In the world of aquatic life, the Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) is remarkably tolerant to salt water, surviving in habitats ranging from fresh water to hypersaline ponds three times saltier than the ocean.
In the world of aquatic life, the Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) is remarkably tolerant to salt water, surviving in habitats ranging from fresh water to hypersaline ponds three times saltier than the ocean.
Researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience (CTAHR) have unlocked one of the molecular mechanisms underlying this remarkable feat. The study, published in General and Comparative Endocrinology, was led by Andre Seale, a researcher and professor in CTAHR’s Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, alongside UH student researchers.
The team discovered how the fish survive under extreme salt stress by gradually increasing tank water salinity with artificial sea salt. Several fish species, including tilapia, need the hormone prolactin to prevent excessive water uptake and ion loss in fresh water, and turn it down when entering salt water. However, in extreme hypersalinity, prolactin signaling continues to be suppressed, while a continuous shift in the types of prolactin genes being expressed takes place.
This allows the fish to fine-tune their ability to to regulate salt and water balance even during transitions into salty environments.
Read More: University of Hawaii
Photo Credit: sarangib via Pixabay
