Table 2 Fibre size data (CSA and LD) for each species from two groups with different dive behaviour; shallow (D. delphis, n = 4; S. coruleoalba, n = 2; and S. frontalis, n = 6) versus deep-diving species (K. breviceps, n = 2; M. europaeus, n = 3; and Z. cavirostris, n = 5*).

From: Comparative histology of muscle in free ranging cetaceans: shallow versus deep diving species

Group

CSA (μ2)

LD (μ)

Type I

Type II

Type I

Type II

II/I

Shallow-diving

661,94 ± 129,91

1709,36 ± 124,29

33,02 ± 1,35*

55,84 ± 6,26**

1,7

D. delphis

640,15 ± 254,52

1586,48 ± 606,47

31,58 ± 4,11

50,83 ± 2,10

1,6

S. coeruleoalba

544,30 ± 62,82

1706,59 ± 4,39

34,24 ± 1,36

62,85 ± 0,48

1,83

S. frontalis

801,37 ± 394,39

1835,02 ± 580,52

33,24 ± 5,08

53,83 ± 5,62

1,62

Deep-diving

2242,19 ± 1721,19

4690,46 ± 2284,00

51,93 ± 22,67*

83.95 ± 18,97**

1,61

K. breviceps

4033,98 ± 1020,81

3491,08 ± 470,78

74,39 ± 0,77

72,62 ± 5,65

0,97

M. europaeus

601,58 ± 319,46

3256,00 ± 1115,14

29,08 ± 3,33

73,38 ± 8,03

2,52

Z. cavirostris

2091,00 ± 1444,68

7324,31 ± 2877,30

52,35 ± 11,87

105,84 ± 17,43

2,02

  1. Values are expressed as mean (±s.d.). An extra specimen was added within the Z. cavirostris species in the morphometric analysis for the LD in order to homogenise the number of both groups. The Mann-Whitney U test for two independent-samples revealed a highly significant difference in the mean LD of the type I* (P = 0.019) and type II** (P = 0.000) myofibers when shallow- and deep-diving groups were compared.
Back to article page