scholarly journals Role of axial muscles in powering mouth expansion during suction feeding in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)

2013 ◽  
Vol 217 (8) ◽  
pp. 1333-1345 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. L. Camp ◽  
E. L. Brainerd
Keyword(s):  
Largemouth Bass ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
Suction Feeding ◽  
Axial Muscles

scholarly journals Fishes can use axial muscles as anchors or motors for powerful suction feeding

2020 ◽  
Vol 223 (18) ◽  
pp. jeb225649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariel L. Camp ◽  
Aaron M. Olsen ◽  
L. Patricia Hernandez ◽  
Elizabeth L. Brainerd
Keyword(s):  
Ictalurus Punctatus ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
The Body ◽  
Pectoral Girdle ◽  
Suction Feeding ◽  
Axial Muscles ◽  
X Ray Imaging ◽  
Oral Pressure ◽  
Volume Measurements ◽  
Epaxial Muscles

ABSTRACTSome fishes rely on large regions of the dorsal (epaxial) and ventral (hypaxial) body muscles to power suction feeding. Epaxial and hypaxial muscles are known to act as motors, powering rapid mouth expansion by shortening to elevate the neurocranium and retract the pectoral girdle, respectively. However, some species, like catfishes, use little cranial elevation. Are these fishes instead using the epaxial muscles to forcefully anchor the head, and if so, are they limited to lower-power strikes? We used X-ray imaging to measure epaxial and hypaxial length dynamics (fluoromicrometry) and associated skeletal motions (XROMM) during 24 suction feeding strikes from three channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). We also estimated the power required for suction feeding from oral pressure and dynamic endocast volume measurements. Cranial elevation relative to the body was small (<5 deg) and the epaxial muscles did not shorten during peak expansion power. In contrast, the hypaxial muscles consistently shortened by 4–8% to rotate the pectoral girdle 6–11 deg relative to the body. Despite only the hypaxial muscles generating power, catfish strikes were similar in power to those of other species, such as largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), that use epaxial and hypaxial muscles to power mouth expansion. These results show that the epaxial muscles are not used as motors in catfish, but suggest they position and stabilize the cranium while the hypaxial muscles power mouth expansion ventrally. Thus, axial muscles can serve fundamentally different mechanical roles in generating and controlling cranial motion during suction feeding in fishes.

scholarly journals Dual function of epaxial musculature for swimming and suction feeding in largemouth bass

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1919) ◽  
pp. 20192631 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yordano E. Jimenez ◽  
Elizabeth L. Brainerd
Keyword(s):  
Largemouth Bass ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
The Body ◽  
Muscle Performance ◽  
Emg Activity ◽  
Dual Function ◽  
Suction Feeding ◽  
Live Prey ◽  
Regional Specialization ◽  
Axial Musculature

The axial musculature of many fishes generates the power for both swimming and suction feeding. In the case of the epaxial musculature, unilateral activation bends the body laterally for swimming, and bilateral activation bends the body dorsally to elevate the neurocranium for suction feeding. But how does a single muscle group effectively power these two distinct behaviours? Prior electromyographic (EMG) studies have identified fishes' ability to activate dorsal and ventral epaxial regions independently, but no studies have directly compared the intensity and spatial activation patterns between swimming and feeding. We measured EMG activity throughout the epaxial musculature during swimming (turning, sprinting, and fast-starts) and suction feeding (goldfish and pellet strikes) in largemouth bass ( Micropterus salmoides ). We found that swimming involved obligate activation of ventral epaxial regions whereas suction feeding involved obligate activation of dorsal epaxial regions, suggesting regional specialization of the epaxial musculature. However, during fast-starts and suction feeding on live prey, bass routinely activated the whole epaxial musculature, demonstrating the dual function of this musculature in the highest performance behaviours. Activation intensities in suction feeding were substantially lower than fast-starts which, in conjunction with suboptimal shortening velocities, suggests that bass maximize axial muscle performance during locomotion and underuse it for suction feeding.

scholarly journals Swimming muscles power suction feeding in largemouth bass

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (28) ◽  
pp. 8690-8695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariel L. Camp ◽  
Thomas J. Roberts ◽  
Elizabeth L. Brainerd
Keyword(s):  
Largemouth Bass ◽  
Muscle Power ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Suction Feeding ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
Axial Muscles ◽  
Large Size ◽  
Aquatic Vertebrates ◽  
Intraoral Pressure

Most aquatic vertebrates use suction to capture food, relying on rapid expansion of the mouth cavity to accelerate water and food into the mouth. In ray-finned fishes, mouth expansion is both fast and forceful, and therefore requires considerable power. However, the cranial muscles of these fishes are relatively small and may not be able to produce enough power for suction expansion. The axial swimming muscles of these fishes also attach to the feeding apparatus and have the potential to generate mouth expansion. Because of their large size, these axial muscles could contribute substantial power to suction feeding. To determine whether suction feeding is powered primarily by axial muscles, we measured the power required for suction expansion in largemouth bass and compared it to the power capacities of the axial and cranial muscles. Using X-ray reconstruction of moving morphology (XROMM), we generated 3D animations of the mouth skeleton and created a dynamic digital endocast to measure the rate of mouth volume expansion. This time-resolved expansion rate was combined with intraoral pressure recordings to calculate the instantaneous power required for suction feeding. Peak expansion powers for all but the weakest strikes far exceeded the maximum power capacity of the cranial muscles. The axial muscles did not merely contribute but were the primary source of suction expansion power and generated up to 95% of peak expansion power. The recruitment of axial muscle power may have been crucial for the evolution of high-power suction feeding in ray-finned fishes.

scholarly journals Overwinter growth and survival of age-0 largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides): revisiting the role of body size

1998 ◽  
Vol 55 (11) ◽  
pp. 2414-2424 ◽  
Author(s):  
James E Garvey ◽  
Russell A Wright ◽  
Roy A Stein
Keyword(s):  
Largemouth Bass ◽  
Energy Content ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Large Size ◽  
Predation Intensity ◽  
Energetic Condition ◽  
Wet Weight ◽  
Summer Growth

How large size affects overwinter growth and survival of age-0 fish may vary as a function of food, predation, and energetic condition. During two winters in Ohio, we assessed how these factors affected growth and survival of varying sizes of age-0 largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) by combining a field survey (N = 2 reservoirs) with multiscale experiments (reservoirs, ponds, outdoor pools). In our survey, more small (< 100 mm total length) individuals died by spring in one reservoir than in the other. Similarly, when we stocked two reservoirs with marked age-0 largemouth bass in fall, mortality of small individuals was higher in one system overwinter, potentially due to differences in predation intensity. In ponds during two winters, size-selective mortality of small largemouth bass occurred in only two of eight ponds, potentially as a function of cannibalism. Varying ration in pools (starved, 0.5× maintenance, or 1.5× maintenance) did not affect survival, even though starved individuals lost substantial wet weight and energy content. Only when predators were present did small individuals die at high rates, although energy depletion may have contributed to predatory mortality. To increase the probability of overwinter survival, managers should seek to improve first-summer growth, reduce winter predation, and increase winter forage.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document