Marine Biology

, Volume 103, Issue 1, pp 87–94 | Cite as

Feeding by a “nonfeeding” larva: uptake of dissolved amino acids from seawater by lecithotrophic larvae of the gastropod Haliotis rufescens

  • W. B. Jaeckle
  • D. T. Manahan
Article
Accepted:

Abstract

Larvae of the red abalone (Haliotis rufescens Swainson) are functionally incapable of capturing particulate foods. The aim of this study was to determine whether these larvae could acquire energy from seawater in the form of dissolved organic material. Trochophore and veliger larvae were shown to acquire energy by transporting dissolved organic material from seawater. Both larval stages took up all classes of amino acids tested. The influx of radiolabeled alanine represented the net substrate flux, as determined by direct chemical measurement for both trochophore and veliger larvae. Although veliger larvae have a transport system to take up taurine from seawater, a net efflux was observed for this amino acid. The release of taurine occurred independently of the presence of either taurine or other amino acids in the medium. Transported alanine was used in both anabolic and catabolic pathways. The percent of 14C-alanine in the trichloroacetic acid-insoluble fraction (macromolecules) of veliger larvae ranged from 21 to 56% of the total radioactivity in the larvae. No lipid biosynthesis was detected from 14C-labeled alanine. Veliger larvae catabolized 15 to 19% of the total alanine taken up and released it as 14CO2. The metabolic rate (oxygen consumption) and the rate of amino acid uptake were both determined for the same group of veliger larvae. The percent contribution that the uptake of amino acids, from a total concentration of 1.6 μM, made to the metabolic demand of abalone larvae ranged from 39 to 70%. Thus, these lecithotrophic larvae are not energetically independent of their environment, a result which differs from the current view of energy allocation to “nonfeeding” larvae.

Keywords

Alanine Taurine Total Radioactivity Catabolic Pathway Particulate Food 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 1989

Authors and Affiliations

  • W. B. Jaeckle
    • 1
  • D. T. Manahan
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUSA

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