From 3 to 38: diversity of blood groups in fish & Humans-A mini review

Blood group systems in animals arise due to the presence or absence of certain inherited antigens on the surface of their red blood cells. With the first discovery of blood groups in humans in 1900, several other blood groups have been discovered in different animals including fish. The blood group systems have been found in different fish species like goldfish, salmon, tuna, herring, cod, red crucian carp, trout and spiny dogfish. To date, there are shreds of evidence of only three blood groups in fishes: S system for pacific salmon, trout, cod, spiny dogfish and red crucian carp, Tg system for tuna, and Y system for skipjack tuna. In humans, 38 blood group systems are known to exist, 9 of which are considered to be major blood group systems; ABO being the most important. The genes of these blood groups are autosomal, except XG and XK which are X borne, and MIC2 which is present on both X and Y chromosomes. The present paper attempts to review the blood group systems found in fishes in comparison to the diverse blood group systems in humans.