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Seasonal, Geographical and Size Differences in Oxygen Consumption, Digestive Gland and Gills in Carcinus maenas (L), a Study of Condition for Ecologists
Author(s) -
Aldrich John Carlson
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
marine ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.668
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1439-0485
pISSN - 0173-9565
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0485.1983.tb00293.x
Subject(s) - gill , allometry , biology , carcinus maenas , dry weight , ecology , oxygen , zoology , crustacean , fishery , decapoda , chemistry , fish <actinopterygii> , botany , organic chemistry
. The excited rate of oxygen consumption, and the wet weights of the digestive gland and the gills were studied in relation to overall size. One experiment was made in Roscoff, France, one in Portaferry, N. Ireland, and three in Wicklow, Ireland. Higher levels of oxygen consumption were found in Roscoff together with greater gill weight. Seasonal changes in the level of oxygen consumption in Wicklow may be influenced by the dry wt/wet wt ratio of the gills ‐ probably an index of condition for the crabs as a whole. The power functions for allometric growth were virtually constant for each factor in all five experiments. All levels of factors were reduced in males weighing more than 60 g. Disproportions in the weights of the chelae marked the populations in Roscoff and Portaferry, compared with Wicklow. These suggest a genetic basis for the geographical differences in oxygen consumption and gill weight. The importance of local experiments for local conditions and the possibilities for predicting physiological rates from morphology are discussed.