Concentration of triiodothyronine in the sera of the sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, and the brook lamprey, Lampetra lamottenii, at various phases of the life cycle.

Triiodothyronine (T3) was measured by double antibody radioimmunoassay in the sera of individuals of all stages of the life cycle in the sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, and in larval (ammocoetes) and metamorphosing individuals of the brook lamprey, Lampetra lamottenii. There was no significant difference in results from the two species. Although serum T3 concentration did not vary significantly in ammocoetes maintained at the same temperature throughout the year, concentrations in ammocoetes displayed an inverse response to fluctuations in water temperature. Ammocoetes maintained at temperatures of 7 to 10 degrees and 19 to 21 degrees exhibited significantly different circulating T3 levels of 2400 and 1550 ng dl-1, respectively. Therefore, it is expected that there may be some seasonal variation in the levels of the hormone in ammocoetes in their natural environment. A precipitous collapse of the serum levels of T3 was observed by an early stage of metamorphosis (100 ng dl-1) and no significant difference in levels was observed throughout the remaining period of this phase. Young parasitic adults and adult lampreys collected during their spawning migration (upstream migrants) exhibited circulating T3 concentrations of 40 and 30 ng dl-1, respectively. T3 levels in some upstream migrants were below the limit of detection (less than 5 ng dl-1). The metamorphic decline in serum T3 may simply mark the beginning of the lower T3 levels that characterizes the adult serum.