The Seasonal Intrinsic Cardiac Performance of a Marine Teleost

1. An in.situ heart preparation was used to evaluate cardiac performance in the sea raven, Hemitripterus americanus, under physiological inflow and outflow pressure conditions. Winter and summer fish were subjected to an acute 10 °C temperature change from the seasonal ambient value. The maximum cardiac output (Vb) under each temperature condition was determined by altering inflow pressure to the heart. 2. Acute temperature increase produced positive chronotropic and inotropic effects in winter fish. Acute temperature decrease produced a negative chronotropic and inotropic effect in summer fish. 3. The inotropic and chronotropic states of the heart were different in winter and summer fish. Intrinsic heart rate was higher in summer fish at all experimental temperatures. The sensitivity of the summer fish hearts to input pressure was also greater, especially during the warm experimental temperatures. 4. It was evident from heartbeat rate measurements and power output calculations that the advent of summer and winter seasons did not promote any compensatory ability in intrinsic heart function.