Seasonal changes in the calcium content of the blood of arctic cod

Abstract

A well-marked seasonal cycle in the total calcium content of the plasma was shown to occur in adult cod,Gadus morhuaL., of both sexes: these changes were not found in juvenile, immature cod. The changes in concentration of plasma total calcium appeared to be associated with gonadal maturation, the period of hypercalcaemia coinciding with the maturation cycle and the plasma calcium falling to a resting level again after spawning. Seasonal changes were greatest in the female cod and it is suggested that the raised level of calcium is associated with vitellogenesis in the ripening ovary, probably under the influence of oestrogens. The cycle in the male is not yet fully understood.