Pardaxin
Encyclopedia
Pardaxin is a peptide
produced by the Red Sea sole
that is used as a shark
repellent. It causes calcium
to leak from shark cells.
Peptide
Peptides are short polymers of amino acid monomers linked by peptide bonds. They are distinguished from proteins on the basis of size, typically containing less than 50 monomer units. The shortest peptides are dipeptides, consisting of two amino acids joined by a single peptide bond...
produced by the Red Sea sole
Pardachirus marmoratus
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...
that is used as a shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
repellent. It causes calcium
Calcium
Calcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft gray alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth-most-abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...
to leak from shark cells.