Open AccessEFFECTS OF FLUCTUATING AND CONSTANT TEMPERATURES AND CHEMICALS IN THERMAL EFFLUENT ON GROWTH AND SURVIVAL OF THE AMERICAN LOBSTER ( Homarus americanus ) 1
Author(s) -
Ford Richard F.,
Felix John R.,
Johnson Richard L.,
Carlberg James M.,
Ost Jon C.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
proceedings of the world mariculture society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.655
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1749-7345
pISSN - 0748-3260
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-7345.1979.tb00014.x
Subject(s) - juvenile , effluent , homarus , american lobster , moulting , zoology , larva , biology , growth rate , ecology , fishery , crustacean , environmental science , environmental engineering , geometry , mathematics
The effects of long‐term exposure to a fluctuating temperature regime typical of that produced by coastal electric generating stations were investigated for juvenile Homarus americanus held in individual rearing containers. Juveniles reared in a 15–22°C daily temperature fluctuation for 126 days had significantly slower growth than those reared at a constant 22°C. They also had significantly higher mortality and less resistance to a high stress temperature (31°C) than those reared at the constant temperature. Exposure to fluctuating temperatures for 1–2 weeks had no evident effect on growth and survival, suggesting that such short‐term exposures would not be harmful in commercial culture. Related experiments were conducted to assess effects of thermal effluent water chemistry and 4 constant temperatures on growth and survival of larvae and juveniles (Stages I‐XI). There were no significant differences in growth and survival among lobsters held in either thermal effluent or intake water at a given temperature (16, 20, 24, or 26°C), indicating that effluent water chemistry had no apparent effects. There were significant differences in growth of both larvae and juveniles held at the 4 constant temperatures. Survival of juvenile lobsters was not affected significantly by temperature, while that of larvae was. Juvenile lobsters molted more frequently at successively higher temperatures. However, these individuals were not larger than those produced by slower molting at 20°C. This was attributed to absence of a corresponding increase in feeding rate and the relatively high oxygen consumption rates observed at 24 and 26°C.