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Effects of open- and closed-system temperature changes on blood O2-binding characteristics of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus)

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry volume 32, pages 283–294 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

We investigated the effects of open- and closed-system temperature changes on the O2 affinity of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) blood using in vitro methods essentially identical to those previously employed on tropical tuna species. Bluefin tuna blood has a general O2 affinity (P 50 = 2.6–3.1 kPa or 19–23 mm Hg at 0.5% CO2) similar to that of skipjack tuna, yellowfin tuna, and kawakawa blood (P 50 = 2.8–3.1 kPa at 0.5% CO2) but significantly above that of bigeye tuna blood (P 50 = 1.6–2.0 kPa at 0.5% CO2). We therefore hypothesize that bluefin tuna are less tolerant of hypoxia than bigeye tuna. Further, we found the P 50 of bluefin tuna blood to be slightly reduced by a 10°C open-system temperature increase (e.g., from 4.83 kPa at 15°C to 3.95 kPa at 25°C) and to be completely unaffected by a 10°C closed-system temperature change. Bluefin tuna blood, therefore, had a significantly reduced Bohr effect when subjected to the inevitable changes in P CO 2 and plasma pH that accompany closed-system temperature shifts (0.04–0.09 Δlog P50ΔpH−1) compared with the effects of changes in plasma pH accomplished by changing P CO 2 alone (0.81–0.94 Δlog P50 Δ pH−1). This response is similar to that of skipjack tuna blood, but different from yellowfin or bigeye tuna blood. During closed-system temperature changes at oxygen levels above P 50, however, bluefin tuna blood showed a reversed temperature effect (i.e., P O 2 decreased in response to an increase in temperature). Unlike in other tuna species, temperature effects on O2 affinity of bluefin tuna whole blood were similar to those previously reported for hemoglobin solutions, suggesting that red cell-mediated ligand changes are not involved.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Marine Fisheries Service (Northeast Fisheries Science Center), a partial IUSB faculty research grant (PGB), and NOAA Grant NA04NMF4550391 to the Large Pelagics Research Center–University of New Hampshire. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of NOAA or any of its sub-agencies. The experiments, animal maintenance, anesthesia, and animal handling procedures described herein were approved by the College and William and Mary Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and comply with all current applicable laws of the United States of America. The authors gratefully acknowledge Jack Stallings, Molly Lutcavage, John Logan, Roy Pemberton, and Andrij Horodysky for collecting live tunas and for their help during the experiments. We especially thank Mark Luckenbach, Reade Bonniwell, and the staff of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science Eastern Shore Laboratory for their continuing and genuine hospitality and for providing both fish holding and laboratory facilities. This is contribution 2761 from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

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  1. Cooperative Marine Education and Research Program, NOAA Fisheries, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, PO Box 1346, Gloucester Point, Virginia, 23062, USA

    R. W. Brill

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Indiana University South Bend, PO Box 7111, South Bend, Indiana, 46634, USA

    P. G. Bushnell

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  1. R. W. Brill
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  2. P. G. Bushnell
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Correspondence to R. W. Brill.

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Brill, R.W., Bushnell, P.G. Effects of open- and closed-system temperature changes on blood O2-binding characteristics of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus). Fish Physiol Biochem 32, 283–294 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-006-9104-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-006-9104-7

Keywords

  • Cardiorespiratory
  • Fish
  • Hemoglobin
  • Hypoxia
  • Pelagic
  • Metabolic rate
  • Oxygen affinity
  • Scrombridae

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