The cellular growth mechanisms of captive cephalopods were examined to determine whether the growth processes in aquaria are the same as those of wild individuals. Mantle muscle tissue growth in cephalopods is a function of both the production of muscle fibres and the growth of existing fibres. After seven days, captive animals had thicker mantles, a greater proportion of mitochondria-rich tissue, muscle fibres with smaller mitochondrial cores and fewer small muscle fibres. This suggests a reduced rate of new fibre generation, indicating an alteration to the cellular growth mechanisms and not simply a change in the physiological rate of growth. Smaller individuals were affected to a greater extent. Such modifications to the actual mechanisms of growth may have the potential to alter the shape of an individual's growth curve and can also affect final body size. Alterations to the proportion and structure of mantle components may impact upon many critical aspects of an individual's biology as the muscular mantle is central to locomotion, ventilation of gills, energy storage and possibly subcutaneous oxygen extraction.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Research Division:	Biological Sciences
Research Group:	Zoology
Research Field:	Invertebrate Biology
Objective Division:	Expanding Knowledge
Objective Group:	Expanding Knowledge
Objective Field:	Expanding Knowledge in the Environmental Sciences
UTAS Author:	Pecl, GT (Professor Gretta Pecl)
UTAS Author:	Moltschaniwskyj, NA (Associate Professor Natalie Moltschaniwskyj)
ID Code:	35280
Year Published:	1999
Web of Science® Times Cited:	15
Deposited By:	TAFI - Marine Research Laboratory
Deposited On:	2007-08-01
Last Modified:	2011-11-25
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