceptional adaptive plasticity. The Bombay duck (Harpadon nehereus), a mesopelagic-derived predator, has recently undergone explosive population growth in the East China Sea, displacing declining high-trophic-level fisheries. Using integrative anatomical, histological, and biomechanical approaches, we reveal how this species’ unique morphological and physiological adaptations underpin its ecological success. Osteological analyses demonstrate a decoupled craniovertebral system—marked by maxillary loss, elongated lower jaws, and cartilaginous occipital-vertebral junctions—enabling extreme gape angles for prey capture. Hydrostatic stability via reduced ossification and muscle membrane adaptations facilitates vertical migration from water surface to the deep sea. Polynucleated muscle cells enhance metabolic resilience to hypoxia, while proliferative lymphoid progenitor cells in hepatic, splenic, and renal tissues suggest heightened immune capacity. A biomechanical model of jaw adduction reveals that upper jaw involvement in loosejaw species improves closure efficiency by 30%, optimizing rapid prey engulfment. These innovations collectively position H. nehereus as a paradigm of ecological opportunism in anthropogenically altered seas, with implications for predicting trophic shifts under climate change.