Meeting Abstract
We are interested in comparative study of structure and function in North American Acipenseriform fishes. Here, we characterize structural features of the pyloric cecum in three species – paddlefish (Polyodon spathula), Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrhynchus) and lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens). In many fish species, the pyloric cecum is a prominent digestive organ thought to have absorptive and possibly secretory functions. Using preserved specimens of juvenile fish of about the same age and size, we determined morphometric indices that relate pyloric cecum dimensions to digestive tract and whole body measures. In addition, we use histology and image analysis to compare pyloric cecum cell and tissue features in the three species. Comparing the pyloric cecum in different species may offer insight into digestive adaptations associated with the different ways of life and diets of these diverse Acipenseriformes.
