Some effects of temperature on the growth and metabolic rate of juvenile blue crabs,Callinectes sapidus, in the laboratory

✍ Scribed by C. W. Leffler

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1972
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 679 KB
• Volume: 14
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0025-3162
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00373209

✦ Synopsis

Juvenile blue crabs, Gta//in~.e.s sap/du~ RA~mmlm, were grown in the laboratory at different temperaL-uroo, and metabolic-rate determinations were made. Growth is shown to be detmndent upon temperature. Crabs kept st high tem-pera~m~ (34 ~ and 27 ~ grow faster ~,han those kept at lower tempomt-ure~ (13 ~ t5 ~ and 20 ~ Increase in size per molt is loss at higher temperaVure~ than at lower one~ Mort~flity is directly proportional to t~npera~re between 13 ~ and 34 ~ and is very high during eodysis at elevated temperature~ Me, belie rate increases with temperaOn~, but various degrees of acolima~ion are seen ~ 4 weeks e~.

:No aeclimarion of general aci~vity to temperature was found. The findings are applied t~x)rgtioally to crabs living in the ret~on of heated disnhargo canals of electrical generators: the motile blue crab could extend its growing season without decreasing size at maturity by active selection of ~mrmM surrounding.