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Teleost fish inhabit virtually every aquatic habitat and may owe this success in part to their exceptional mode of oxygen transport in the blood. By actively regulating the pH of their red blood cells, teleosts can control the binding of oxygen to their pH-sensitive haemoglobin, and the enzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA) promotes the unloading of oxygen at their tissues. By this mechanism, the hearts of Atlantic salmon need to pump less blood when the animals are swimming and this may be important in enabling successful spawning migrations of all salmon species, especially in the face of rising river temperatures.
Image caption: “A novel mechanism may enhance tissue oxygen extraction in swimming salmon that decreases the stress on their hearts and may facilitate their iconic spawning migrations”. The credit for the images goes to Jacelyn Shu.
Full article HERE
UBC Science press release HERE