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Blood Concentrations of Limnoria (Isopoda) in Relation to Salinity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2009

S. K. Eltringham
S. K. Eltringham*
Affiliation:
Departments of Zoology, University of Southamptonand King's College, London
*
1Present address.
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Summary

Freezing-point measurements were made of blood samples taken from specimens of the marine wood-boring isopod Limnoria that had been exposed to sea water of various salinities for 2-3 days. Most of the work was done with L. (L.) tripunctata Menzies, but some preliminary experiements were carried out with L. (L.) lignorum (Rathke) and L. (L.) quadripunctata Holthuis.

It was found that the freezing point of the blood averaged 0·17°C above that of the external of medium in both hyp- and hyperosmotic environments. In the absence of any obvious factor which could explain this discrepancy, it is assumed that Limnoria has a certain degree of control over its blood concentrations.

Further experiments showed that the blood concentration fell as soon as the animal was introduced to the reduced salinity and levelled off at the hyperosmotic value within a few hours. There was some evidence of a periodicity in the osmoregulation.

The possible energetics of osmoregulation in Limnoria are discussed and it is concluded that the amount of energy utilized in the process is unlikely to make any significant inroad into the energy resources available for boring activity.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 44 , Issue 3 , October 1964 , pp. 675 - 683
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1964

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