Branchial arches of suspension-feeding Oreochromis esculentus : sieve or sticky filter?

Only 4% of 600 particles slid on or adhered to buccopharyngeal surfaces of Oreochromis esculentus. Only a minute quantity of mucus was visible during feeding (0.6% of 68 224 video frames; 30 frames s super(-1)), and very few particles were retained in this mucus. Filtration by mucus entrapment on th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of fish biology 2000-04, Vol.56 (4), p.858-875
Main Authors: GOODRICH, J. S, SANDERSON, S. L, BATJAKAS, I. E, KAUFMAN, L. S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agnatha. Pisces
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Autoecology
Biological and medical sciences
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Oreochromis esculentus
Vertebrata
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Summary:Only 4% of 600 particles slid on or adhered to buccopharyngeal surfaces of Oreochromis esculentus. Only a minute quantity of mucus was visible during feeding (0.6% of 68 224 video frames; 30 frames s super(-1)), and very few particles were retained in this mucus. Filtration by mucus entrapment on the branchial arches is rejected as a mechanism of particle retention in this species. Since particles contacted the branchial arches infrequently, and the inter-raker spaces are too large to retain particles less than approximately 50 mu m, sieving by gill rakers as a particle retention mechanism is rejected also. Unlike the suspension-feeding congener O. niloticus, O. esculentus does not use branchial arches to retain food particles by sieving or by mucus entrapment.
ISSN:0022-1112
1095-8649
DOI:10.1006/jfbi.1999.1205