Growth of Pectoral Muscle Fibres in Relation To Somatic Growth in Some Marine Fishes

Abstract

In the present communication, growth dynamics of pectoral muscle fibres of four marine fishes are described in relation to their somatic growth and the results are comparedwith our earlier findings on Caranx malabaricus. Over the entire investigated size range, the growth of red fibres was principally by hyperplasia. In pink fibres, cessation of hyperplasia was found in three of the five investigated species, whereafter further growth was only by hypertrophy of existing fibres. In white fibres, hypertrophy is a more important mode of growth than in other muscle fibre types. This was apparent from a smaller fish size at which addition of new fibres ceased or from a steeper slope of the relationship between muscle fibre diameter and fish fork length for most of the investigated fishes. However, Boleophthalmus dentatus seems to be an exception. The observed fibre growth dynamics of these fishes are similar to those of myotomal and caudal muscles.