Functional morphology of toadfish sonic muscle fibers: relationship to possible fiber division

1993 ◽  
Vol 71 (11) ◽  
pp. 2262-2274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael L. Fine ◽  
Barbara Bernard ◽  
Thomas M. Harris
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Sound Production ◽  
Muscle Fibers ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Small Energy ◽  
Opsanus Tau ◽  
Sonic Muscle ◽  
Oyster Toadfish ◽  
Fiber Fragmentation ◽  
Rapid Contraction

Sexually dimorphic sonic muscles, which vibrate the swimbladder for sound production in the oyster toadfish (Opsanus tau), are among the fastest vertebrate muscles. Previous work has shown that sonic muscle fibers are smaller in males, have an unusual morphology, and increase in number and size for life. We now report evidence consistent with the hypothesis that mature, presumably postmitotic, sonic fibers divide, and suggest that division, which returns fibers to small energy-efficient units, is necessary because mitochondria are excluded from the fiber's contractile cylinder. Large fibers, potential candidates for division, develop fragments of contractile cylinder separated by channels of an expanded sarcoplasmic reticulum; these channels can assume the appearance of the sarcoplasm (glycogen granules and mitochondria) beneath the sarcolemma. Measurements indicate that contractile cylinder diameter does not increase with fish size and that diameters are approximately 21% larger in females (p < 0.0001). Fiber fragmentation, possible division, and the presence of smaller fibers with smaller diameter contractile cylinders in males are seen as adaptations for repeated rapid contraction and fatigue resistance during production of the male's courtship boatwhistle call.

scholarly journals Grunt variation in the oyster toadfishOpsanus tau: effect of size and sex

PeerJ ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. e1330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael L. Fine ◽  
Tyler D. Waybright
Keyword(s):  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Sound Pressure ◽  
Advertisement Call ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Fish Size ◽  
Opsanus Tau ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
Size Number ◽  
Vocal Activity ◽  
Oyster Toadfish

As in insects, frogs and birds, vocal activity in fishes tends to be more developed in males than in females, and sonic swimbladder muscles may be sexually dimorphic, i.e., either larger in males or present only in males. Male oyster toadfishOpsanus tauL produce a long duration, tonal boatwhistle advertisement call, and both sexes grunt, a short duration more pulsatile agonistic call. Sonic muscles are present in both sexes but larger in males. We tested the hypothesis that males would call more than females by inducing grunts in toadfish of various sizes held in a net and determined incidence of calling and developmental changes in grunt parameters. A small number of fish were recorded twice to examine call repeatability. Both sexes were equally likely to grunt, and grunt parameters (sound pressure level (SPL), individual range in SPL, number of grunts, and fundamental frequency) were similar in both sexes. SPL increased with fish size before leveling off in fish >200 g, and fundamental frequency and other parameters did not change with fish size. Number of grunts in a train, grunt duration and inter-grunt interval were highly variable in fish recorded twice suggesting that grunt parameters reflect internal motivation rather than different messages. Grunt production may explain the presence of well-developed sonic muscles in females and suggests that females have an active but unexplored vocal life.

Ontogeny and sexual dimorphism of sonic muscle in the oyster toadfish

1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (7) ◽  
pp. 1374-1381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael L. Fine ◽  
Noelle M. Burns ◽  
Thomas M. Harris
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Changes ◽  
Muscle Fibers ◽  
Muscle Growth ◽  
Motor Nucleus ◽  
Swim Bladder ◽  
Sonic Muscle ◽  
Equivalent Rate ◽  
Adjusted Means ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Oyster Toadfish

Previous work has shown that neurons in the sonic motor nucleus of the oyster toadfish, Opsanus tau, grow larger in males than in females and increase in size and number for 7–8 years. In order to correlate postnatal motoneuron development with growth of target muscle fibers, we examined the ontogeny of sonic muscle growth. Both the swim bladder and attached sonic muscles increased in size for life and were, respectively, 20 and 44% larger in males than in females. The muscle and swim bladder grew at an equivalent rate in males, whereas in females, muscle growth did not keep up with bladder growth. The number of muscle fibers increased about 16-fold (31 000 to 488 000), and mean minimum fiber diameter increased almost 3-fold (11.5 to 28.6 μm) as fish grew. Fibers were 15.3% larger in females than in males (adjusted means of 21.9 and 19.0 μm, respectively), but males had 47% more fibers per muscle (adjusted means of 307 000 and 209 000). Muscle fibers also exhibited morphological changes. Most of the fibers in two juveniles had yet to differentiate the core of sarcoplasm characteristic of sonic muscle, whereas the largest cells in mature males and females tended to have multiple pockets of sarcoplasm and a contractile cylinder split into fragments. Multiple pockets in large fibers and the presence of smaller fibers in males than females are interpreted as adaptations for increased speed and fatigue resistance.

Metabolic costs of sound production in the oyster toadfish, Opsanus tau

2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (5) ◽  
pp. 830-838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Clara P. Amorim ◽  
Marti L McCracken ◽  
Michael L Fine
Keyword(s):  
Oxygen Consumption ◽  
Respiration Rate ◽  
Sound Production ◽  
Body Cavity ◽  
The Body ◽  
Muscle Performance ◽  
Advertisement Call ◽  
Opsanus Tau ◽  
Oyster Toadfish ◽  
Stimulation Of

The energetics of mate calling has been studied in insects, frogs, birds, and mammals, but not in fishes. The oyster toadfish, Opsanus tau, produces a boatwhistle advertisement call using one of the fastest muscles known in vertebrates. Because toadfish will not boatwhistle in a respirometer, we measured oxygen consumption after eliciting sound production by electrically stimulating the sonic swim bladder muscle nerve. Induced sounds were similar to a male calling at a rapid rate. Stimulation of the sonic nerve increased the respiration rate by 40–60% in males, but they became agitated. Repeating the experiment decreased agitation, and in most fish respiration rates approximated control levels by the second or third replication. Elicited sounds and therefore sonic-muscle performance were similar in all repetitions, hence it appears that the increased oxygen consumption in the first trial was caused by the fish's agitation. Controls indicated that electrode implantation and electrical stimulation of the body cavity did not affect the respiration rate. We suggest that allocation of a small amount of the total energy budget to sound production is reasonable in toadfish, and probably most other fish species, because of the small amount of time that the sonic muscles actually contract and their small size (about 1% of body mass).

scholarly journals Ontogeny of the Sexually Dimorphic Sonic Muscle in Three Sciaenid Species

Copeia ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 1987 (3) ◽  
pp. 708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary L. Hill ◽  
Michael L. Fine ◽  
John A. Musick
Keyword(s):  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Sonic Muscle

Effects of vessel sound on oyster toadfish Opsanus tau calling behavior

2021 ◽  
Vol 662 ◽  
pp. 115-124
Author(s):  
AG Mackiewicz ◽  
RL Putland ◽  
AF Mensinger
Keyword(s):  
Sound Level ◽  
Calling Behavior ◽  
Anthropogenic Activity ◽  
Opsanus Tau ◽  
Nesting Sites ◽  
Prey Location ◽  
Intraspecific Communication ◽  
Oyster Toadfish ◽  
Passive Acoustic

In coastal waters, anthropogenic activity and its associated sound have been shown to negatively impact aquatic taxa that rely on sound signaling and reception for navigation, prey location, and intraspecific communication. The oyster toadfish Opsanus tau depends on acoustic communication for reproductive success, as males produce ‘boatwhistle’ calls to attract females to their nesting sites. However, it is unknown if in situ vessel sound impacts intraspecific communication in this species. Passive acoustic monitoring using a 4-hydrophone linear array was conducted in Eel Pond, a small harbor in Woods Hole, MA, USA, to monitor the calling behavior of male toadfish. The number of calls pre- and post-exposure to vessel sound was compared. Individual toadfish were localized, and their approximate sound level exposure was predicted using sound mapping. Following exposure to vessel sound, the number of calls significantly decreased compared to the number of calls pre-exposure, with vessel sound overlapping the frequency range of male toadfish boatwhistles. This study provides support that anthropogenic sound can negatively affect intraspecific communication and suggests that in situ vessel sound has the ability to mask boatwhistles and change the calling behavior of male toadfish. Masking could lead to a reduction in intraspecific communication and lower reproductive efficiency within the Eel Pond toadfish population.

The impact of vessel noise on oyster toadfish (Opsanus tau) communication

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecilia S. Krahforst ◽  
Mark W. Sprague ◽  
Joseph J. Luczkovich
Keyword(s):  
Opsanus Tau ◽  
Oyster Toadfish ◽  
Vessel Noise ◽  
The Impact
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