Hemoglobins and serum proteins in four North Atlantic seals, studied by electrophoresis

• Main Author: Nævdal, Gunnar
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: [Fiskeridirektoratets havforskningsinstitutt] 1966
• Subjects: Harp Seal; hooded seal; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11250/114824

Hemoglobins and serum proteins of four species of pinnipeds have been analysed by starch-/agar-gel electrophoresis at pH 9.0, the serum proteins also by agar-gel electrophoresis at pH 6.3. The original purpose of the work was to discover polymorph characteristics to be used in population studies of the two most valuable species: the harp seal and the hooded seal. During sampling also some specimens from ringed and bearded seals have been collected, and descriptions of the obtained electrophoreograms are given. The greatest attention has been paid to intraspecific variations detectable by these relatively simple electrophoretic methods. For all species, several individual differences have been found. Particularly the transferrin variations in harp and ringed seals (probable transferrins) and haptoglobin variations in the hooded seal are conspicuous. Individual differences in other serum proteins have been found for all species, but they are most obvious in the hooded seal. Although no definite proof can yet be offered (except for the transferrins of the harp seal), it is probable that most of the variations are genetically controlled. The transferrins of harp seals, proteins labelled II and III of hooded seals, and perhaps also the haptoglobins of the hooded seal seem to be suitable characteristics for studies of population problems.