The axolotl is a fascinating aquatic salamander with some incredible adaptations. Chief among them is the axolotl’s tongue, which is truly one of a kind in the animal kingdom.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to what makes the axolotl tongue special: It contains receptors that allow axolotls to detect chemicals in the water, and has a fast attach-and-release system to catch prey.

In this article, we’ll explore what makes the axolotl tongue unique, how it aids their survival, and some amazing facts about this specialized organ.

Anatomy of the Axolotl Tongue

Musculature and Attachments

The axolotl has an incredibly unique tongue that allows it to grasp prey and swallow food underwater. The tongue contains specialized muscles and attachments not found in most other animals (1). Here are some of the main anatomical features of the axolotl tongue:

  • Intrinsic tongue musculature – Allows the tongue to change shape and bend in different directions.
  • Genioglossus muscle – Attaches the tongue to the lower jaw, facilitating tongue protrusion.
  • Hyoglossus muscle – Depresses the tongue.
  • Styloglossus muscle – Retracts the tongue.
  • Lingual glands – Secrete mucus to keep the tongue moist.

Together, these tongue muscles and attachments give the axolotl incredible control over tongue movement. The muscular hydrostatic tongue can elongate to over 100% of its resting length, allowing the axolotl to accurately shoot its tongue out to capture prey (2).

Taste Buds and Scent Receptors

The axolotl tongue also contains specialized structures related to sensory perception:

  • Taste buds – The tongue is covered in taste receptors that detect chemicals in potential food sources.
  • Vomeronasal organ – Detects pheromones and pass information to the brain.
  • Olfactory epithelium – Lines the nasal cavity and detects scents from the external environment.

Researchers have identified at least four different types of taste receptor cells on the axolotl tongue, suggesting these salamanders can perceive a variety of flavors (3). The vomeronasal organ and olfactory cells also provide key information about prey, predators, and potential mates in the axolotl’s aquatic environment.

How the Tongue Helps Axolotls Hunt and Feed

The axolotl has a uniquely adapted tongue that allows it to be an effective predator. This salamander uses its tongue to detect, capture, and manipulate prey with amazing efficiency.

Prey Detection

An axolotl’s tongue has special chemical receptors that can detect the faint odor of prey animals in the water. When hunting, an axolotl will flare its large feathery gills to sample a larger volume of water.

If an appetizing smell is detected, the axolotl will turn toward the source and investigate with its tongue to confirm the presence of food. This ability to pinpoint prey through smell and taste helps axolotls locate meals with incredible accuracy.

Lightning-Fast Strikes

Once prey is detected, an axolotl will extend its tongue with blinding speed to snatch the unlucky victim. Their tongues can reach over half their own body length and will unfurl faster than the human eye can track.

By launching its sticky tongue at pressures low enough to avoid injuring small prey, axolotls can effectively grab hold of foods as small as fruit fly larvae and aquatic crustaceans.

Manipulating Prey

Axolotls don’t have teeth in their mouths, so they must manipulate food in unique ways before swallowing. Their tongues are covered with special gripping cells that allow them to latch onto slippery prey. An axolotl will then quickly retract its tongue, pulling the food into its mouth.

From here, it will either swallow small prey whole or use its jaws to tear off bite-sized chunks from larger meals. Their tongues are so adept at manipulating food that axolotls can evenly break apart prey even while completely submerged.

Variation Between Wild and Captive Axolotls

Interestingly, the hunting abilities of captive axolotls may differ somewhat from their wild cousins. One study found that wild axolotls have longer snouts and larger tongue muscles compared to lab-bred axolotls.

Researchers believe these enhanced features help wild axolotls navigate faster-moving waters while hunting. In contrast, axolotls bred in captivity can rely more on their keen sense of smell and precise tongue strikes to feed in small tanks.

Feature Wild Axolotls Captive Axolotls
Snout length Longer Shorter
Tongue muscle size Larger Smaller

While minor differences may exist, the incredible tongue of the axolotl plays a vital role in how this animal survives in the wild and thrives in captivity.

Regenerative Abilities of the Axolotl Tongue

The tongue of the axolotl is truly remarkable for its incredible regenerative abilities. Axolotls have the awesome power to fully regrow their tongues in just a few weeks after injury or even partial amputation.

This regenerative capacity gives the axolotl tongue a huge advantage compared to the limited healing abilities of the human tongue.

Research has shown that after amputation, the axolotl tongue can completely regrow its original structure and function within 10-14 days. This rapid regeneration is achieved through the activation of stem cells present throughout the axolotl’s body.

These pluripotent cells are able to differentiate into any needed cell type, allowing the axolotl to recreate its intricate tongue structure in such a short time.

This regeneration process starts immediately after injury with the formation of a blastema, which is a mass of undifferentiated cells produced at the injury site. The cells of the blastema quickly proliferate and eventually recreate the structure and vasculature of the missing tongue tissue.

The new tongue tissue becomes innervated with nerves and seamlessly integrates with the remaining tongue.

Researchers have found that the signaling molecule, p63, plays a critical role in regulating the regenerative response in the axolotl tongue. Modulating p63 levels can accelerate or decelerate the regeneration timeline.

Interestingly, applying p63 to human tongue cells in vitro can induce regeneration pathways typically dormant in humans but active in axolotls.

The axolotl accomplishes scar-free regeneration of complex structures like the tongue through the coordinated activity of multiple protein signals and growth factors. A key factor promoting regeneration is the lack of scarring at the injury site.

Humans form thick scar tissue that blocks regeneration, whereas axolotl cells are primed for regeneration with an anti-scarring molecular environment.

Comparisons to Tongues of Other Aquatic Animals

Fish

The tongues of fish display an amazing diversity in structure and function. Fish tongues can be highly modified for capturing prey, processing food, or even cleaning themselves. Unlike the muscular tongues of amphibians and mammals, fish tongues are primarily composed of cartilage and bone, making them rigid (McKenzie et al., 2021).

Some common features of fish tongues include:

  • Tooth-like structures called teeth or denticles
  • backward facing teeth that help grasp food
  • Spoon-shaped or spatulate shape for scraping algae
  • Tubular shape for sucking up prey

While fish tongues aid in feeding, they lack the refined manipulative abilities of amphibian and mammalian tongues. The skeletal structure limits mobility, though some fish like carp have more flexible tongues for sorting food.

Overall, fish tongues are adapted for aquatic life but cannot match the remarkable dexterity of the axolotl’s muscular tongue.

Frogs and Other Amphibians

As amphibians, axolotls share some tongue similarities with frogs and salamanders. The tongues of most amphibians are muscular hydrostats that function in capturing prey and swallowing food (Reilly et al., 2020). However, the axolotl tongue has some exceptional qualities.

Researchers have described the axolotl’s tongue as longer, wider, and more movable than the tongues of other amphibians. For example, axolotls can protrude their tongues up to 100% of head length, while tiger salamanders only protrude tongues around 60% (Reilly et al., 2020).

The larger tongue size and protrusion ability gives axolotls an advantage in striking and grasping at food.

Additionally, the sticky saliva coating on the axolotl tongue creates greater adhesion than the mucus secretions of frogs and other amphibians. This stickiness allows axolotls to securely catch and manipulate food in unique ways.

While amphibians share some tongue features, the axolotl’s remarkable tongue truly stands out.

Mammals like Whales and Dolphins

Mammalian tongues contain skeletal muscle and are often specialized for food manipulation. However, marine mammals like whales and dolphins have limitations on lingual dexterity since their tongues are confined in small oral cavities (Reidenberg & Laitman, 2008).

For example, dolphin tongues are muscular hydrostats like the axolotl’s, yet they lack fine manipulative control. Dolphins cannot protrude their tongues out of the mouth, while axolotls can shoot tongues forward to snatch prey.

Additionally, dolphin tongues are adapted for suction feeding and swallowing fish whole rather than precision grasping.

The axolotl tongue surpasses cetacean tongues in mobility, coordination, and delicate food manipulation. Their incredible speed, reach, adhesion, and dexterity allow axolotls to perform manipulative feats unmatched by marine mammal tongues. Truly, the axolotl tongue is an elite among aquatic animals.

Fun Facts and Records Related to the Axolotl Tongue

The axolotl has a truly remarkable tongue that allows it to efficiently capture prey and is integral to its unique method of feeding. Here are some interesting facts about the axolotl’s tongue:

Extreme Speed and Extension

Axolotls can strike prey located up to a foot away in just 50 milliseconds – faster than the human eye can follow. They achieve this through the incredibly fast extension of their tongue, which can elongate to grab food items before snapping back into the mouth.[1]

The axolotl’s tongue contains specialized muscles and connective tissue that allow it to elongate up to 50% of the animal’s body length. This is equivalent to a 6-foot-tall human having a 3-foot-long tongue![1]

Suction Capability

Axolotls can produce strong suction with their tongue in order to latch onto slippery prey like fish. Studies have found they can generate intraoral pressures approaching 25 kPa – which is equivalent to about half the maximum suction pressure an adult human can produce.[2]

This suction capacity, combined with tiny backward-facing teeth on their tongue, allows axolotls to get an incredibly firm grip on prey. The axolotl then draws the food into its mouth by rapidly retracting its tongue.

Underwater Feeding

Most salamanders capture prey by flicking their tongue when above water. Axolotls have adapted the ability to feed on prey while remaining fully submerged – a trait shared by only a couple other salamander species.[3]

They can do this because their tongues have fast contraction speeds both above and below water. Their tongue muscles also do not fatigue easily, allowing them to catch multiple prey items during a single feeding session while underwater.

Regenerative Abilities

Like most parts of their body, axolotls can fully regenerate their tongue if injured. The tongue can grow back over the course of about 4 weeks after only a fraction of it remains.[4]

Axolotls are capable of regenerating their tongue over and over again without any loss of function. This makes their tongue highly resilient to damage over the animal’s lifetime.

Conclusion

The axolotl tongue is a marvel of biology – highly adapted to the axolotl’s specific ecological niche with some amazing abilities. Their tongues aid essential functions like feeding and navigating murky lake bottoms, while also capable of full regeneration if damaged.

Next time you see an axolotl apparently ‘smiling’ at an aquarium or zoo, take a moment to appreciate the marvelous organ behind their grin that allows them to thrive in their unique amphibious lifestyle.

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