Variation in flexural stiffness of the lepidotrichia within and among the soft fins of yellow perch under different preservation techniques.

Although the ray-finned fishes are named for their bony, segmented lepidotrichia (fin rays), we are only beginning to understand the morphological and functional diversity of this key vertebrate structure. Fin rays support the fin web, and their material properties help define the function of the entire fin. Many earlier studies of fin ray morphology and function have focused on isolated rays, or on rays from only one or two fins. At the same time, relatively little is known about how different preservation techniques affect the material properties of many vertebrate structures, including fin rays. Here, we use three-point bending tests to examine intra- and inter-fin variation in the flexural stiffness of fin rays from yellow perch, Perca flavescens. We sampled fin rays from individuals that were assigned to one of three preservation treatments: fresh, frozen, and preserved with formalin. The flexural stiffness of the fin rays varied within and among fins. Pelvic-fin rays were the stiffest, and pectoral fin rays the least stiff. The fin rays of the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins all had similar stiffness values, which were intermediate relative to those from the paired fins. The flexural stiffness of the fin rays was higher in rays that were at the leading edge of the fin. This variation in flexural stiffness was associated with variation in joint density and the relative length of the unsegmented proximal base of the fin rays. There was no significant difference in flexural stiffness between fresh and frozen specimens. In specimens preserved with formalin, there is a small but significant effect on stiffness in smaller fin rays.

Functional implications of morphological specializations among the pectoral fin rays of the benthic longhorn sculpin.

Fin ray structure in ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii) largely defines fin function. Fin rays convert the muscle activity at the base of the fin to shape changes throughout the external fin web. Despite their critical functional significance, very little is known about the relationship between form and function in this key vertebrate structure. In this study we demonstrate that morphological specializations of the pectoral fin rays of the benthic longhorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus octodecimspinosus) have specific functional consequences both within and among individual rays. The fin rays of longhorn sculpin have an elongate unjointed region with a cylindrical shape in cross-section proximally, and are jointed with a crescent-shaped cross-section distally. Variation in the relative length of the proximal versus distal regions affects the location of maximum curvature as well as the mean curvature along the length of individual rays. We experimentally manipulated fin rays to mimic the differential muscle activity that generates curvature of fin rays in living animals. We found that the shape of the fin rays in cross-section affects their curvature. Among fin rays, the most ventral fin rays with relatively longer proximal unjointed regions have a more distal location of maximum curvature. These ventral rays also have higher mean curvature, likely because of a combination of features including the cross-sectional shape, area and diameter of the distal segments as well as their relative size and number, which were not examined in detail here. Because these rays are used routinely for substrate contact, this higher curvature could contribute to increased flexibility for substrate contact behaviors such as clinging or gripping the substrate. These morphological and functional differences among fin rays are correlated with the functional regionalization of the fin. Specifically, the ventral fin rays that are used during substrate contact are more stiff proximally and more highly curved distally than the pectoral rays in the dorsal region, which are longer and used during slow swimming. This study highlights the importance of examining morphological and functional variation both within and among complex structures such as fin rays.

Sons learn songs from their social fathers in a cooperatively breeding bird.

Song learning is hypothesized to allow social adaptation to a local song neighbourhood. Maintaining social associations is particularly important in cooperative breeders, yet vocal learning in such species has only been assessed in systems where social association was correlated with relatedness. Thus, benefits of vocal learning as a means of maintaining social associations could not be disentangled from benefits of kin recognition. We assessed genetic and cultural contributions to song in a species where social association was not strongly correlated with kinship: the cooperatively breeding, reproductively promiscuous splendid fairy-wren (Malurus splendens). We found that song characters of socially associated father-son pairs were more strongly correlated (and thus songs were more similar) than songs of father-son pairs with a genetic, but no social, association (i.e. cuckolding fathers). Song transmission was, therefore, vertical and cultural, with minimal signatures of kinship. Additionally, song characters were not correlated with several phenotypic indicators of male quality, supporting the idea that there may be a tradeoff between accurate copying of tutors and quality signalling via maximizing song performance, particularly when social and genetic relationships are decoupled. Our results lend support to the hypothesis that song learning facilitates the maintenance of social associations by permitting unrelated individuals to acquire similar signal phenotypes.