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Fish muscles are made up of myomeres, which are overlapping cones of muscle fibres bound by connective tissue. Myomeres are composed of multinucleated myofibres (contractile cells) that generate force through muscle contraction, transmitted by connective tissue. Fish typically have a mixture of two or three types of muscle: white muscle, red muscle, and pink muscle. The axial muscle consists mainly of fast-contracting white fibres, covered by a thin layer of slow-contracting red muscle fibres, with a layer of intermediate pink muscle fibres in between. The red muscle is used for steady, constant-effort swimming and is found in active fish that live in the open waters of seas and oceans. White muscle, on the other hand, has thicker fibres with reduced blood flow and oxygen availability, resulting in anaerobic metabolism. It can produce higher tension but is more energetically wasteful and can only work for short periods. The pink muscle, found in some fish, is a combination of red and white muscle, possessing intermediate characteristics in terms of contraction speed, resistance to fatigue, and fibre shortening speed.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | Fish muscle contains 15%–25% of total protein in fish, and can be divided into myofibrillar (50%–60%), sarcoplasmic (30%), and stromal (10%–20%) proteins. |
| Types | Myomeres, myotomes, myomers, myotomic, myosepta, myocommata, myoglobin-rich dark muscle, white muscle, red muscle, pink muscle, cephalic, trunk, tail, appendicular, and pectoral muscles. |
| Functions | Locomotion, force generation, suction feeding, elevation of the neurocranium, repair, and contraction. |
| Structure | Fish muscles are segmented into myotomes by fine connective tissue layers. |
| Composition | Fish muscles contain multinucleated myofibers (contractile cells). |
| Skeletal Interaction | The fish skeleton is formed by bones and cartilage and works in synchronization with the muscle, by means of tendons and ligaments. |
| Fins | Fins are composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body with skin covering them. They are supported by muscles and aid in stabilization and maneuvering. |
| Heart | Fish have a two-chambered heart, consisting of one atrium and one ventricle. |
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What You'll Learn
- Fish have three types of muscle: skeletal, smooth, and heart
- Skeletal muscle includes cephalic, trunk, tail, and appendicular muscles
- White muscle contracts rapidly and has anaerobic metabolism
- Myotomes are sequential contractions of muscle blocks that enable locomotion
- Fish fins are supported by muscles and help them to swim, glide, and crawl
Fish have three types of muscle: skeletal, smooth, and heart
Fish anatomy is the study of the form or morphology of fish. It is often shaped by the physical characteristics of water, the medium in which fish live. Fish have three types of muscle: skeletal, smooth, and heart.
The skeletal muscle includes cephalic, trunk, tail, and appendicular musculature. The skeletal muscle of the trunk and tail plays the most important part in locomotion and is stronger than the appendicular musculature, controlling the fins. Appendicular muscles derive from trunk myotomes and only play a secondary part in locomotion, at least in the species that move by means of lateral undulation. In addition, there are cephalic muscles associated with the opening and closing of the mouth and opercula, and with eye and gill movement.
The axial skeleton comprises the cranium, vertebral column, and ribs. The cranium consists of a rigid part to which interdependent elements are attached, such as mandibles, gill arches, opercula, and branchiostegal rays, many of which take part in breathing and feeding movements. The axial muscle consists mainly of fast white fibres, covered by a thin layer of slow-red muscle fibres at the periphery, with a layer of pink intermediate muscle fibres in between them. Salmonids lack the intermediate fibre type.
The heart muscle is often described as a two-chambered heart, consisting of one atrium to receive blood and one ventricle to pump it. However, the fish heart has entry and exit compartments that may be called chambers, so it is also sometimes described as three-chambered, or four-chambered, depending on what is counted as a chamber. The atrium and ventricle are sometimes considered "true chambers", while the others are considered "accessory chambers".
Smooth muscles are involved in the specialised notochord of amphioxus. There are muscle cells within myomeres that send and synapse cytoplasmic extensions of muscle cells with contractile fibrils to the nerve cord surface. In amphioxus, myomeres run longitudinally along the length of the body in a "V" shape. As sequential contraction for swimming occurs, force from the myomeres is transmitted via connective tissues to the notochord.
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Skeletal muscle includes cephalic, trunk, tail, and appendicular muscles
Fish have a complex muscular organisation that works in harmony with their skeleton, enabling them to precisely control their swimming movements. The fish skeleton, made of bones and cartilage, works in synchronisation with the muscle through tendons and ligaments. The muscle development of a fish is closely related to the bone to which it is attached, and it varies with age, exercise, and nutritional status.
Fish muscle can be categorised into three main types: white, red, and pink. The axial muscle consists mainly of fast-contracting white fibres, covered by a thin layer of slow-contracting red fibres, with a layer of pink intermediate fibres in between. The pink muscle fibres contract quickly and have intermediate resistance to fatigue. The white fibres are less vascularised, while the red fibres are located in fine longitudinal bands under the skin.
The skeletal muscle in fish includes cephalic, trunk, tail, and appendicular muscles. The trunk and tail muscles are the strongest and play the most important role in locomotion, controlling the fins. Appendicular muscles, which are derived from trunk myotomes, play a secondary role in locomotion for species that move through lateral undulation. Cephalic muscles are involved in the opening and closing of the mouth and opercula, as well as eye and gill movement.
Myomeres, which are composed of multinucleated myofibers, also play a crucial role in fish locomotion. These muscle fibres flex the body laterally, providing the force for forward swimming motion. The shape of myomeres varies by species, with jawed fishes typically having W-shaped myomeres due to their advanced swimming capability.
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White muscle contracts rapidly and has anaerobic metabolism
Fish have shorter muscle fibres and less connective tissue than terrestrial animals. Their muscles are segmented into myotomes by fine connective tissue layers called myocommata or myosepta. Myomeres are overlapping "cones" of muscle fibres bound by connective tissue. Myomeres are made up of myoglobin-rich dark muscle as well as white muscle. Dark muscles generally function as slow-twitch muscle fibres, while white muscle is composed of fast-twitch fibres.
The three types of muscle fibre are slow oxidative (SO), fast oxidative (FO), and fast glycolytic (FG). SO fibres use aerobic metabolism to produce low-power contractions over long periods and are slow to fatigue. FO fibres use aerobic metabolism to produce ATP but produce higher tension contractions than SO fibres. FG fibres use anaerobic metabolism to produce powerful, high-tension contractions but fatigue quickly. Most muscles possess a mixture of each fibre type. The predominant fibre type in a muscle is determined by the primary function of the muscle.
In fish, the skeletal muscle of the trunk and tail plays the most important part in locomotion and is stronger than the appendicular musculature, controlling the fins. Appendicular muscle derives from trunk myotomes and only plays a secondary part in locomotion, at least in the species that move by means of lateral undulation.
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Myotomes are sequential contractions of muscle blocks that enable locomotion
Fish have shorter muscle fibres and less connective tissue than terrestrial animals. Their muscles are segmented into myotomes by thin connective tissue layers called myocommata or myosepta. Myotomes are groups of muscles innervated by a single spinal nerve, derived from the same embryological segment. The term comes from the Ancient Greek "myo", meaning muscle, and "tome", meaning "cutting" or "thin segment".
Myotomes are tested by asking patients to perform different movements associated with different spinal nerves. Myotomes can overlap, and individual muscles can be part of multiple myotomes. The cervical and thoracic myotomes (C1-T12) are tested with the patient in a seated position, with movements of the neck and upper limb. The lumbar and sacral myotomes (L1-S3) are tested with the patient lying down, with movements of the hip, knee, ankle, intertarsal, and metatarsophalangeal joints.
Myomeres are overlapping "cones" of muscle fibres bound by connective tissue. They are commonly zig-zagged, with muscle fibres shaped like a V (lancelets), W (fishes), or straight (tetrapods). Myomeres are composed of myoglobin-rich dark muscle and white muscle. Dark muscles are slow-twitch muscle fibres, while white muscle is composed of fast-twitch fibres.
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Fish fins are supported by muscles and help them to swim, glide, and crawl
The shape of myomeres varies by species, with jawed fishes typically exhibiting W-shaped myomeres. These complex folding patterns are a result of the advanced swimming capabilities of jawed fishes. Myomeres are responsible for the forward swimming motion, allowing fish to flex their bodies laterally. High-speed movements like fast starts and turning require maximal myomere activation, while slower speeds and single-plane movements result in reduced myomere activation.
Fish swim by undulating their bodies and tails, with the skeletal muscle of the trunk and tail playing the most important role in locomotion. The axial skeleton, including the cranium, vertebral column, and ribs, works in harmony with the muscles to enable movement. Fish fins, protruding from their bodies, interact with water to generate thrust and support swimming. Fins have varying structures among different fish clades, with ray-finned fish having bony spines or rays, and lobe-finned fish possessing fleshy, lobed, paired fins.
In addition to swimming, fish fins serve other purposes. Flying fish, for example, use their enlarged pectoral fins for gliding through the air. Frogfish and amphibious fishes use their pectoral and pelvic fins to crawl over land. Fins also have specialized functions, such as the sucker-like dorsal fins of remoras and gobies, which allow them to attach to surfaces.
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Frequently asked questions
Fish muscle contains 15%–25% of the total protein in fish. It can be divided into myofibrillar (50%–60%), sarcoplasmic (30%), and stromal (10%–20%) proteins.
There are three types of fish muscles: major white muscle, superficial red muscle, and intermediate pink muscle. The axial muscle consists mainly of fast white fibres, covered by a thin layer of slow-red muscle fibres, with a layer of pink intermediate muscle fibres in between.
Unlike other vertebrates, fish muscles are layered rather than bundled. Each segment, or sheet, of muscles is called a myomere or myotome and is separated from its neighbour by a sheet of connective tissue.
Fish muscles facilitate movement by contraction. The skeleton of a fish works in synchronization with the muscles, allowing for precise control of swimming movements.
Fishes generate force to swim by activating muscles on either side of their flexible bodies. To accelerate, they must produce higher muscle forces, which result in higher reaction forces on their bodies.
