The study of the bioenergetic characteristics of the red blood cells of Black Sea fish: the common stingray (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Dasyatis pastinaca</Emphasis> L.) and black scorpionfish (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Scorpaena porcus</Emphasis> L.)

The oxygen consumption rate in red blood cell suspensions of two Black Sea fish species, a cartilaginous fish, the common stingray (Dasyatis pastinaca L.) and the teleost black scorpionfish (Scorpaena porcus L.) has been studied. The proposed stimulants of activators and inhibitors of the mitochondria electron transport chain had very predictable responses, indicating that mitochondria in fish erythrocytes have a classical set of respiratory enzymes. Despite the fact that the basic respiratory activity of common stingray erythrocytes was greater than those of the scorpionfish, the responses of common stingray red blood cells to the exposure during investigation of the respiratory activity of the mitochondria have an inverse relationship. The oxygen consumption rates in suspensions of scorpionfish erythrocytes in response to the stimulant were higher according to both the amplitude and the duration of the response. Investigations have shown the high energy potential of the red blood cell mitochondria of the scorpionfish and stingray. This may be the energy basis for maintaining the high intracellular concentrations of ATP required not only to keep an adequate level of intracellular metabolism, but also to provide a special mode of blood flow through the capillary beds.