morphological

To evaluate evolutionary trends, the researchers applied phylogenetic comparative methods to assess phenotypic and lineage diversification, while disparity analyses quantified the extent of morphological variation across anglerfish clades and habitats.

"This is an indication of morphological changes caused by the virus, which can also be observed in other viral diseases," according to the researchers.

"Over several weeks, they not only reshaped their morphological features, but also had a completely different feeding behavior, typical of a cydippid larva."

Studies of sticklebacks, for example, have shown that different populations that moved from salt to freshwater consistently underwent the same morphological and physiological changes to organs such as their kidneys, with genetic changes to match.

In fact, the team's work has revealed that sabre-toothed species show faster rates of morphological evolution at the start of their evolutionary history than species with shorter canines.