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IV.—Period of Survival of the Shore-Crab (Carcinus mænas) in Distilled Water
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 September 2014
Summary
1. The period of survival in distilled water is shortest with post-moult crabs, longer with pre-moult, and longest with inter-moult.
2. Further, a relatively constant percentage of salts is lost, irrespective of size; hence one of the determining factors in survival is the rate of loss of these salts. The other factor is the rate of osmosis of water, causing œdema.
3. With regard to the moult cycle, the concentration of the blood and the structure of the membranes are seemingly little altered, but the amount of calcium in the latter varies with moult-age, being least in post-moult and most in inter-moult membranes.
4. It is concluded, that the higher the percentage of calcium, the less permeable are the membranes and the longer is the duration of survival.
5. Œdema and loss of salts naturally disturb the tonicity equilibrium of the body fluid, and thus cause death.
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- Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1919
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