Pardachirus marmoratus
| Finless sole | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Finless sole, Pardachirus marmoratus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Pleuronectiformes |
| Family: | Soleidae |
| Genus: | Pardachirus |
| Species: | P. marmoratus |
| Binomial name | |
| Pardachirus marmoratus (Lacépède, 1802) | |
Pardachirus marmoratus, also known as the finless sole or the Red Sea Moses sole, is a small fish from the Red Sea that secretes an ichthyotoxic milky substance from the base of its dorsal and anal fins. This secretion contains pardaxin, a lipophillic peptide that causes severe plasma membrane disruption resulting in cell leakage. The pardaxin containing secretion is used as a defensive mechanism against predators including sharks. Pardaxin is irritating to predator fish, particularly affecting the sensitive gills. Dr. Eugenie Clark conducted much of the early work on Pardachirus marmoratus.[1]
There is much biotechnological interest in pardaxin, early interest focused on potential shark repellent applications while newer research foucuses on antimicrobial and neurotoxic potential of pardaxin and its analogues.
References
- ↑ Clark, Eugenie; Gorge, Anita (June 1979). "Toxic soles, Pardachirus marmoratus from the Red Sea and P. pavoninus from Japan, with notes on other species". Environmental Biology of Fishes. 4 (2): 103–123. doi:10.1007/bf00005447. Retrieved 15 Feb 2016.
- Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2012). "Pardachirus marmoratus" in FishBase. December 2012 version.