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Red and white muscle fibre activity in swimming skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis (L.)
Author(s) -
Brill R. W.,
Dizon A. E.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8649.1979.tb03677.x
Subject(s) - skipjack tuna , tuna , biology , fishery , fish <actinopterygii> , muscle fibre , anatomy , zoology , skeletal muscle
To test the hypothesis that white muscle fibre portions of the myotomes are used at sustainable swimming speeds, skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis , were forced to swim against various current velocities in a water tunnel while electrical activity of the red and white muscle fibres was simultaneously recorded. Eight fish were tested, five fish graded white muscle fibres into activity at swimming speeds above their minimum hydrostatic equilibrium speed, but well below the estimated maximum sustainable swimming speed of skipjack tuna. Three other fish showed white muscle fibre activity at minimum swimming speeds, a possibly abnormal condition.