The Effects of the Pituitary Hormones on the Melanophores of Fishes

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Abstract
The responses of the melanophores of various fishes to commercial pituitary extracts were tested. Both "pituitrin" and "pitressin" cause expansion, of the melanophores when injected into catfishes (Ameiurus nebulosus), eels, and black-backed goldfishes, but "pitocin" has no effect. "Pituitrin" and "pitressin" fail to bring about any changes in the melanophores of Fundulus heteroclitus when injected into the body though "pituitrin" has been reported to produce contraction. When isolated scales are placed in Ringer''s soln. containing either of these extracts the melanophores also fail to respond. The melanophores of Fundulus do contract when "antuitrin" is injected into the body, or when isolated scales are placed in Ringer''s soin. containing it. These expts. suggest the possibility that the contraction of the melanophores reported to result from the action of "pituitrin" may instead be attributed to the presence of "antuitrin" in the early preparations. They also show that different fishes react in different ways to pituitary substances and that the responses of fishes and amphibians are not as dissimilar as they have been considered.

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