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Hemolymph oxygen content, oxyhemocyanin, protein levels and ammonia excretion in the shrimp Penaeus monodon exposed to ambient nitrite

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Abstract

Subadult Penaeus monodon (21.03±3.19 g) were exposed individually in sea water (30 mg·ml-1) to 0.02 (control), 1.04, 5.02, 10.11 and 20.06 mg·l-1 nitrite-N for 24h. Hemolymph pH, partial pressures of oxygen and carbon dioxide, bicarbonate concentration, oxyhemocyanin and protein levels, and whole animal ammonia-N excretion and nitrite-N uptake were determined. Ammonia-N excretion and hemolymph oxygen partial pressure increased, whereas hemolymph pH, HCO -3 , oxyhemocyanin, protein and the ratio of oxyhemocyanin/protein levels decreased with increasing ambient nitrite-N. It is suggested that accumulated nitrite of P. monodon following exposure to ambient nitrite causes reduction of oxyhemocyanin, protein and the ratio of oxyhemocyanin/protein in the hemolymph, and affects nitrogen metabolism and acid-base balance at low hemolymph pH.

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Abbreviations

bw:

body weight

EC50 :

concentration reducing growth rate by 50% that of controls

LC50 :

median lethal concentration

nitrite-N:

nitrite concentration measured as nitrogen

PO2 :

partial pressure of O2 in hemolymph

PCO2 :

partial pressure of CO2 in hemolymph

sw:

sea water

ww:

wet weight

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Aquaculture, National Taiwan Ocean University, 20224, Keelung, Taiwan, Republic of China

    J. C. Chen & S. Y. Cheng

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  1. J. C. Chen
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  2. S. Y. Cheng
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Chen, J.C., Cheng, S.Y. Hemolymph oxygen content, oxyhemocyanin, protein levels and ammonia excretion in the shrimp Penaeus monodon exposed to ambient nitrite. J Comp Physiol B 164, 530–535 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00261393

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00261393

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