Electromyography of the Respiratory Muscles and Gill Water Flow in the Dragonet

Abstract

1. An account is given of the main skeletal elements and muscles involved in the respiratory movements of the dragonet, Callionymus lyra. 2. Using electromyographic techniques it has been shown that the muscles chiefly involved in rapid ejection of water out of the opercular slit are the adductor mandibulae, protractor hyoideus, and hyohyoideus. During the expansion phase of the cycle, which is about six times the duration of the contraction phase, the levator hyomandibulae and sternohyoideus are active, though in some cases the latter only comes in at higher levels of pumping. 3. Changes in volume flow across the gills have been produced by either (a) altering the hydrostatic pressure gradient (Δp) across the system, or (b) altering the oxygen or carbon dioxide content of the water inspired by the fish. With (a), the volume flow decreases linearly at a rate of about 30 ml./min./cm. H2O static pressure head until an inflexion is reached in the curve at which rate of flow decreases and is normally when Δp is zero. That the relative increase in flow rate with negative Δp's is due to the activity of the fish pumping against the adverse pressure gradient has been confirmed by electromyogram recordings during such experiments. With (b), it was possible to demonstrate a clear relationship between stroke volume and the level of electrical activity as measured by the height of the integrated electromyogram. The integrated EMG increases more than linearly with increasing stroke volume during PO2 changes, but this relationship seems to be more nearly linear during changes in CO2 concentration. 4. The respiratory frequency is scarcely affected by changes in flow produced by altering the hydrostatic pressure gradient, but following a decrease in PO2 or an increase in CO2 there is a significant fall in frequency which accompanies the increased electromyogram. The time course of these changes during recovery from a decrease in PO2 or an increase in PCOCO2 suggests that the gas tensions of the inspired water are detected by receptors on the gills and thus influence the electromyogram activity, but the frequency change observed is due to a change in the blood affecting receptors in the brain.