Is the silvering process similar to the effects of pressure acclimatization on yellow eels?

• Published in: Respiratory physiology & neurobiology 2005-02, Vol.145 (2), p.243-250
• Main Authors: Vettier, Aurélie, Amérand, Aline, Cann-Moisan, Christine, Sébert, Philippe
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acclimatization; Acclimatization - physiology; Adenine Nucleotides; Adenine Nucleotides - analysis; Agnatha. Pisces; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Atmospheric Pressure; Autoecology; Biological and medical sciences; Eel; Eels; Electron Transport Complex IV; Electron Transport Complex IV - metabolism; Energy metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human health and pathology; Life Sciences; Muscle Fibers, Skeletal; Muscle Fibers, Skeletal - classification; Muscle Fibers, Skeletal - metabolism; Oxygen Consumption; Oxygen Consumption - physiology; Pressure; Silvering process; Time Factors; Tissues and Organs; Vertebrata
• ISSN: 1569-9048; 1878-1519
• DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2004.09.002

To reproduce eels need to migrate over 6000 km and at pressure but before this migration they metamorphose into silver eels (silvering). The question raised in this study is to determine whether and how the silvering process contributes to pressure resistance. As migration represents a long swimming activity mainly performed with slow muscles, the red muscle energetics of pressure exposed silver eels was studied. By comparing these results to what has already been shown in yellow eels, we point out that the effects of the silvering process on pressure resistance are similar to the effects of pressure acclimatization in yellow eels. As previously shown, success of pressure acclimatization depends on membrane fluidity, but we raise the hypothesis that the high-pressure resistance of silver eels is due to more fluid membranes.