Abstract
The effects of starvation on ultrastructure of digestive gland cells were studied in furcilia larvae of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba: hereafter krill). Under laboratory conditions, larvae were starved for 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 days, and their R-cells were investigated by transmission electron microscope. R-cells are thought to play a role in the storage and absorption of nutrients. In fed larvae, numerous mitochondria scattered homogenously, and densely packed microvilli were observed on the apical surface of R-cells. After 5 days of starvation, mitochondria were swollen and were found concentrated in the apical region in R-cells. A decrease in cell volume and an increase in thickness of the basal lamina with many irregular infoldings were observed after 10–15 days of starvation. Lipid droplets were rarely found in the R-cells regardless of whether larvae had been fed or starved suggesting an inability to store lipid. Without the ability to store energy in the form of lipid, survival would be dependant on sourcing continuous food until maturation.
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Acknowledgments
We thank the officers and crew of RV ‘Aurora Australis’ for their professional and friendly support during the marine research cruise BROKE-West, and Paul Cramp and Rob King for assistance with krill incubation. We are very grateful to Stephen Nicol for his critical reading of manuscript. We also thank Rob Massom, Margaret Lindsay and Andrew Constable for constructive comments on manuscript. This work is a contribution towards the output of the Antarctic Marine Ecosystems Program of the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystem, Co-operative Research Centre funded by the Australian Governments Co-operative Research Centres Programme. Two anonymous reviewers are gratefully acknowledged for their helpful comments on this manuscript.
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Yoshida, T., Kawaguchi, S., Meyer, B. et al. Structural changes in the digestive glands of larval Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) during starvation. Polar Biol 32, 503–507 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-008-0569-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-008-0569-y