. Effect of low environmental salinity on plasma composition and renal function of the Atlantic stingray, a euryhaline elasmobranch. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 291: F770 -F780, 2006. First published April 11, 2006 doi:10.1152/ajprenal.00026.2006.-Marine elasmobranchs maintain internal osmolality higher than their external environment, resulting in an osmotic gradient for branchial water uptake. This gradient is markedly increased in low-salinity habitats. The subsequent increase in water uptake presents a challenge to volume homeostasis. The Atlantic stingray is a marine elasmobranch that inhabits a remarkable range of environmental salinities. We hypothesized that the ability of these stingrays to regulate fluid volume in low-salinity environments is due primarily to a renal glomerular and tubular functional reserve. We tested this hypothesis by measuring renal excretory function after a rapid and sustained 50% reduction in the osmolality of the external medium. Atlantic stingrays were maintained in harbor water [control salinity (CS) ϳ850 mosmol/kgH 2O] for 1 wk. Rays were then either transferred to diluted harbor water [low salinity (LS) ϳ440 mosmol/kgH 2O] or maintained in CS for a further 24 h. Renal excretory function was markedly higher in the rays subjected to low salinity. Glomerular filtration rate was threefold higher and urine flow rate ninefold higher in the LS group. The clearance of solute-free water was greater, and solute-free water comprised a significantly larger proportion of the urine output for the stingrays transferred to dilute harbor water. We conclude that 1) the kidneys of Atlantic stingrays have a remarkable glomerular and tubular functional reserve, and 2) the marked increase in renal function attenuates the increase in fluid volume when these fish move into low-salinity habitats. free water clearance; glomerular filtration rate; tubular urea reabsorption IN GENERAL, MARINE ELASMOBRANCH fishes (sharks, skates, and rays) maintain body fluids hyperosmotic to the ambient environment as part of their osmo-and volume-regulatory strategies. In the ocean, for example, plasma osmolality is 2-10% higher than the osmolality of the surrounding seawater (for review, see Ref. 28), this being due to their ability to maintain high Na ϩ , Cl Ϫ , and urea concentrations in the extracellular fluid (for review, see Refs. 28 and 51).Most species of marine elasmobranchs are confined to marine habitats (9) and only encounter relatively small variations in environmental salinity. However, some species are found in estuaries, as well as marine environments, and therefore can be considered marginally euryhaline (9). Furthermore, a small number of species are euryhaline; i.e., they are able to reside in marine, estuarine, riverine, and even freshwater habitats for extended periods of time. Although, these euryhaline elasmobranchs appear to migrate between habitats on a seasonal basis (48, 54), at least one species, the Atlantic stingray, Dasyatis sabina, can reproduce and complete its life cycle in freshwat...