{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T19:05:45Z","timestamp":1790708745587,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"The Company of Biologists","issue":"13","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2001,7,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>SUMMARY<\/jats:title><jats:p>The way in which muscles power steady swimming depends on a number of factors, including fibre type and recruitment, muscle strain, stimulation pattern and intensity, and the intrinsic mechanical properties of the muscle fibres. For a number of undulatory swimming fish species, in vivo studies have shown that muscles at different positions along the body are stimulated during different phases of the strain cycle. Moreover, some intrinsic contractile properties of the muscles have been found to vary according to their position along the body.<\/jats:p><jats:p>We report the first results on the mechanical properties of the red and white muscles of an anguilliform swimmer, Anguilla anguilla. Small preparations (0.147\u20131.335mg dry mass) were dissected from positions at fractions of 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 of total body length (BL). We determined the time to 50% and 100% peak force and from the last stimulus to 50% relaxation for isometric contractions; we measured the sarcomere lengths that coincided with in situ resting length. None of these quantities varied significantly with the longitudinal position from which the fibres were taken. We also measured power and work output during contractions under conditions approximating those used in vivo (cycle frequency, 1Hz; strain amplitude, \u00b110%L0, where L0 is the length giving maximum isometric force). During these experiments, work output was affected by stimulation phase, but did not depend on the longitudinal position in the body from which the muscles were taken.<\/jats:p><jats:p>Our results indicate that red and white eel muscles have uniform properties along the body. In this respect, they differ from the muscle of most non-anguilliforms, in which muscle kinetics varies in a systematic way along the body. Uniform properties may be beneficial for anguilliform swimmers, in which the amplitude of the travelling wave can be pronounced over the entire body length.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1242\/jeb.204.13.2221","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,23]],"date-time":"2021-04-23T23:41:45Z","timestamp":1619221305000},"page":"2221-2230","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":27,"title":["Mechanical properties of red and white swimming muscles as a function of the position along the body of the eel<i>Anguilla anguilla<\/i>"],"prefix":"10.1242","volume":"204","author":[{"given":"K.","family":"D\u2019Aou\u0302t","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biology, University of Antwerp (U.I.A.), Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium,"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"N. A.","family":"Curtin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Biomedical Sciences, Imperial College School of Medicine, London SW7 2AZ, UK and"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"T. L.","family":"Williams","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiology, St George\u2019s Hospital Medical School, University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"P.","family":"Aerts","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biology, University of Antwerp (U.I.A.), Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium,"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"237","reference":[{"key":"2021042522095733400_ALTRINGHAM-AND-JOHNSTON-1990","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Altringham, J. D. and Johnston, I. A. (1990). Scaling effects on muscle function: power output of isolated fish muscle fibres performing oscillatory work. J. Exp. Biol.151, 453\u2013467.","DOI":"10.1242\/jeb.151.1.453"},{"key":"2021042522095733400_ALTRINGHAM-ETAL-1993","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Altringham, J. D., Wardle, C. S. and Smith, C. I. (1993). Myotomal muscle function at different locations in the body of a swimming fish. J. Exp. Biol.182, 191\u2013206.","DOI":"10.1242\/jeb.182.1.191"},{"key":"2021042522095733400_CLEWORTH-AND-EDMAN-1972","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Cleworth, D. R. and Edman, K. A. P. (1972). Changes in sarcomere length during isometric tension development in frog skeletal muscle. J. Physiol., Lond.227, 1\u201317.","DOI":"10.1113\/jphysiol.1972.sp010016"},{"key":"2021042522095733400_COUGHLIN-2000","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Coughlin, D. J. (2000). Power production during steady swimming in largemouth bass and rainbow trout. J. Exp. Biol.203, 617\u2013629.","DOI":"10.1242\/jeb.203.3.617"},{"key":"2021042522095733400_COUGHLIN-AND-ROME-1996","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Coughlin, D. J. and Rome, L. C. (1996). The roles of pink and red muscle in powering steady swimming in scup, Stenotomus chrysops. Am. Zool.36, 666\u2013677.","DOI":"10.1093\/icb\/36.6.666"},{"key":"2021042522095733400_CURTIN-AND-WOLEDGE-1993A","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Curtin, N. A. and Woledge, R. C. (1993a). Efficiency of energy conversion during sinusoidal movement of white muscle fibres from the dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula. J. Exp. Biol.183, 137\u2013147.","DOI":"10.1242\/jeb.183.1.137"},{"key":"2021042522095733400_CURTIN-AND-WOLEDGE-1993B","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Curtin, N. A. and Woledge, R. C. (1993b). Efficiency of energy conversion during sinusoidal movement of red muscle fibres from the dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula. J. Exp. Biol.183, 195\u2013206.","DOI":"10.1242\/jeb.185.1.195"},{"key":"2021042522095733400_CURTIN-AND-WOLEDGE-1996","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Curtin, N. A. and Woledge, R. C. (1996). Power at the expense of efficiency in contraction of white muscle fibres from dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula. J. Exp. Biol.199, 593\u2013601.","DOI":"10.1242\/jeb.199.3.593"},{"key":"2021042522095733400_DRSQUOAOUCIRCT-1999","unstructured":"D\u2019Aou\u0302t, K. (1999). Kinesiological aspects of anguilliform swimming. PhD thesis, University of Antwerp, Belgium."},{"key":"2021042522095733400_DRSQUOAOUCIRCT-AND-AERTS-1999","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"D\u2019Aou\u0302t, K. and Aerts, P. (1999). A kinematic comparison of forward and backward swimming in the eel (Anguilla anguilla). J. Exp. Biol.202, 1511\u20131521.","DOI":"10.1242\/jeb.202.11.1511"},{"key":"2021042522095733400_EDMAN-AND-REGGIANI-1984","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Edman, K. A. and Reggiani, C. (1984). Redistribution of sarcomere length during isometric contraction of frog muscle fibres and its relation to tension creep. J. Physiol., Lond.351, 169\u2013198.","DOI":"10.1113\/jphysiol.1984.sp015240"},{"key":"2021042522095733400_ELLERBY-ETAL-2000","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ellerby, D. J., Altringham, J. D., Williams, T. and Block, B. A. (2000). Slow muscle function of Pacific bonito (Sarda chiliensis) during steady swimming. J. Exp. Biol.203, 2001\u20132013.","DOI":"10.1242\/jeb.203.13.2001"},{"key":"2021042522095733400_GILLIS-1998","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gillis, G. (1998). Neuromuscular control of anguilliform locomotion: patterns of red and white muscle activity during swimming in the American eel Anguilla rostrata. J. Exp. Biol.201, 3245\u20133256.","DOI":"10.1242\/jeb.201.23.3245"},{"key":"2021042522095733400_GORDON-ETAL-1966","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gordon, A. M., Huxley, A. F. and Julian, F. J. (1966). Tension development in highly stretched vertebrate muscle fibres. J. Physiol., Lond.184, 143\u2013169.","DOI":"10.1113\/jphysiol.1966.sp007908"},{"key":"2021042522095733400_GRILLNER-AND-KASHIN-1976","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Grillner, S. and Kashin, S. (1976). On the generation and performance of swimming in fish. In Neural Control of Locomotion (ed. R. M. Herman, S. Grillner, P. S. G. Stein and D. G. Stuart), pp. 181\u2013201. New York: Plenum Press.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-1-4757-0964-3_8"},{"key":"2021042522095733400_HAMMOND-ETAL-1998","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hammond, L., Altringham, J. D. and Wardle, C. S. (1998). Myotomal slow muscle function of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss during steady swimming. J. Exp. Biol.201, 1659\u20131671.","DOI":"10.1242\/jeb.201.10.1659"},{"key":"2021042522095733400_JAMES-ETAL-1998","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"James, R. S., Cole, N. J., Davies, M. L. F. and Johnston, I. A. (1998). Scaling of intrinsic contractile properties and myofibrillar protein composition of fast muscle in the fish Myoxocephalus scorpius L. J. Exp. Biol.201, 901\u2013912.","DOI":"10.1242\/jeb.201.7.901"},{"key":"2021042522095733400_JAYNE-AND-LAUDER-1995","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Jayne, B. C. and Lauder, G. V. (1995). Red muscle motor patterns during steady swimming in largemouth bass: effects of speed and correlations with axial kinematics. J. Exp. Biol.198, 1575\u20131587.","DOI":"10.1242\/jeb.198.7.1575"},{"key":"2021042522095733400_JOHNSON-AND-JOHNSTON-1991","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Johnson, T. P. and Johnston, I. A. (1991). Power output of fish muscle fibers performing oscillatory work: effects of acute and seasonal temperature change. J. Exp. Biol.157, 409\u2013423.","DOI":"10.1242\/jeb.157.1.409"},{"key":"2021042522095733400_JOHNSTON-ETAL-1993","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Johnston, I. A., Franklin, C. E. and Johnson, T. P. (1993). Recruitment patterns and contractile properties of fast muscle fibers isolated from rostral and caudal myotomes of the short-horned sculpin. J. Exp. Biol.185, 251\u2013265.","DOI":"10.1242\/jeb.185.1.251"},{"key":"2021042522095733400_JULIAN-ETAL-1978","unstructured":"Julian, F. J., Sollins, M. R. and Moss, R. L. (1978). Sarcomere length non-uniformity in relation to tetanic responses of stretched skeletal muscle fibres. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B200, 109\u2013116."},{"key":"2021042522095733400_ROME-ETAL-1992","unstructured":"Rome, L. C., Choi, I. H., Lutz, G. and Sosnicki, A. (1992). The influence of temperature on muscle function in the fast swimming scup. I. Shortening velocity and muscle recruitment during swimming. J. Exp. Biol.163, 259\u2013279."},{"key":"2021042522095733400_ROME-ETAL-1993","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Rome, L. C., Swank, D. and Corda, D. (1993). How fish power swimming. Science261, 340\u2013343.","DOI":"10.1126\/science.8332898"},{"key":"2021042522095733400_SHADWICK-ETAL-1999","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Shadwick, R. E., Katz, S. L., Korsmeyer, K. E., Knower, T. and Covell, J. W. (1999). Muscle dynamics in skipjack tuna: timing of red muscle shortening in relation to activation and body curvature during steady swimming. J. Exp. Biol.202, 2139\u20132150.","DOI":"10.1242\/jeb.202.16.2139"},{"key":"2021042522095733400_SHADWICK-ETAL-1998","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Shadwick, R. E., Steffensen, J. F., Katz, S. L. and Knower, T. (1998). Muscle dynamics in fish during steady swimming. Am. Zool.38, 755\u2013770.","DOI":"10.1093\/icb\/38.4.755"},{"key":"2021042522095733400_SWANK-ETAL-1997","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Swank, D. M., Zhang, G. and Rome, L. C. (1997). Contraction kinetics of red muscle in scup: mechanism for variation in relaxation rate along the length of the fish. J. Exp. Biol.200, 1297\u20131307.","DOI":"10.1242\/jeb.200.9.1297"},{"key":"2021042522095733400_VAN-LEEUWEN-ETAL-1990","unstructured":"van Leeuwen, J. L., Lankheet, M. J. M., Akster, H. A. and Osse, J. W. M. (1990). Function of red axial muscle of carp (Cyprinus carpio L.): recruitment and normalised power output during swimming in different modes. J. Zool., Lond.220, 123\u2013145."},{"key":"2021042522095733400_VIDELER-1993","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Videler, J. J. (1993). Fish Swimming. London: Chapman & Hall.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-94-011-1580-3"},{"key":"2021042522095733400_WARDLE-AND-VIDELER-1993","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wardle, C. S. and Videler, J. J. (1993). The timing of the electromyogram in the lateral myotomes of mackerel and saithe at different swimming speeds. J. Fish Biol.42, 347\u2013359.","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1095-8649.1993.tb00338.x"},{"key":"2021042522095733400_WILLIAMS-ETAL-1989","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Williams, T. L., Grillner, S., Smoljaninov, V. V., Wallen, P., Kashin, S. and Rossignol, S. (1989). Locomotion in lamprey and trout: the relative timing of activation and movement. J. Exp. Biol. 143, 559\u2013566.","DOI":"10.1242\/jeb.143.1.559"}],"container-title":["Journal of Experimental Biology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"http:\/\/journals.biologists.com\/jeb\/article-pdf\/204\/13\/2221\/1238103\/2221.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"http:\/\/journals.biologists.com\/jeb\/article-pdf\/204\/13\/2221\/1238103\/2221.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,2]],"date-time":"2021-05-02T10:19:30Z","timestamp":1619950770000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.biologists.com\/jeb\/article\/204\/13\/2221\/32802\/Mechanical-properties-of-red-and-white-swimming"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2001,7,1]]},"references-count":30,"journal-issue":{"issue":"13","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2001,7,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1242\/jeb.204.13.2221","relation":{},"ISSN":["1477-9145","0022-0949"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1477-9145","type":"electronic"},{"value":"0022-0949","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2001,7,1]]}}}