Ontogenetic change in the amount and position of slow-oxidative myotomal muscle in relationship to regional endothermy in juvenile yellowfin tuna Thunnus albacares.

Myotomal slow-oxidative muscle (SM) powers continuous swimming and generates heat needed to maintain elevated locomotor muscle temperatures (regional endothermy) in tunas. This study describes how the amount and distribution of myotomal SM increases with fish size and age in juvenile yellowfin tuna Thunnus albacares in relationship to the development of regional endothermy. In T. albacares juveniles 40-74 mm fork length (L-F; n = 23) raised from fertilised eggs at the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission Achotines Laboratory in Panama and larger juveniles (118-344 mm L-F; n = 5) collected by hook and line off of Oahu, Hawaii, USA, SM was identified by histochemical staining for the mitochondrial enzyme succinic dehydrogenase or by colour (in the two largest individuals). The cross-sectional area of myotomal SM at 60% L-F, a position with maximal percentage of SM in larger T. albacares, increased exponentially with L-F. The percentage of total cross-sectional area composed of SM at 60% L-F increased significantly with both L-F and age, suggesting that SM growth occurs throughout the size range of T. albacares juveniles studied. In addition, the percentage of SM at 60% L-F that is medial increased asymptotically with L-F. The increases in amount of SM and medial SM, along with the development of the counter-current heat-exchanger blood vessels that retain heat, allow larger tuna juveniles to maintain elevated and relatively stable SM temperatures, facilitating range expansion into cooler waters.