ASSIMILATION OF DISSOLVED GLUCOSE FROM SEA-WATER BY THE SEA BASS DICENTRARCHUS-LABRAX AND THE SEA BREAM SPARUS-AURATA

Larvae of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and sea bream (Sparus aurata ) were transferred to normal or glucose-enriched sea water immediately after mouth opening to assess their ability to absorb and assimilate glucose at the beginning of the larval period. Assimilation was monito red by histological and cytochemical analysis of the liver. The result s showed that (1) the larvae of bath species regularly ingested water, (2) glucose absorption resulted in glycogen accumulation in the hepat ocytes (this was more marked in sea bass than in sea bream), and (3) g lucose delayed the pathological effects of fasting. Consideration of m etabolic derivatives indicates that hepatic glycogen probably arises f rom neoglucogenesis.