THE BLOOD GROUPS OIF MARINE ANIMALS
96
The first recent reference to the blood groups of fish in English
can be presented as a direct quote from a contribution to the discussion
of a symposium on the biochemistry of fish (Williams, 1961). It reads
as follows: “ Prof. A. Wormall stated that about 20 yeass ago, he
failed to find any major blood-group differences amongst dogfish,
but he suggested that a more complete examination of this subject
might now be desirable in the light of more modern knowledge about
rhesus and other blood factors.” This suggestion was soon followed
by the discovery in tunas of agglutinins specific for the human B and
other antigens, and the initiation of a systematic search for blood
typing antigens that would be useful in racial and evolutionary studies
of fish, particularly in connection with oceanic fisheries (Cushing,
1952a, b). The first efforts of this program led to the discovery
that the cells of many marine fish not only were agglutinated by normal
human sera, but that a variety of specificities were involved at the
species-specific level (Cushing and Sprague, 1952, 1953). Individual
differences were not found.
Ashurst concluded in 1956 from other negative findings on whiting
(Qudus nzerlangus L.), pouting (Qudus luscwr L.) and plaice (Pleuronectee platema L.) that : “ The evidence at present suggests that blood
groups may have started to occur in reptiles and so their possession is
confined mainly to the warm-blooded animals, i.e. birds and mammals.”
Coincidentally, this same year saw the start of major successes in
efforts to find blood types in fish, the course of which is shown by the
following citations. Hildemann (1956) used isoimmune and rabbit
sera to distinguish several antigenic types in the goldfish (Carassizrs
auratus (L.)), and to show that the antigens involved are inherited.
Cushing (1956) described individual variation in the antigens of the
oceanic skipjack (Katsuwonus p&2$92i8 (L.)). Blood group antigens
and isoagglutinins forming a system somewhat analogous to that of
the human ABO system were found in brown bullhead (Ictulurus
nebuhus (Le Sueur)) by Cushing and Durall (1957). Ridgway et al.
(1958) showed that natural antibodies in pig serum could demonstrate
significant differences between the erythrocytes of geographically
separated populations of sockeye salmon (O?tcurhyxhwr nerka (Walbaum)). Suzuki et aE. (1958) presented evidence that albacore populations ( G e r m alalunga (Bonnat.)) in the Pacific and Indian Oceans
differed with respect to blood type frequencies. A blood group sydtem
found in Atlantic sea herring (Glupea liarengwr L.), using an agglutinin in lobster ( H m m americanua Milne-Edwards) serum and rabbit
hebroimmune serum (Sindermann and Mairs, 1959).
while additional research on fish blood groups can be more conD*
96
The first recent reference to the blood groups of fish in English
can be presented as a direct quote from a contribution to the discussion
of a symposium on the biochemistry of fish (Williams, 1961). It reads
as follows: “ Prof. A. Wormall stated that about 20 yeass ago, he
failed to find any major blood-group differences amongst dogfish,
but he suggested that a more complete examination of this subject
might now be desirable in the light of more modern knowledge about
rhesus and other blood factors.” This suggestion was soon followed
by the discovery in tunas of agglutinins specific for the human B and
other antigens, and the initiation of a systematic search for blood
typing antigens that would be useful in racial and evolutionary studies
of fish, particularly in connection with oceanic fisheries (Cushing,
1952a, b). The first efforts of this program led to the discovery
that the cells of many marine fish not only were agglutinated by normal
human sera, but that a variety of specificities were involved at the
species-specific level (Cushing and Sprague, 1952, 1953). Individual
differences were not found.
Ashurst concluded in 1956 from other negative findings on whiting
(Qudus nzerlangus L.), pouting (Qudus luscwr L.) and plaice (Pleuronectee platema L.) that : “ The evidence at present suggests that blood
groups may have started to occur in reptiles and so their possession is
confined mainly to the warm-blooded animals, i.e. birds and mammals.”
Coincidentally, this same year saw the start of major successes in
efforts to find blood types in fish, the course of which is shown by the
following citations. Hildemann (1956) used isoimmune and rabbit
sera to distinguish several antigenic types in the goldfish (Carassizrs
auratus (L.)), and to show that the antigens involved are inherited.
Cushing (1956) described individual variation in the antigens of the
oceanic skipjack (Katsuwonus p&2$92i8 (L.)). Blood group antigens
and isoagglutinins forming a system somewhat analogous to that of
the human ABO system were found in brown bullhead (Ictulurus
nebuhus (Le Sueur)) by Cushing and Durall (1957). Ridgway et al.
(1958) showed that natural antibodies in pig serum could demonstrate
significant differences between the erythrocytes of geographically
separated populations of sockeye salmon (O?tcurhyxhwr nerka (Walbaum)). Suzuki et aE. (1958) presented evidence that albacore populations ( G e r m alalunga (Bonnat.)) in the Pacific and Indian Oceans
differed with respect to blood type frequencies. A blood group sydtem
found in Atlantic sea herring (Glupea liarengwr L.), using an agglutinin in lobster ( H m m americanua Milne-Edwards) serum and rabbit
hebroimmune serum (Sindermann and Mairs, 1959).
while additional research on fish blood groups can be more conD*