150 



FISHERY BULLETIN OF THE FISH AND "WILDLIFE SERVICE 



some cases occurring in two separate peaks. Little 

 representation was found in the zone of human 

 gamma-globulin. Fraction I simnped drastically 

 in seiiim from alewives held experimentally in sea 

 water under starvation conditions for 2 months; 

 and is in general agreement with Keys' (1933) 

 finding of lower total serum protein values for 

 starved eels. 



SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 



Comparison of six blood properties of pre- 

 spawning and postspawning alewives {Alosa 

 pseudoharengus) from two runs disclosed modi- 

 fications in only two characteristics that could be 

 attributed to fresh- water migration or spawning. 

 Total sennn proteins of postspawners averaged 

 5.3 g. per 100 ml., while prespawners averaged 

 5.9 g. Similarly, serum chlorides were reduced 

 in postspawners to 395 mg. per 100 ml. from a 

 previous average of 430 mg. Hemoglobin values, 

 eiythrocyte fragility, sedimentation rates, and 

 electrophoretic patterns were unchanged. Hemo- 

 globin values for alewives averaged 9.5 g. per 

 100 ml., with a range of 4.0 to 13.0. Complete lysis 

 of alewife ei^tlirocytes occurred, with little varia- 

 tion, between 0.5- and O.T-percent saline in 1-hour 

 tests. Sedimentation rates averaged 1.2 mm. for 

 1 hour, 3.3 mm. for 2 hours, and 4.8 mm. for 

 3 hours. In electrophoretic studies of serum 

 proteins, fractions with mobilities similar to 

 human albumin and human alpha- and beta- 

 globulins, were found. Of these, only the beta 

 fraction was variable, and no consistent changes 

 resulting from fresh-water migration or spawning 

 were obse^iTed. 



The data indicated little change in most of the 

 blood properties studied, when prespawning and 

 postspawning alewives were compared — suggest- 

 ing relative stability of the characters during this 

 time of physiological stress. It should be noted, 

 however, that a period of at least. 1 month sep- 

 arated the tests of the two groups, and that no 

 examinations were made of fish actually spawning. 

 Recovery from any short-tei-m effects of reproduc- 

 tion could have be«n accomplished before alewives 

 were sampled again as seaward migrants. 



Marked individual variations in such properties 

 as sedimentation rate, hemoglobin values, sennn 

 chloride concentration, and total serum protein 

 concentration are consistent with findings for 



other lower vertebrate species (Hunn, 1959, pre- 

 sents a list of pertinent references.) No clear 

 association of individual variations with gonad 

 condition, sex, or envii"onmental salinity has been 

 made, although the average sedimentation rat« for 

 ripe females was somewhat higher than that for 

 ripe males. Average total serum proteins and 

 clilorides were significantly higher in prespawners 

 caught in salt water than in postspawners taken 

 in fresh water — probably a reflection of environ- 

 mental salinity. 



Further studies are planned to assess the in- 

 fluences of environmental and physiological fac- 

 toi-s on the blootl characteristics of fishes. In 

 many ways, the alewife is the animal of choice for 

 this work. Serological studies may be made with 

 the same blood samples that are tested for other 

 blood properties. Furthermore, offspring of 

 small, isolated alewife populations may be exam- 

 ined before their seaward migration and compared 

 with spawning adults. Also, spawning iims 

 widely separated geogi-aphically — from the Mid- 

 dle Atlantic States to the Gulf of Saiht Law- 

 rence — may be compared. Finally, since land- 

 locked populations of this species occur in North 

 America, they may be compared with anadromous 

 stocks. 



LITERATURE CITED 



BissET, K. A. 



1&48. The effect of temperature upon antibody pro- 

 duction in cold-blooded vertebrates. Journal 

 of Pathology and Bacteriology, vol. 60, no. 

 1, p. 87-92. 

 Black, Edgar C. 



1955. Blood levels of hemoglobin and lactic acid in 

 some fresh-water fishes following exercise. 

 Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of 

 Canada, vol. 12, no. 6, p. 917-929. 

 Black, Virginia S. 



1957. Excretion and osmoregulation. In The Physi- 

 ology of Fishes (Margaret E. Brown, ed.), 

 vol. I, p. 163-205. Academic Press, New 

 York, 447 p. 

 Bond, Richard M., M. Katharine Cart, and G. B. 

 Hutchinson. 

 1932. A note on the blood of the h.igfish, Polixtolrcma 

 stout i (Lockington). Journal of Experi- 

 mental Biology, vol. 9, no. 1, p. 12-14. 

 Deutsch, H. F., and M. B. Goodloe. 



1945. An electroplioretic sur\'ey of various animal 

 plasmas. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 

 vol. 161, no. 1, p. 1-20. 



