Yolk utilization and hatching time in the Canadian lobsterHomarus americanus
✍ Scribed by T. J. Pandian
- Publisher
- Springer-Verlag
- Year
- 1970
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 564 KB
- Volume
- 7
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0025-3162
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✦ Synopsis
During the course of its embryonic development, the Canadian lobster Homarus americav~us MILNE-EDWARDS exhibits steady increases in water content (56.2 to 86.8%) and ash (5.8 to 21.2 %), and a progressive decrease in energy content from 6636 to 4292 cal/g dry weight. Mean dry weight of a single egg is 965 ~g, equivalent to 6.4 cal; a freshly hatched larva utilizes as much as 60.3 % of the energy contained in the egg. The lobster hatches about t,500 larvae per night over a period of 4 to 5 days. Dry weight, ash and calorific contents of larvae hatched on different days show considerable variations. After larvae hatch on the first day, continuous salt absorption by eggs to hatch on subsequent days leads to a steady increase in ash content from 143 fzg/larva hatched on the first day to 255 ~g/larva hatched on the fourth day, and consequently, to an increase in dry weight from 854 to 956 ~g/larva. Metabolism of embryos (0.t caI/day), which are yet to be hatched on subsequent days, depletes the calorific content per unit weight (from 4637 to 3837 cal/g dry weight) as well as per larva (from 3.98 to 3.67 cal).