Responses of the ultimobranchial body in eels (Anguilla anguilla L.) maintained in sea water and experimentally matured, to injections of synthetic salmon calcitonin.

The effect of a synthetic salmon calcitonin (SCT) treatment on ultimobranchial body (UB) activity in eels (Anguilla anguilla L.) maintained in seawater and submitted to experimental maturation, has been studied histologically. 2. The activity of the glands of a control group of eels maintained in sea water was taken as a reference. 3. The UB parenchyma showed a marked atrophy in the fish treated with SCT alone and serum calcium decreased significantly in this group. 4. Immature female silver eels receiving carp pituitary extract (CPE 1 mg/100 g body wt. per injections) until complete maturation presented high hypercalcemia associated with cellular hypertrophy and hyperplasia in the UB. 5. SCT treatment did not prevent the hypercalcemia provoked by CPE injections. UB activity was strongly increased in this case. 6. These data indicate that the activity of the UB in eels varies with both physiological and experimental hypercalcemia, and responds to SCT injections.