INORGANIC CONSTITUENTS OF BONE OF FISH

The inorganic constituents of fish bone ash were examined by both X-ra y diffraction analysis and elemental analysis. Fifteen species of fish were selected from Teleostomi and Elasmobranchi. Cattle and swine as Eutheria and fowl as Neornithes were also investigated to compare with the Teleostomi and Elasmobranchii. All ashed bone samples were classi fied in to three groups composed mainly of either hydroxyapatite (HAP) , beta type Ca-3(PO4)(2) (TCP), or their mixture; HAP type, TCP type, and HAP-TCP type. Sample species of the HAP type were sea bream, horse mackerel, carp, shark, cattle, swine, and fowl. The TCP type species was Japanese anchovy. HAP-TCP types were sardine, mackerel, tilefish, croaker, triggerfish, lizard fish, Spanish mackerel, flying fish, cong er eel, and flat fish. Molar ratios of Ca with or without either Mg or Na to P for the examined bone ashes coincided with the theoretical va lues of HAP and TCP.