Reduced blood O₂ affinity associated with air breathing in osteoglossid fishes

Respiratory properties of blood in two closely related species of tropical freshwater teleosts, the osteoglossids Arapaima gigas, an obligatory air breather, and Osteoglossum bieirrhosum, an exclusive water breather, have been compared. Additionally, the O2 uptake rates (VO2) and breathing responses to hypoxic water were compared.The two species had similar values of hematocrit, hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, and O2, capacity, these being 28%, 7.5 g/100 ml, and 11.0 ml/100 ml for Osteoglossum and 30.8%, 7.5 g/100 ml, and 10.4 ml/100 ml for Arapaima. Red cell ATP and GTP levels were also similar in both species.A striking difference existed in the O2 affinity of red cell suspensions with a P50 value of 6.1 mmHg (1 mmHg = 133.322 Pa) at pH 7.4 (28 °C) for Osteoglossum against 21.0 mmHg for Arapaima. The difference persisted after purification and stripping of the hemoglobins of their red cell cofactors. We conclude that the O2-binding properties of the hemoglobin molecules in the two species are intrinsically different. The low O2 affinity in the air-breathing Arapaima permits O2 unloading at relatively high [Formula: see text]'s thus supporting a high [Formula: see text]. The high O2 affinity in Osteoglossum is necessary for Hb to function in O2 transport from a very hypoxic medium.