Abstract
The distribution and ultrastructure of muscle-fibre types has been investigated in adult and juvenile specimens of the pelagic high-antarctic silverfish Pleuragramma antarcticum Boulenger, 1902 collected from the South Shetland Islands during the winter of 1984/1985. Two main fibre-types were identified in araldite-embedded material. The axial musculature was mainly composed of poorly vascularised, largediameter muscle fibres which were densely packed with myofibrils (volume density 81 and 72% for adults and juveniles, respectively). These ultrastructural characteristics are typical of fast-twitch fibres. The number of capillaries ner unit cross-sectional area and the volume density of mito
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature cited
Andriashev, A. P. (1965). A general review of the antarctic fauna. In: van Mieghen, J., van Oyl P. (eds.) Biogeography and ecology in Antarctica. Junk, The Hague, p. 491–550
Andriashev, A. P. (1987). A general review of the antarctic bottom fish fauna. In: Kullander, S.O., Fernholm, B.O. (eds.) Proceedings of the Fifth Congress on European Ichthyology, 1985. Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, p. 357–372
Beardall, C. H., Johnston, I. A. (1983). Muscle atrophy during starvation in a marine teleost. Eur. J. Cell Biol. 29: 209–217
Bone, Q. (1978) Locomotor muscle. In: Hoar, W. S., Randall D. J. (eds.) Fish physiology. Vol. 7 New York and London: Academic Press, London/New York, p. 361–424
Burchett, M. S. (1983). Morphology and morphometry of the antarctic nototheniid Notothenia rossi marmorata. Br. Antarct. Surv. Bull 58: 71–81
Clarke, A. (1983). Life in cold water: the physiological ecology of polar marine ectotherms. Oceanogr. mar. Biol. A. Rev. 21: 341–453
Davison, W., Macdonald, J. A. (1985). A histochemical study of the swimming musculature of Antarctic fish. N. Z. Jl Zool. 12: 473–483
DeVries, A. L., Eastman, J. T. (1978). Lipid sacs as a buoyancy adaptation in an Antarctic fish. Nature, Lond. 271: 352–353
DeWitt, H. H. (1971). Coastal and deep-water benthic fishes of the Antaretic. Antarctic Map Folio Ser. 15: 1–10
Dunn, J. F., Johnston, I. A. (1986). Metabolic constraints on burstswimming in the Antarctic teleost Notothenia neglecta. Mar. Biol. 91: 433–440
Eastman, J. T., DeVries, A. L. (1981). Buoyancy adaptations in a swim-bladderless antarctic fish. J. Morph. 167: 91–102
Eastman, J. T., DeVries, A. L. (1982) Buoyancy studies of notothenioid fishes in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. Copeia 1982: 385–393
Egginton, S., Johnston, I. A.: (1983). An estimate of capillary anisotropy and determination of surface and volume densities of capillaries in skeletal muscles of the conger eel (Conger conger L.). Q. Jl exp. Physiol. 68: 603–617
Everson, I. (1968). Larval stages of certain antarctic fishes. Br. Antarct. Surv. Bull. 16: 65–70
Fitch, N. A., Johnston, I. A. (1983). Muscle capillary supply in an Antarctic fish (Chaenocephalus aceratus) that lacks respiratory pigments. J. Physiol. Lond. 340: p. 65
Fitch, N. A., Johnston, I. A., Wood, R. E. (1984). Skeletal muscle capillary supply in a fish that lacks respiratory pigments. Respir. Physiol. 57: 201–211
Greer-Walker, M. G., Pull, G. A. (1975). A survey of red and white muscle in marine fish. J. Fish Biol. 7: 295–300
Harrison, P. W., Nicol, C. J. M., Johnston, I. A. (1987). Gross morphology, histochemical characteristics and contractile properties of the pectoral fin muscles in the antarctic teleost, Notothenia neglecta. In: Kullander, S. O., Fernholm, B. O. (eds.) Proceedings of the Fifth Congress on European Ichthyology, 1985. Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, p. 459–465
Hoppeler, H., Mathieu, O., Weibel, E. R., Kraue, R., Lindstedt, S. L., Taylor, C. R. (1981). Design of the mammalian respiratory system. VIII. Capillaries in skeletal muscles. Respir. Physiol. 44: 129–150
Hubold, G. (1985). The early life history of the high-antarctic silverfish Pleuragramma antarcticum. In: Seigfried, W. R., Condy, P. R., Laws, R. M. (eds.) Antarctic nutrient cycles and food webs. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, p. 445–451
Johnston, I. A. (1981). Structure and function of fish muscles. Symp. zool. Soc. Lond. 48: 71–113
Johnston, I. A. (1982). Quantitative studies on the vascularisation and ultrastructure of slow muscle fibres of the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasiocolus). Tissue Cell. 14: 319–328
Johnston, I. A. (1987). Respiratory characteristics of muscle fibres in a fish (Chaenocephalus aceratus) that lacks haeme pigments. J. exp. Biol. 133: 415–428
Johnston, I. A., Bernard, L. M. (1982). Ultrastructure and metabolism of skeletal muscle fibres in the tench: effect of long-term acclimation to hypoxia. Cell Tissue Res. 227: 179–199
Johnston, I. A., Bernard, L. M., Maloiy, G. M. O. (1983). Aquatic and aerial respiration rates, muscle capillary supply and mitochondrial volume density in the air-breathing catfish (Clarias mossambicus). J. exp. Biol. 105: 317–338
Johnston, I. A., Camm, J. G. P. (1987). Muscle structure and differentiation in pelagic and demersal stages of the Antarctic teleost Notothenia neglecta. Mar. Biol. 94: 183–190
Johnston, I. A., Harrison, P. (1985). Contractile and metabolic characteristics of muscle fibres from Antarctic fish. J. exp. Biol. 116: 223–236
Johnston, I. A., Maitland, B. (1980) Temperature acclimation in crucian carp, Carassius carasius L., morphometric analyses of muscle fibre ultrastructure. J. Fish Biol. 17: 113–125
Kennett, J. P. (1977) Cenozoic evolution of antarctic glaciation, the circum-antarctic ocean and their impact on global paleoceanography. J. geophys. Res. 82: 3443–3876
Knox, G. A. (1970). Antarctic marine exosystems. In: Holdgate, M. W. (ed.) Antarctic ecology. Vol. 1. Academic Press, London
Kunzmann, A. (1987) Gill morphometrics of an Antarctic fish, Pleurogramma antarcticum. In: Kullander, S. O., Fernholm, B. O. (eds.) Swedish Museum of Natural History, Proceedings of the Fifth Congress on European Ichthyology, 1985. Stockholm, p. 467–468
North, A. W., White, M. G. (1982) Key to fish postlarvae from the Scotia Sea, Antarctica. Cybium 6: 13–32
Sidell, B. D. (1983). Cellular acclimatization to environmental change by quantitative alterations in enzymes and organelles. Semin. Ser. Soc. exp. Biol. 17: 103–120
Tyler, S., Sidell, B. D. (1984). Changes in mitochondrial distribution and diffusion distances in muscle of goldfish (Carassius auratus) upon acclimation to warm and cold temperatures. J. exp. Zool. 232: 1–10
Walesby, N. J., Johnston, I. A. (1980). Fibre types in the locomotory muscles of an Antarctic teleost, Notothenia rossii: a histochemical ultrastructural and biochemical study. Cell Tissue Res. 208: 143–164
Weibel, E. R. (1980). Stereological methods. Vol. 2. Theoretical foundations. Academic Press, London, New York
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by J. Mauchline, Oban
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Johnston, I.A., Camm, J.P. & White, M. Specialisations of swimming muscles in the pelagic antarctic fish Pleuragramma antarcticum . Marine Biology 100, 3–12 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00392949
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00392949