Summary
The development of the thymus was examined in different stages of Harpagifer sp. from Signy Island (South Orkney Islands; 60°43′S, 45°38′W). The thymus was typical, both in position and structural development, of that observed in warmer-water teleosts. The infiltration of the thymic epithelia was not observed until 4 weeks post-hatch. Full development of the lymphoid organs was not achieved until the juvenile stage. Although an increased infiltration of the thymus, by sub-epithelial connective tissues and epithelial mucous cells, occurred in the juvenile and adult stages, there was no evidence of an advanced stage of thymic regression or involution in the adult Harpagifer. Thus a suppressive influence of the low temperature environment, on the onset and degree of thymic development and involution, was indicated in this species.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bly JE (1985) The ontogeny of the immune system in the viviparous teleost Zoarces viviparus L. In: Manning MJ, Tatner MF (eds) Fish immunology. Academic Press, London New York, pp 327–341
Botham JW, Manning MJ (1981) The histogenesis of the lymphoid organs in the carp Cyprinus carpio L. and the ontogenic development of allograft reactivity. J Fish Biol 19:403–414
Burren PJ (1988) Reproductive biology of Harpagifer sp. at Signy Island, South Orkney Islands. Unpubl Master's Thesis, University College of North Wales, pp 1–56
Chilmonczyk S (1982) Rainbow trout lymphoid organs: cellular effects of corticosteroids and anti-thymocyte serum. Dev Comp Immunol 6:271–280
Chilmonczyk S (1983) The thymus of the rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) light and electron microscopic study. Dev Comp Immunol 7:59–68
Chilmonczyk S (1985) Evolution of the thymus in rainbow trout. In: Manning MJ, Tatner MF (eds) Fish immunology. Academic Press, London New York, pp 285–292
Cooper EL, Zapata A, Garcia Barrutia M, Ramirez J A (1983) Aging changes in lymphopoietic and myelopoietic organs of the annual cyprinodont fish, Nothobranchius guentheri. Exp Gerontol 18:29–38
Dourov N (1986) Thymic atrophy and immune deficiency in malnutrition. Curr Top Pathol 75:127–150
Ellis AE (1977) Ontogeny of the immune response in Salmo salar. Histogenisis of the lymphoid organs and appearance of membrane immunoglobulin and mixed leucocyte reactivity. In: Solomon JB, Horton JD (eds) Developmental immunobiology. Elsevier/North-Holland, Amsterdam, pp 225–231
Engen, PC (1968) Organogenesis in the walleye surfperch, Hyperprosopon argenteum (Gibbons). Calif Fish Game 54:156–169
Fänge R, Pulsford A (1985) The thymus of the angler fish, Lophius piscatorius (Pisces; Teleostei). A light and electron microscopy study. In: Manning MJ, Tatner MF (eds) Fish immunology. Academic Press, London New York, pp 293–311
Finn JP, Nielson NO (1971) The effect of temperature variation on the inflammatory response of rainbow trout. J Pathol 105:257–268
Ghoneum MH, Egami N, Ijiri K, Cooper EL (1986) Effect of corticosteroids on the thymus of the fish Oryzias latipes. Dev Comp Immunol 10:35–44
Gorgollon P (1983) Fine structure of the thymus in the adult clingfish Sicyases sanguineus (Pisces, Gobiesocidae). J Morphol 177:25–40
Grace MF, Manning MJ (1980) The histogenesis of the lymphoid organs in the rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri (Rich. 1836). Dev Comp Immunol 4:255–264
Hafter E (1952) Histological age changes in the thymus of the teleost, Astynax. J Morphol 90:555–581
Honma Y, Tamura E (1984) Histological changes in the lymphoid system of fish with respect to age, seasonal and endocrine changes. Dev Comp Immunol [Suppl] 3:239–244
Honma Y, Tamura E, Chiba A (1985) Seasonal thymic activity in relation to the reproductive endocrine activity of the viviparous surfperch, Ditrema temminicki. In: Lofts B, Holmes WN (eds) Current trends in comparative endocrinology. Hong Kong University Press, Hong Kong, pp 223–224
Hureau JC (1982) Methods for studying early life history stages of Antarctic fishes. Cybium 6:3–11
Karnovsky MJ (1965) A formaldehyde-gluteraldehyde fixative of high osmolarity for use in clectron microscopy. J Cell Biol 27:137A
Manning MJ, Ruglys M, Grace MF, Botham JW (1981) Ontogenetic development of the immune system in fish. In: Pickering AD (ed) Stress and fish. Academic Press, London New York, pp 327–328
McArdle JF, Roberts RJ (1974) Bilateral hyperplasia of the thymus in a rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri). J Fish Res Board Can 31:1537–1539
McQueen A, MacKenzie K, Roberts RJ, Young H (1973) Studies on the skin of the plaice (Pleuronectes platessa L.). III. The effect of temperature on the inflammatory response to the metacercariae of Cryptocotyle lingua (Creplin, 1825) (Digenea:Heterophydae). J Fish Biol 5:241–247
Nakanishi T (1986) Seasonal changes in the humoral immune response and the lymphoid tissues of the marine teleost Sebastiscus marmoratus. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 12:213–221
O'Neill JG (1980) Temperature and the primary and secondary immune responses of three teleosts, Salmo trutta, Cyprinus carpio and Notothenia rossii to MS2 bacteriophage. In: Manning MJ (ed) Phylogeny of immunological memory. Elsevier/North-Holland, Amsterdam, pp 123–130
O'Neill JG (1981) The immune response of the Antarctic teleost Notothenia rossii to the bacteriophage MS2. Br Antarct Surv Bull 53:21–27
O'Neill JG (1985) An in vitro study of polymorphonuclear phagocytes and the effect of temperature. In: Manning MJ, Tatner MF (eds) Fish immunology. Academic Press, London New York, pp 47–55
O'Neill JG (1987) Temperature adaptation of the immune response in the Antarctic teleost Notothenia rossii Richardson. Proc 5th Congr Europ Ichthyol, Stockholm 1985, pp 443–451
O'Neill JG (1988) Thymic development in two species of marine teleost; an Antarctic silverfish, Pleuragramma antarcticum (Boulenger 1902) and a warmer-water sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax (Linnaeus, 1758). Proc 10th Symp Polar Biol, Tokyo 1987 (in press)
O'Neill JG, White MG, Sims TA, Barber DL (1988) An inflammatory response of the Antarctic silverfish, Pleuragramma antarcticum Boulanger 1902 (Teleostei:Notothenioidei), to infestation by the plerocercoid of a pseudophyllidean cestode (Diphyllobothrium sp.). Br Antarct Surv Bull 79:51–63
Raviola E, Karnovsky MJ (1972). Evidence for a blood-thymus barrier using electron-opaque tracers. J Exp Med 136:466–498
Rijkers GT (1982) Kinetics of humoral and cellular immune reactions in fish. Dev Comp Immunol [Suppl] 2:93–100
Rizkalla W (1969) Studies on the thymus of the nile teleost fish Clarias lazera C. and V. Acta Vet Acad Sci Hung 19:331–342
Sailendri K, Muthukkaruppan Vr (1975). Morphology of lymphoid organs in a cichlid teleost, Tilapia mossambica (Peters). J Morphol 147:109–122
Stefanini M, De Martino C, Zamboni L (1967) Fixation of ejaculated spermatozoa for electron microscopy. Nature, London 216:173–174
Stolen JS, Gahn T, Kasper V, Nagle JJ (1984) The effect of environmental temperature on the immune response of a marine teleost (Paralichthys dentatus). Dev Comp Immunol 8:89–98
Takamiya H, Batsford SR, Tokunaga J, Vogt A (1979) Immunohistological staining of antigens on semithin sections of specimens embedded in plastic (GMA-Quetol 523). J Immunol Methods 30:277–288
Tamura E, Honma Y (1977) Histological changes in the organs and tissues of the Gobiid fishes throughout their life span—VIII. Seasonal changes in the thymus of four species of gobies. Bull Jpn Soc Sci Fish 43:963–974
Tatner MF, Manning MJ (1982) The morphology of the trout, Salmo gairdneri Richardson, thymus:some practical and theoretical considerations. J Fish Biol 21:27–32
Zapata A (1981) Lymphoid organs of teleost fish. I. Ultrastructure of the thymus of Rutilus rutilus. Dev Comp Immunol 5:427–436
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
The signy Island population of Harpagifer has been given the species name H. antarcticus (Prof. J.C. Hureau; personal communication)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
O'Neill, J.G. Ontogeny of the thymus in an antarctic teleost, Harpagifer sp. (Notothenioidei: Perciformes). Polar Biol 9, 511–516 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00261035
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00261035