Measurements of the viscosity of blood and plasmas at various temperatures and shear rates in Antarctic notothenioids, zoarcids, channichthyids and a New Zealand notothenioid

The viscosity of blood and plasma was measured from the Antarctic notothenioids Pagothenia borchgrevinki, Trematomus bernacchii, T. centronotus and Dissostichus mawsoni, from the Antarctic zoarcid Rhigophila dearborni and from the New Zealand notothenioid Paranotothenia angustata. Viscosity was measured over a range of temperatures from -2°C to +15°C and a shear rate from 450/s down to 2.3/s. Comparisons were made between active and sedentary species. Viscosities of whole blood from the channichthyids (ice fish) Chionodraco kathleenae and Cryodraco antarcticus were also measured over a range of temperatures and shear rates. A detailed study was made of the relationship between viscosity and red blood cell concentration in T. bernacchii blood and the effects of sampling stress were determined using chronically cannulated T. bernacchii.