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Prey capture in the pike-perch,Stizostedion lucioperca (teleostei, percidae): A structural and functional analysis

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Summary

The pike-perch,Stizostedion lucioperca, uses both suction and grasping during feeding. Type, size, and position of prey and predator determine the movement of catching. This is concluded from simultaneous motion analysis, electromyography, and the record of pressures inside the buccopharyngeal cavity during feeding. The EMG incorporates 24 muscles of the head, including the branchial basket and the anterior body musculature.

When the pike-perch begins to feed acceleration and expansion of the head parts determine the negative buccopharyngeal pressure and therefore the suction force applied to different preys. Not the head muscles, but the epaxial and hypaxial body musculatures provide the main force for the rapid expansion of the head through movements of the neurocranium, pectoral girdle, and hyoid arch. Despite the lack of a true neck, the pike-perch is able to move its neurocranium in all directions to aim the suction force.

The experiments revealed that ventral and lateral movements aid in the ingestion of a big prey after it has been grasped with the teeth. The head muscles are active as regulators of the opening movements and in the closing movements. Variable overlaps of ab- and adductor activity show that their contraction patterns are interdependent. Variations in the recorded pressures can be related largely to a series of EMGs showing different starting moments of adductor contraction. In this progressive series two patterns were distinguished, and their accompanying movements were compared and related to the type of prey. According to the feeding behavior and morphology, the pike-perch is classified as a rapacious predator. Comparison with some other voracious fishes shows that besides the total length of the lower jaw and the dentigerous area, the construction and dentition of the upper jaws and the anterior suspensorial and neurocranial parts are also important features of this ecological type. However it appears that the fishes selected for this comparison use suction rather than the teeth as the main means of catching the smaller, but commonly eaten prey. The teeth prevent escape after capture by sucking and they increase the maximum prey size that can be caught. In this group, the head ofStizostedion appears to be comparatively well adapted to sucking with grasping adaptations.

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Abbreviations

abd.:

abductor

add.:

adductor

ant.:

anterior

apon.:

aponeurotically

art.:

articulare

A1t:

tendon of m. add. mand. 1 (A1)

b. hyal.:

basihyale

branch, membr.:

branchiostegal membrane

br.:

branchiostegal rays

c. branch:

ceratobranchiale

c. hyal.:

ceratohyale

circ. orb.:

circumorbital bones

cl.:

cleithrum

conn, tissue:

connective tissue

cop.:

copula

cor.:

coracoideum

coronomeck:

coronomeckelian bone

dent.:

dentale

depr.:

depressor

dors.:

dorsalis

ect. pt.:

ectopterygoideum

e. hyal.:

epihyale

ent. pt.:

entopterygoideum

exp.:

experiment

ext.:

externus

ex. scap.:

extrascapulare

fr.:

frontale

gl. hyal.:

glossohyale

h. branch:

hypobranchiale

h. hyal.:

hypohyale

hyom.:

hyomandibulare

i. hyal.:

interhyale

inf.:

inferior

int.:

internus

int. op.:

interoperculum

l:

left

lacr.:

lacrimale

lat.:

lateral

lat. ethm.:

lateral ethmoideum

lev.:

levator

lig.:

ligamentum

l:

jaw lower jaw

mand.:

mandibula

max.:

maxillare

Meck.:

cart. Meckel's cartilage

med.:

medialis

mesethm.:

mesethmoid

m.:

musculus

m. pt.:

metapterygoideum

musc.:

musculature

m. add. arc. pal.:

m. adductor arcus palatini

m. add. hyomand.:

m. adductor hyomandibulae

m. add. mand.:

m. adductor mandibulae

m. add. operc.:

m. adductor operculi

m. dil. operc.:

m. dilatator operculi

m. geniohy.:

m. geniohyoideus

m. hyohy.:

m. hyohyoideus

m. intermand.:

m. intermandibularis

m. lev. arc. branch:

m. levator arcus branchialis

m. lev. arc. pal.:

m. levator arcus palatini

m. lev. operc.:

m. levator operculi

m. obl.:

m. obliquus

m. phar. branch:

m. pharyngobranchialis

m. phar. cl.:

m. pharyngocleithralis

m. phar. hy.:

m. pharyngohyalis

m. protr. pect.:

m. protractor pectoralis

m. retr. dors.:

m. retractor dorsalis

m. sternohy.:

m. sternohyoideus

m. trans.:

m. transversus

m. trap.:

m. trapezius

myos.:

myoseptum

nas.:

nasale

neur.:

neurocranium

op.:

operculum

pal.:

palatinum

pect. girdle.:

pectoral girdle

post.:

posterior

premax.:

premaxillare

preop.:

preoperculum

proc. retroart.:

processus retroarticularis

rotat.:

rotation

protr.:

protractor

p. sph.:

parasphenoid

p. temp.:

posttemporal

quadr.:

quadratum

r.:

right

retr.:

retractor

scap.:

scapulare

s. cl.:

supracleithrum

s. occ.:

supraoccipitale

sphen.:

sphenoticum

subop.:

suboperculum

sup.:

superior

susp.:

Suspensorium

symph. cl.:

symphysis cleithri

sympl.:

symplecticum

u. hyal.:

urohyale

up. jaws.:

upper jaws

ventr.:

ventralis

vom.:

vomer

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  1. Experimental Animal Morphology and Cell Biology, Agricultural University Wageningen, “Zodiac” Marijkeweg 40, 6709, PG Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Mariette J. W. Elshoud-Oldenhave

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  1. Mariette J. W. Elshoud-Oldenhave
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Elshoud-Oldenhave, M.J.W. Prey capture in the pike-perch,Stizostedion lucioperca (teleostei, percidae): A structural and functional analysis. Zoomorphologie 93, 1–32 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02568672

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