Ontogeny of the hyoid musculature in the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) (Siluroidei: Glariidae)

Three ontogenetic stages of the African catfish Clarias gariepinus have been used to describe and discuss the ontogeny of the hyoid musculature. During ontogeny, an asynchrony in the development of the muscles is observed: the intermandibularis and protractor hyoidei are the first to develop and which bear their insertions, followed by the hyohyoideus inferior and the sternohyoideus. The hyohyoideus abductor and adductor muscles are the last of the hyoid muscles to develop. In the juvenile stage (136.2 mm SL specimen), the intermandibularis is still present. The protractor hyoidei is well developed, as it may play an important role in the opening of the mouth, the elevation of the hyoid bars and, as a typical catfish feature, the displacement of the mandibular barbels. The protractor hyoidei arises as three pairs of muscle bundles (a pars ventralis, a pars lateralis and a pars dorsalis), of which the pars ventralis and the pars lateralis become fused to each other. This fusion gives rise to four different fields of superficial fibres for the manipulation of the mandibular barbels. The pars dorsalis, with its tendinous insertion, may be of more importance for mouth opening and/ or hyoid elevation. The hyohyoid muscle is well differentiated into an inferior, abductor and adductor muscles, acting on the hyoid bars, the branchiostegal rays and the opercular bone.