Lecture4.

Musculature
Aswithosteology
As
with osteology headmusculaturewillbecovered
head musculature will be covered
laterwiththejaws
Muscles arranged in blocks called myotomes comprised
Musclesarrangedinblockscalledmyotomes,comprised
ofmyomeres andarrangedinbundles.Separatedby
myosepta

DifferencesbetweenGroups
Agnathans (hagfishandLampreys)
(hagfish and Lampreys)
Simplestriatedmuscles
Simple
striated muscles
Wshapedmyomeres
Uniformlysegmental
if
l
l

Chondricthyes
Ch
Chondricthyes
d i th
numberof
b
f
myotubes fixed.Growth
occursindiameterand
i di
t
d
length.>13cminbasking
sharks.
h k

Bonyfish
Have
Haveadualmotorsystem
a dual motor system
Vshapedmyomeres withnewmyomeres added
posteriorly
t i l
Athatchingbodyhasasheathofredmuscle
surroundingwhitemuscle
Laterconcentratesonflank
#increasethroughoutlife

BasicstructureofActinopterygii
(ray finned fishes) muscles
(rayfinnedfishes)muscles
Outer=red
Inner=white
Inner = white
M
Musclefibresrunparallel
l fib
ll l
tomidline
Myotomes separatedby
myosepta

Overviewofdifferentmuscletypes
p
f
andcomparisonofredandwhitemuscles

Capillary bed
Fibre density
Myoglobin
Glycogen
Muscle mass
Metabolic emphasis
Rate of fatigue
Muscle performance
Swimming type
Car analogue

Red
- extensive

Aerobic (36 ATP/glucose)

Slow
Efficiency
Slow cruising
High gear

White
-sparse

Anaerobic (2/glucose)
Fast
Power
Fast bursts
Low gear

Bodymusclearrangement(overhead)
Theserialarrangementofmusclebundles>Segmentation>keyto
wavesforswimming
Terminology(overheads)
Epaxial (above),hypaxial (below)andcarinalis muscles(onridge
betweenmedianfins)
Lateralis superficialis red,thinandmitochondriarich(overlies
ventralportionofepaxalis anddorsalportionofhypaxalis)
Epaxalis >anteriorly connectedtocraniumandcleithrum
Thereforeepaxalis
h f
l originatesonvertebrae,centra
b
andneural
d
l
archesandspinesandinsertonlateralbasesoffinrays
Hypaxalis
H
li circumventscoelom
i
t
l
(b d
(bodycavity)
it )

Caudalfinmusculature(overhead)
Openers abductors(tomoveaway)
Flexordorsalis
Flexor dorsalis
Flexorventralis
Two
Twoclosers
closers
Adductordorsalis
Hypochordal longitudinalis
Finraysareopenedthroughincreaseinmusclevolume.(Analogy
withfingers)
Interradial muscles

Mechanismsforswimming
Fishswimbypassingawaveofcontractingmusclefrom
anteriortoposterior.Musclesneartheheadofthefish
i
i
l
h h d f h fi h
contractfirstandcontractionproceedsposteriorly downthe
lengthofthefishtothecaudalfin.
g

 Undulatory swimminginfishispoweredbythesegmental
bodymusculatureofthemyotomes.
Myotome
M t
andmyosepta
d
t orientmoreperpendicularto
i t
di l t
midlinetopushaside.Thereforebend(flex)laterally.
Atrestinarhomboidalshapeinafrontal/horizontalcross
section
ti
Withcontractionmusclefibreswillshortenbyhalftheir
lengthwhilemaintainingvolume.Becomesrectangular
Powergeneratedbythismuscleandtheinteractions
betweenthefishandthewatergenerateabackward
g
travellingwaveoflateraldisplacementofthebodyand
caudalfin.

Why do they need myosepta?

Whydotheyneedmyosepta?
Iftherewerenomyosepta,butsimplyaseriesof
t e e e e o yosepta, but s p y a se es o
interconnectedmusclefibers,thenthewave
wouldbeverydampened.Thatis,asanterior
fb
fiberscontracttheywouldpullonposteriorfibers
h
ld ll
fb
andstretchthemsotheshorteningofthewhole
side would be much less than if the anterior
sidewouldbemuchlessthaniftheanterior
fiberscontractedwithouttheposteriorfibers
lengthening.Myosepta
g
g y p effectivelytransmitthe
y
contractileforcetothebackboneandskin,which
keepstheposteriorfibersfromlengthening.

 Itisstillunclearhowthemuscleforceis
transmittedtothetail.
Ifcontractionoccursawayfrombending,the
muscleforcemustbetransmitteddownthe
b d b t t
bodybystructuresotherthanbydirect
th th b di t
connectionofthemusclestothevertebrae.
Severalstructureshavebeensuggestedto
S
l t t
h
b
t dt
transmitmuscleforceincludingtendons,
myosepta and skin
myosepta,andskin.