Promoter: Joey Cabasan
​Co-promoter: Sam Van Wassenbergh
Subject: How do linear measurements and meristic characters vary among Lake Malawi cichlid species, and which traits are useful for distinguishing them?
Due to their high species diversity and often subtle morphological difference, distinguishing between Lake Malawi cichlid species can be challenging especially for closely related species. Traditional morphometric measurements and meristic counts, such as body proportions, fin ray numbers and scale counts, can provide useful characters for species identification and comparison. This project will examine morphological variation among Lake Malawi cichlids using linear measurements and meristic counts. The student will collect and compare these data across species to identify which morphological character are most useful for species, explore modularity, and explore broader patterns of morphological diversity.
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