Why can the eel, unlike the trout, migrate under pressure.

• Main Authors: Sébert, P., Theron, M.
• Other Authors: Optimisation des régulations physiologiques (ORPHY (EA 4324)), Institut Brestois Santé Agro Matière (IBSAM), Université de Brest (UBO)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Brest (CHRU Brest)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2001
• Subjects: [SDV.MHEP.PHY]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Tissues and Organs [q-bio.TO]; Anguilla anguilla
• Online Access: https://hal.univ-brest.fr/hal-00750457

International audience In order to elucidate the difference between pressure resistance in trout (Onchorhyncus mykiss) and eel (Anguilla anguilla), oxygen consumption of red muscle permeabilised cells and mitochondria were measured at 101 ATA hydrostatic pressure per se. Such an experiment involved the setting up of a special system allowing measurements under high pressure. The results show that hydrostatic pressure strongly alters the oxidative phosphorylation in trout but not in eel, which exhibits mitochondrial pressure resistance. It is hypothesised that the eel has a supranormal mitochondria functioning at atmospheric pressure in order to cope with the high pressure environment encountered during its migration.