Premium
Feasible mechanisms for algal digestion in the king angelfish
Author(s) -
MartínezDíaz S. F.,
PérezEspaña H.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8649.1999.tb00711.x
Subject(s) - biology , digestion (alchemy) , alginic acid , algae , lysis , cellulose , hindgut , botany , biochemistry , chromatography , larva , chemistry , midgut
To determine the ability of the king angelfish Holacanthus passer to digest algae, three algal species were immersed in acidic conditions similar to that found in the stomach of fish. Only one of them was not susceptible to acidic lysis; two were affected after 40 and 60 min at pH 2·0. King angelfish have an expanded region of the intestine called here the hindgut chamber (HC) containing populations of micro‐organisms. Some of these micro‐organisms have the capacity to grow in cellulose, agar, and alginic acid; the main components of algal cell walls. Micro‐organisms grew in carboxymethylcellulose cultures under aerobic and micro‐aerobic conditions. The HC is highly vascularized, which could increase absorptive efficiency of material digested in it.