What structure does the Atlantic bluefin use for countercurrent heat exchange to warm core muscles?
Answer
Rete mirabile
The Atlantic Bluefin Tuna utilizes a specialized structure known as the rete mirabile, which functions as a countercurrent exchange system. This physiological mechanism is critical because it allows the fish to retain metabolic heat generated by its active muscles, effectively keeping its core body temperature elevated significantly above the ambient temperature of the surrounding cold water. This ability to thermoregulate is a hallmark of the Scombridae family, highly developed in bluefin, and it directly underpins their ecological success by enabling them to exploit nutrient-rich, colder oceanic regions.
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