Kinetic comparisons of jaw opening, jaw closing and locomotor muscles

Understanding contraction dynamics of skeletal muscle is critically important to appreciate performance capabilities of skeletal structures, especially for structures responsible for feeding and/or locomotion. Furthermore, it is important to understand how temperature can impact contraction dynamics in vertebrates that are regularly exposed to fluctuations in temperature. We aimed to address differences between jaw opening (sternhyoideus), jaw closing (adductor mandibulae) and locomotor (abductor superficialis) muscle contraction dynamics in a labrid fish. Additionally, we aimed to understand how temperature changes impact contraction kinetics in these muscles. To address these aims we collected cunner (Tautogolabrus adspersus) from Long Island Sound and removed their primary locomotor and jaw opening/closing muscles. Following dissection, the muscles were placed on a muscle ergometer that controlled length, stimulus duration and stimulation intensity. Muscles were exposed to 7, 15 and 22 °C for all experiments. We found that the swimming muscle was slower to contract and relax than both feeding muscles. Swimming muscle produced more power than feeding muscles when tested at 8 Hz and 15 °C. Jaw closing muscle produced more force than the other two muscle types when tested at22 °C. Despite these differences, muscle contraction kinetics were remarkably similar across the three muscle types and temperatures. To our knowledge this is the first study to measure in vitro contraction dynamics of fish jaw opening and closing muscle. This advances the understanding of the physiological capabilities of these muscles. Additionally, differences in contraction dynamics can further our understanding of the physiological limits temperature impart on whole muscle contraction.