A histochemical study of the lateral muscles of five teleost species

Abstract

A qualitative histochemical study has been made of the myotomal muscles of five teleost fish (glass fish, Chanda raaga; carp, Curassius carussius; coalfish, Gadus vivens; black mollie, Molliensia sp. and grey mullet, Mugil cephalus). Three or four main fibre types were distinguished in these species on the basis of the distribution and relative activities of glycogen, lipid, aglycerophosphate dehydrogenase, phosphorylase, and succinic dehydrogenase. The so-called red and white fibre types were found to have similar histochemical properties to previously investigated species. All the species studied, with the exception of the glass fish, C/zandu runga, were found to have one or two types of pink fibre situated between the red and white fibre regions. In the carp, coalfish and mullet, the pink fibres were found to be composed of small and large diameter fibres which were similar to red and white fibres respectively, except for their staining for succinic dehydrogenase. Considerable differences were found in the relative amounts of pink muscles between species. Minor fibre components were found in several species. These consisted of very small diameter fibres which did not stain well with any of the histochemical procedures used. It is suggested that these fibres represent areas of continuing muscle growth. The results obtained are discussed in relation to the division of labour between myotomal muscles during swimming.

Mechanisms of Fish Sound Production

“…Skeletal muscles are usually divided into three broad types: slow oxidative (SO), fast oxidative glycolytic (FOG) and fast glycolytic (FG), which is more meaningful than the classic division of red or white muscles (Johnston et al 1974;Patterson et al 1975;Korneliussen et al 1978;Hamoir and Focant 1981;Meyer-Rochow et al 1994;Devincenti et al 2000). SO muscles (red or Type I histochemically) have slow-type ATPase (acid stable), abundant mitochondria, and high activity of oxidative enzymes such as succinic dehydrogenase.…”

Histoenzymological and ultrastructural changes in lateral muscle fibers of Oreochromis niloticus (Teleostei: Cichlidae) after local injection of veratrine

“…The intermediate layer of pink muscle located between the red and white muscles contains large and small diameter fibers (Mascarello et al 1986). These fibers have oxidative, glycolytic, and oxidative-glycolytic activities as shown by the NADH-TR reaction (Ogata and Mori 1964;Patterson et al 1975;Mascarello et al 1986;Kilarski 1990). They also have stable m-ATPase activity after acidic or alkaline preincubations (indicating reversibility of staining at each pH) and have distinct forms of myosin based on immunohistochemistry (Mascarello et al 1986).…”

Ultrastructural and morphometric studies on the axial muscles of the Grey mulletMugil cephalusL. (Pisces Perciformes)

“…In addition, the white muscle fibres of the grey mullet seem to have the cytological features, and probably also the enzymatic equipment (Patterson et al, 1975;Kryvi and Totland, 1977;Mosse and Hudson, 1977), required for a prevailingly glucide-supported anaerobic metabolism that can satisfy the perhaps intense but short -lasting energy requirements; in contrast, the red fibres have a glucidelipid supported aerobic metabolism to meet the long-lasting energy requirements (Kryvi, 1977). I n other words, white and red fibers seem to be specialized for a role in short rapid bursts of speed and in slow sustained swimming, respectively (Kryvi, 1977;Mosse and Hudson, 1977).…”

“…I n fact, these fibre types do not differ in their ultrastructure (Franzini-Armstrong and Porter, 1964; Bishop and Odense, 1967;Kilarski, 1967;Nag, 1972); on the contrary, they differ in their histo-biochemical (Patterson et al, 1975; Kryvi and Totland, 19771, physiologicd (Johnston et al, 1977;Mosse and Huson, 1977) and morphomctric (Patterson and Goldspink, 1972; Kryvi, 1977) characteristics. I n any case, this difference is not enough to clarify their role in swimming locomotion.…”