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Name: Millard
Status: Educator
Age: 50s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: August 2004
Question:
You indicated that osmoregulators was the name for fish, like salmon, that can live in both fresh and salt water. I am under the impression that the term for this is anadromous. Please make the distinction between these two terms.


Replies:
Dear Millard:

Anadromous fish are defined as those which "migrate between freshwater and saltwater", according to the following webpage from the Nat'l. Marine Fisheries Service:

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/habitatprotection/anadromousfish.htm

Osmoregulation refers to the general physiological process that provides for this capability, as explained in the following PageWise & Wikipedia entries, although it is not unique such migratory fish:

http://ca.essortment.com/osmoconformerso_rjdp.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmoregulation

I hope that this explanation is helpful,

Jeff Buzby, Ph.D.
CHOC Research Institute


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