Mn. Christensen et B. Korsgaard, Protein metabolism, growth and pigmentation patterns during metamorphosis of plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) larvae, J EXP MAR B, 237(2), 1999, pp. 225-241
Citations number
35
Categorie Soggetti
Aquatic Sciences
Journal title
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY
Protein metabolism, growth and pigmentation patterns were studied during th
e process of metamorphosis in the plaice Pleuronectes platessa. Based on th
e morphological and concurrent metabolic observations the process of metamo
rphosis could be divided into three different phases: (I) premetamorphosis:
from hatching to beginning of eye migration, (2) climaxmetamorphosis: eye
migration, and (3) postmetamorphosis: the period immediately after completi
on of eye migration. During premetamorphosis a gradual increase in DW was o
bserved concomitant with constant concentrations of the nucleic acids RNA a
nd DNA of the larvae. An increasing calcium concentration indicated the beg
inning of skeleton ossification. Growth during this phase was primarily hyp
erplastic as indicated by an increase in DNA per larva. Protein catabolism
dominated, as indicated by an increase in the carbon to nitrogen ratio conc
omitant with a decrease in nitrogen per unit DW. During climaxmetamorphosis
an initial increase in the concentration of RNA was followed by a decrease
in RNA, DNA and protein concentrations and the ratio of RNA to DNA. During
postmetamorphosis growth of the larvae was again observed to be hyperplast
ic. Calcium assimilation reached a plateau depicting complete ossification
of the skeleton. Lipid catabolism dominated by the end of the metamorphosis
process. Pigmentation appeared to develop in two marked phases. During pre
metamorphosis larval melanophores and xanthophores dominated the pigmentati
on pattern. The concentration of these chromatophores was markedly reduced
at beginning of the eye migration process. During and immediately after eye
migration the concentration of chromatophores increased significantly and
the melanophores appeared to be of the adult type. (C) 1999 Elsevier Scienc
e B.V. All rights reserved.