Effects of Na^＋/K^＋ Ratio of Groundwaters on the Gill Ion-Transport Enzyme Activity, Plasma Osmolality and Growth of Cynoglossus semilaevis Juveniles

Effects of Na+/K+ Ratio of Groundwaters on the Gill Ion-Transport Enzyme Activity, Plasma Osmolality and Growth of Cynoglossus semilaevis Juveniles

The effects of environmental Na /K ratio on the gill ion-transport enzyme activity,plasma osmolality and growth ofCynoglossus semi/aevis juveniles were investigated.The results showed that,plasma osmolality was similar among flounder adaptedto different Na /K ratios of saline groundwaters (P>0.05),while the growth,gill Na ,K -ATPase and HCO,3'--ATPase activities wereaffected by Na /K ratio significantly (P<0.05).The gill Na ,K -ATPase activity reached its maximum on day 3,then decreasedgradually from day 3 to day 9 and remained constant from day 9 to day 15.The peak values of gill Na ,K -ATPase activity weredetected on day 3 for all Na /K ratios of saline groundwaters,then the enzyme activities descended,and on day 9 the enzyme activi-ties achieved steady state,and the gill HCO,3--ATPase activity increased rapidly and achieved steady state after one day.Duringsteady state,the gill Na ,K -ATPase and HCO,3--ATPase activity of Na /K ratios 20 and 40 treatments were significantly higherthan those in the control group (Na /K ratio 27.5),while there were no significant differences between the Na /K ratio 30 treatmentand the control group; the gill Na ,K -ATPase activity of Na /K ratio 20 and 40 treatments were significantly higher than that forratio 30 treatment,but there were no significant differences of gill HCO3-ATPase activity among these treatments.At the end of the15-day experiment,the weight gain (%) and specific growth rate (SGR) of flounders maintained in seawater were significantly higherthan those in groundwaters; significant differences also occurred among the treatments; Na /K ratio 30 treatment had the highestvalues (33.7% and 1.94 respectively),which were significantly higher than those under Na /K ratios 20 and 40 treatments.There-fore,for the saline groundwater used in this experiment,it is suggested that the Na /K ratio be adjusted to approximately 30,I.e.,asclose to that of natural seawater as possible in the culture of flounder.