Okinawa Churashima Research Institute, Okinawa Churashima Foundation, Motobu, Okinawa, Japan.
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, Okinawa Churashima Foundation, Motobu, Okinawa, Japan.
PLoS One. 2023 Sep 27;18(9):e0291224. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291224. eCollection 2023.
Our recent success in the long-term maintenance of lantern shark embryos in artificial uterine systems has provided a novel option for the medical treatment of premature embryos for captive viviparous elasmobranchs. The remaining issue with this system is that the embryos cannot survive the abrupt change in the chemical environment from artificial uterine fluid (AUF) to seawater during delivery. To overcome this issue, the present study developed a new protocol for seawater adaptation, which is characterized by a long-term and stepwise shift from AUF to seawater prior to delivery. This protocol was employed successfully, and the specimen survived for more than seven months after delivery, the longest captive record of the species. During the experiment, we unexpectedly detected bioluminescence of the embryonic lantern shark in the artificial uterus. This observation indicates that lantern sharks can produce luciferin, a substance for bioluminescence. This contradicts the recent hypothesis that lantern sharks lack the ability to produce luciferin and use luciferin obtained from food sources.
我们最近在人工子宫系统中成功地维持了灯笼鲨鱼胚胎的长期生存，这为治疗人工养殖的胎生软骨鱼类早产儿提供了一种新的选择。该系统目前仍存在一个问题，即胚胎在分娩过程中无法适应从人工子宫液（AUF）到海水的化学环境的突然变化。为了解决这个问题，本研究开发了一种新的海水适应方案，其特点是在分娩前通过长期逐步地从 AUF 转移到海水。该方案成功实施，标本在分娩后存活了七个多月，创下了该物种的最长人工养殖记录。在实验过程中，我们在人工子宫中意外地检测到了胚胎灯笼鲨鱼的生物发光。这一观察结果表明，灯笼鲨鱼可以产生发光物质——荧光素。这与最近的假设相矛盾，该假设认为灯笼鲨鱼缺乏产生荧光素的能力，并从食物来源中获取荧光素。
