Tag Archives: blood of fishes

The colligative effects of solutes in seawater (around 450 mM) depresses sea water freezing point to –1.9°C , while ordinary teleost blood (much more dilute) freezes at –0.4°C. So to avoid the blood and all tissues freezing solid, marine coldwater teleosts produce small anti-freeze proteins in the scales, skin, fins, …

Different fishes have very different lifestyles, so it is not surprising that the properties of their blood vary according to metabolic demands, and the way that the fish acquires O2 and excretes CO2. For example, blood in active fishes such as scombroids must have a much higher O2 capacity than …