Gut motility

Gut motility is involved in breakdown and transport of food. It includes mixing and propulsive activity achieved when the smooth muscle in the gut wall contracts and relaxes. Motility is a well-coordinated process that involves intrinsic and extrinsic factors, including the innate properties of the smooth muscles as well as nerves and hormones. Although lack of in vivo studies has hampered our understanding of gut motility patterns in fish, the effect of many diverse signaling molecules are known and motility patterns depend on the integration of these signals.