Meeting Abstract
The cypriniform palatal organ is a dorsal tongue-like muscular mass that spans the buccal roof and is bilaterally connected to the branchial elements. It has most often been associated with benthic sorting behaviors. Previous research on common carp and goldfish has shown that this taste bud-studded structure produces localized protrusions that selectively sort organic matter from inorganic matter during bottom feeding behaviors. Its possible role in other feeding modes has been largely overlooked as it has been presumed that the palatal organ’s only function is in sorting during benthic prey capture events. Using electromyography to examine palatal organ activity in the common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and goldfish (Carassius auratus), muscle activation patterns demonstrate that the palatal organ is active during prey capture events, during prey processing events, and may even play a role in respiration under stressful conditions. Furthermore, the palatal organ of both species shows behavioral flexibility when fed different prey types that provide different functional challenges. These data suggest that the palatal organ is a multi-functional structure with a much wider range of functional repertoires than previously thought. While sorting during benthic sorting behaviors may have been the primitive function of the palatal organ, it has likely been secondarily adapted for increasing dietary breadth during the course of cypriniform evolution.
