What effect does depth have on fish anatomy.?  Does a fish that
inhabits a deeper part of the ocean have certain adpations (size of
organs, etc.).  What is depth's effect on the circulatory system of a
fish?  Can you please find information about the circulatory system of
a fish.  THANK YOU and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Hi ahuddy,
  
The pressure on the ocean floor can be hundreds of times greater than
at the surface. Deep-sea creatures handle this crushing pressure
thanks to a compound called trimethylamine oxide, (an "osmolyte"). It
helps critical metabolic enzymes keep working under pressure. Deap-sea
animals have a higher concentration of this compound, and many species
of deep ocean fish also have special adaptations to living in
extremely high pressure, low light conditions - e.g. enlarged eyes,
light organs, and large stomachs (like the Gulper eel).
 
   
You should find these links helpful:
  
"Yancey has found that deep-sea animals--from fish to shrimp and
anemones--contain much more of a compound called trimethylamine oxide
(TMAO) than their shallow-living relatives.
Furthermore, the higher the pressure where an animal lives, the
greater the concentration of TMAO in its tissues."
http://www.spacer.com/news/life-99j.html
  
"High pressure traps water molecules at a high density around charged
molecules, interfering with critical binding events in cells involving
proteins. Dr. Joe Siebenaller of L.S.U. (pictured above) and other
researchers have found that many proteins in deep-sea fishes somehow
compensate for this effect. However, not all deep-sea proteins are
pressure resistant.
In my laboratory, we have found that these fishes (above) and some
invertebrates have the highest known levels of trimethylamine oxide or
TMAO (left).[..]"
http://people.whitman.edu/~yancey/deepsearesearch.html#pressure
  
Extreme Science - Life in the Deep
http://www.extremescience.com/deepcreat.htm
  
Trimethylamine oxide in marine animals
http://www.cephbase.dal.ca/refdb/pdf/6856.pdf
  
NITROGENOUS SOLUTES AS PROTEIN-STABILIZING OSMOLYTES: COUNTERACTING
THE DESTABILIZING EFFECTS OF HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE IN DEEP-SEA FISH
http://www-heb.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/congress/2002/Nitrogen/Yancey.pdf
  
  
Hope that helps!
  
  
------------------------
Search terms:
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"effects on fish" "sea depth" 
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"fish of the deep" anatomy
fish adapted sea deep "trimethylamine oxide"
fish deep  "trimethylamine oxide"

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Request for Answer Clarification by ahuddy-ga on 30 Dec 2003 11:20 PST

Does the actual anatomy (the heart) need to be stronger to pump blood
through the body at this high pressure?

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Clarification of Answer by jackburton-ga on 02 Jan 2004 15:00 PST

I have forwarded your question to a fish expert. When I receive a
response I'll let you know.
   
(For future reference, please request clarification before you rate an
answer, as the rating cannot be changed later. Thanks.)