Studies on haemoglobin genotypes in turbot and their relation with growth

Abstract

Turbot, Scophthalmus maximus, were kept in tanks and weighed every month for about two years. Haemoglobins of 90 untagged and 52 individually Pit tagged fish were analysed by agar gel electrophoresis. A polymorphic system was found in the haemoglobins. The electrophoretic patterns indicated a dimer structure of the proteins. Based on the observations the fish were classified into three phenotypes, supposed to represent three genotypes named; Hb-I(1/1), Hb-I(1/2) and Hb-I(2/2). The phenotype specific growth rate of the fish were analysed using weight data of the individually tagged fish. In addition the final weights and lengths of the untagged fish were analysed for differences in mean size of the phenotype groups.