The claw closer muscle of Neohelice granulata (Grapsoidea, Varunidae): a morphological and histochemical study

Abstract

The claw closer muscle of Neohelice granulata was studied according to histological, histochemical, and morphometrical criteria. Adult male crabs in intermoult stage were collected from Mar Chiquita Lagoon (Buenos Aires, Argentina). Muscle fibers show evident striations and oval-elongated nuclei with loose chromatin. The loose connective tissue among muscle fibers consists of cells and fibers embedded in an amorphous substance.Muscle histochemistry reveals two slow fiber types: "A" and "B". Prevailing A fibers are larger, and they usually show, with respect to B type, a weaker reaction to whole techniques. Fibers with short (SS), intermediate (IS), and long sarcomeres (LS) appear in the claw closer muscle, being the LS fibers predominant. Concluding, the histochemical and morphometrical characteristics of the claw closer muscle fibers of N. granulata are indicative of slow fibers. The slow A type (low resistant to fatigue) prevails.