Meeting Abstract

P3.50  Saturday, Jan. 5  Impact of sex on fast-start responses in reedfish, Erpetoichthys calabaricus ALUCK, R.J.*; WARD, A.B.; Adelphi University; Adelphi University award@adelphi.edu

Male and female vertebrates differ in many ways including color, behavior, anatomy, physiology, and ornamentation. Recent studies in tetrapods have indicated the importance of sex on aspects of escape behavior including how close a potential predator can come to an individual and how far the individual will go to escape a potential predator. It is probable that similar differences between sexes will be noted in fishes. In fishes that are broadcast spawners, much of the abdominal cavity of females can be filled with eggs, which could affect the flexibility of the abdominal region. Since fish use axial undulation for locomotion, it is likely that there are sexual differences in axial locomotion between males and females. Polypteriformes, a member of the ray-finned fishes, can be sexed externally by the size of the anal fin making them a suitable candidate for looking at sexual differences in escape behavior. Males have a large anal fin whereas females have much smaller anal fin. In this study, we examined the effect of sex on fast-start performance in reedfish (Erpetoichthys calabaricus) using high-speed video. In addition we examined muscle cross-sectional area along the body to determine whether males and females differed, thus explaining any differences in the kinematics of fast-starts. We found that there were some differences in mechanics of the fast-start response between males and females. This work will provide the basis for examining fast-start performance in other highly elongate fish to examine how elongating in either the abdominal or caudal region affects fast-start performance.