title: Explosive development of pectoral muscle fibres in large juvenile blue catfish Ictalurus furcatus.
abstract: As part of an effort on scaling of pectoral spines and muscles, the basis for growth was examined in six pectoral muscles in juvenile blue catfish Ictalurus furcatus, the largest catfish in North America. Fibre number increases slowly in fish from 13.0 to 26.4 cm in total length, doubles by 27.0 cm and remains stable in larger individuals. Simultaneously, mean fibre diameter decreases by half, caused by the addition of new small fibres, before increasing non-linearly in larger fish. The orders of magnitude disparity between the size at hatching and the size of large adults may have selected for rapid muscle fibre addition at a threshold size.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23284-2012, U.S.A.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lahiri
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23284-2012, U.S.A.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Fine
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002397:Catfishes; D007059:Ictaluridae / Q000254:growth & development*; D024510:Muscle Development; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology*; D009132:Muscles; D009656:North America; D010369:Pectoralis Muscles / Q000254:growth & development*; D013131:Spine
keywords: anti-predator adaptation; growth; hyperplasia; hypertrophy; sound production