Morphometrics and ultrastructure of myocardial tissue in Notothenioid fishes

Johnston, Ian A.; Harrison, Paul. 1987 Morphometrics and ultrastructure of myocardial tissue in Notothenioid fishes. Fish Physiology and Biochemistry, 3 (1). 1-6. 10.1007/BF02183988

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Abstract/Summary

Antarctic fish of the family Channichthyidae (Icefishes) lack the respiratory pigments haemoglobin and myoglobin. The morphometrics and ultrastructure of the ventricular myocardium of a benthic icefish,Chaenocephalus aceratus has been compared with that of a red-blooded Notothenioid fish,Notothenia neglecta, of similar habit. The mass of ventricular muscle as a percentage of bodyweight is 3 times greater in adultC. aceratus (0.32%) thanN. neglecta (0.11%). Myoglobin concentration in the ventricle ofN. neglecta, 20 nmoles/g, is comparable to that of temperate teleosts with similar activity patterns. The volume and surface densities of mitochondria are 41.5% and 0.32 μm−1 for Icefish and 25% and 0.15 μm−1 forN. neglecta, Cytochrome oxidase activities are similar in the two tissues whilst the volume density of myofibrils is higher forN. neglecta (47%) thanC. aceratus (29.9%). The proliferation of mitochondria in the myocardium of Icefish will reduce the diffusion path-length for oxygen between ventricular lumen and the outer mitochondrial membrane and may compensate for the absence of myoglobin.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1007/BF02183988
ISSN:	0920-1742
Additional Keywords:	antarctic fish, teleost, cardiac muscle, myoglobin, mitochondria, ultrastructure, Channichthyidae, Notothenia neglecta, Chaenocephalus aceratus
NORA Subject Terms:	Biology and Microbiology
Date made live:	04 Apr 2019 10:20 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/522787

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