Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus and White Crappie Pomoxis annularis have contrasting patterns of performance along a gradient of turbidity for reasons that have yet to be elucidated. We examined how distinct, habitat‐linked morphologies of these congeners make Black Crappie more specialized for structurally complex vegetation and White Crappie more specialized for open‐water habitats and tested how these interspecific differences during early life influence their vulnerability to predation within open‐water and vegetated habitats. Juvenile Black Crappie had deeper bodies with a short, deep caudal peduncle, and juvenile White Crappie had more fusiform bodies with an elongated caudal peduncle. These morphological differences had important consequences for predator evasiveness in each habitat, where Black Crappie were more successful at evading capture in vegetation and White Crappie were more successful at evading capture in open water. Because turbid lakes rarely support vegetation and clear lakes are heavily vegetated, our results suggest that differential success observed between these congeners may be better explained by adaptations to structural habitat complexity rather than tolerance to turbidity. Our study supports that habitat‐linked morphological variation is critically important for predator evasiveness and can structure populations across species distributions.

中文翻译：

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人居相关形态学解释同胞孢子菌种类的差异表现。

黑色的Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus和White Crappie Pomoxis圆环由于尚未阐明的原因，在浑浊度梯度上具有相反的性能模式。我们研究了这些同类物与生境相关的独特形态如何使Black Crappie更适合于结构复杂的植被，而White Crappie更适合于开阔水域的生境，并测试了这些种间差异在早期生活中如何影响其在开阔水域中捕食的脆弱性。植被栖息地。少年黑薄饼具有较深的身体，带有短而深的尾柄，而少年白薄饼具有更多的梭状体，带有细长的尾柄。这些形态上的差异对每个生境中的捕食者回避行为都有重要影响，其中Black Crappie在逃避植被捕获方面更成功，White Crappie在逃避开放水域捕获方面更成功。由于混浊的湖泊很少支持植被，而清澈的湖泊植被茂盛，因此我们的结果表明，通过适应结构性栖息地的复杂性而不是对混浊的耐受性，可以更好地解释这些同类物之间的成功差异。我们的研究支持与生境相关的形态变化对于捕食者的回避至关重要，并且可以构成跨物种分布的种群。我们的结果表明，通过适应结构性栖息地的复杂性而不是对浊度的耐受性，可以更好地解释这些同源物之间观察到的成功差异。我们的研究支持与生境相关的形态变化对于捕食者的回避至关重要，并且可以构成跨物种分布的种群。我们的结果表明，通过适应结构性栖息地的复杂性而不是对浊度的耐受性，可以更好地解释这些同源物之间观察到的成功差异。我们的研究支持与生境相关的形态变化对于捕食者的回避至关重要，并且可以构成跨物种分布的种群。