Abstract
The black skipjack, Euthynnus lineatus, uses a centrally located vascular heat exchanger to maintain core body temperatures warmer than ambient sea water. The heat exchanger is composed of the dorsal aorta, the posterior cardinal vein, and a large vertical rete. The dorsal aorta is embedded in the posterior cardinal vein and is completely bathed in venous blood. Skipjack hemoglobin appears similar to that of the bluefin tuna in that oxygen capacity is unaffected by changing temperature. Temperature-insensitive hemoglobin may function in warm-bodied fishes to prevent the premature dissociation of oxygen from hemoglobin as blood is warmed en route to the muscles.
Keywords: thermal profile, hemoglobin, rete mirabile
Full text
PDF
Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Andersen M. E., Olson J. S., Gibson Q. H., Carey F. G. Studies on ligand binding to hemoglobins from teleosts and elasmobranchs. J Biol Chem. 1973 Jan 10;248(1):331–341. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Carey F. G., Teal J. M. Mako and porbeagle: warm-bodied sharks. Comp Biochem Physiol. 1969 Jan;28(1):199–204. doi: 10.1016/0010-406x(69)91335-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Carey F. G., Teal J. M. Regulation of body temperature by the bluefin tuna. Comp Biochem Physiol. 1969 Jan;28(1):205–213. doi: 10.1016/0010-406x(69)91336-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- KLAWE W. L., BARRETT I., KLAWE B. M. Haemoglobin content of the blood of six species of scombroid fishes. Nature. 1963 Apr 6;198:96–96. doi: 10.1038/198096a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Linthicum D. S., Carey F. G. Regulation of brain and eye temperatures by the bluefin tuna. Comp Biochem Physiol A Comp Physiol. 1972 Oct 1;43(2):425–433. doi: 10.1016/0300-9629(72)90201-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- ROSSI-FANELLI A., ANTONINI E. Oxygen equilibrium of haemoglobin from Thunnus thynnus. Nature. 1960 Jun 11;186:895–896. doi: 10.1038/186895a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Woolley D. W., Gommi B. W. Synergist for serotonin present in schizophrenic blood. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1966 Jul;56(1):191–197. doi: 10.1073/pnas.56.1.191. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]