Descripción: Split lamellae of posterior gills of Chasmagnathus granulatus adapted to 2.5‰ salinity were mounted in a modified Ussing chamber. With NaCl-saline on both sides of the preparation a transepithelial voltage (Vte) of 4.1±0.5 mV (outside positive) was measured. After voltage-clamping, the negative short-circuit current (Isc) amounted to -142±21 μA cm-2 at a conductance (Gte) of 44±5 mS cm-2. Substitution of either chloride (by nitrate) or sodium (by choline) on both sides of split gill lamellae significantly reduced Isc (by 70-80%) and Gte (by 30-50%). External CsCl (but not BaCl2 or furosemide) inhibited the negative Isc without affecting Gte. Addition of ouabain, BaCl2 or diphenylamine-2-carboxylate to the internal bath inhibited Isc at unchanged Gte. Internal acetazolamide did not affect Isc or Gte across split gill lamellae. Unidirectional Na+ influx across isolated and perfused posterior gills, however, was reduced by internal acetazolamide by approximately 20% at constant Vte. The results suggest that posterior gills of hyperosmoregulating C. granulatus display a high conductance epithelium that actively absorbs NaCl in a coupled way by an electrogenic mechanism similar to that seen in the thick ascending limb of Henle's loop and, to a minor degree, by an electroneutral mechanism, presumably via apical Na+/H+and Cl-/HCO3--antiports.