Phosphate compounds in red cells of two dogfish sharks: Squalus acanthias and Mustelus canis

Abstract

1. 1. As part of a survey of the red cell hematology of birds, reptiles and fishes, two dogfish sharks, the spiny, Squalus acanthias (suborder Squaloidei) and the smooth. Mustelus canis ( suborder Galeoidei), have been selected from the elasmobranch fishes for a detailed study. 2. 2. Investigations were carried out on embryos, new born, young and adults at the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Mass. 3. 3. Studies on the changes of the red cell during early development of the two sharks, which have different modes of reproduction, the spiny ovoviviparous and the smooth viviparous, were facilitated by the ready availibility of embryos of convenient size for sampling of blood and testing of the red cells. 4. 4. Phosphate components of the red cells were isolated by ion-exchange column chromatography and the turnover rates of the nucleotides measured by their incorporation of radioactivity after brief incubation with 32P-labelled inorganic phosphate. 5. 5. Of special interest to a comparison of the two dogfishes is the concentration of red cell guanosine triphosphate which is high in the smooth and low in the spiny.