Description of the muscular system of the fantail Carassius auratus gibelio (Cyprinidae)

Abstract

The muscular system of a variety of the goldfish Carassius auratus gibelio fantail is investigated and described in detail for the first time. The structure of the muscular system principally corresponds to that of other Teleostei. At the same time, in contrast to other fish, in the fantail three posterior lower-keel muscles are found for the first time, which depends on bifurcation of the caudal and anal fins. Two of them correspond to the usual posterior lower-keel muscles and proceed along the edges of the lower part of the caudal peduncle. The third muscle termed m. infracarinalis posterior medianus (median posterior lower-keel muscle) proceeds in the middle between them. The second distinction of the fantail from other fish, including the carp Cyprinus carpio of the same family Cyprinidae, is the absence of some muscles of the upper parts of the gill arches, such as dorsal rectus muscles (m.m. recti dorsales), adductor muscles of gill arches (m.m. adductores arcuum branchialium), and oblique dorsal muscles (m.m. obliqui dorsales).