THE BLOOD GROUPS OF MARINE ANIMALS
116
Chromatographic methods were introduced into marine population
research by Buzzati-Traverso and Rechnitzer (1963), but have not
been extensively used, largely because of experiments by Farris (1957,
1968) demonstrating environmental influences on some of the patterns
observed in the California sardine. Barry and O’Rourke (1959) have
opened an interesting area of investigation with their research on the
chromatography of fish mucus. O’Rourke (1960, 1961) has also been
able to find antigenic differences in fish mucus, some of which are
caused by proteins with specificities like those of serum proteins. His
work, while at the species level, calls attention to the potential value
of mucus generally as a source of interesting immunological material.
(Hildemann’s paper, 1959, on the nutritive and protective properties
of parental mucus for the young of discus fish also is of interest in this
connection.) The above papers show that there is no question but that
chromatographic procedures should be further investigated, providing
that adequate measures are taken to learn the extent to which variations that are found are under genetic control.
Haemoglobin variations in fishes have been investigated by various
authors, notable are the researches of Sick and his associates (1961,
1962 , 1963). These include the discovery of genetic polymorphism
within four North Atlantic species, and the confirmation of the occurrence of hybrids between two species of flat fish.
A most significant advance has been made by Manwell (1963) who
showed that the hemerythrins of sipunculids are not only polymorphic,
but that some forms occur in frequencies compatible with the hypothesis that their variations are controlled by a pair of alleles in HardyWeinberg equilibrium.
While attention has been given to the comparison of the soluble
antigens of invertebrates by some workers (ef. Leone, 1954; and Manwell and Baker, 1963), investigations of this sort apparently have been
carried to the racial level only by Numachi (1962) in a study on oysters.
Here precipitin arid immunodiffusion techniques were used not only
to demonstrate differences in the antigens of several species, but also
to show that geographically separate populations of the Japanese
Oyster (Crassostrea gigus) could be distinguished serologically. Speciesantigens were found in D-shaped larvae extracts, pointing
the way toward the use of serological techniques in the identification
Of larval plankton. As oyster species and races can in some cases be
bred and raised artificially through more than one generation and also
the way is open to at least limited immunogenetic investigation of the antigens described.
Manwell and Baker (loc. cit.) have made an extensive study on the
116
Chromatographic methods were introduced into marine population
research by Buzzati-Traverso and Rechnitzer (1963), but have not
been extensively used, largely because of experiments by Farris (1957,
1968) demonstrating environmental influences on some of the patterns
observed in the California sardine. Barry and O’Rourke (1959) have
opened an interesting area of investigation with their research on the
chromatography of fish mucus. O’Rourke (1960, 1961) has also been
able to find antigenic differences in fish mucus, some of which are
caused by proteins with specificities like those of serum proteins. His
work, while at the species level, calls attention to the potential value
of mucus generally as a source of interesting immunological material.
(Hildemann’s paper, 1959, on the nutritive and protective properties
of parental mucus for the young of discus fish also is of interest in this
connection.) The above papers show that there is no question but that
chromatographic procedures should be further investigated, providing
that adequate measures are taken to learn the extent to which variations that are found are under genetic control.
Haemoglobin variations in fishes have been investigated by various
authors, notable are the researches of Sick and his associates (1961,
1962 , 1963). These include the discovery of genetic polymorphism
within four North Atlantic species, and the confirmation of the occurrence of hybrids between two species of flat fish.
A most significant advance has been made by Manwell (1963) who
showed that the hemerythrins of sipunculids are not only polymorphic,
but that some forms occur in frequencies compatible with the hypothesis that their variations are controlled by a pair of alleles in HardyWeinberg equilibrium.
While attention has been given to the comparison of the soluble
antigens of invertebrates by some workers (ef. Leone, 1954; and Manwell and Baker, 1963), investigations of this sort apparently have been
carried to the racial level only by Numachi (1962) in a study on oysters.
Here precipitin arid immunodiffusion techniques were used not only
to demonstrate differences in the antigens of several species, but also
to show that geographically separate populations of the Japanese
Oyster (Crassostrea gigus) could be distinguished serologically. Speciesantigens were found in D-shaped larvae extracts, pointing
the way toward the use of serological techniques in the identification
Of larval plankton. As oyster species and races can in some cases be
bred and raised artificially through more than one generation and also
the way is open to at least limited immunogenetic investigation of the antigens described.
Manwell and Baker (loc. cit.) have made an extensive study on the