Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Influence of temperature changes on oxygen uptake and ammonia and phosphate excretion, in relation to body size and weight, in Oikopleura dioica (Appendicularia)

  • Published:
Marine Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The relationship between the rates of oxygen consumption, ammonia and phosphate excretion of a pelagic tunicate, the larvacean Oikopleura dioica Fol, 1872 were assessed as a function of size, dry weight and ash-free dry weight at 15°, 20° and 24°C. O. dioica has higher respiration and excretion rates than copepods of similar weight, but the weight exponent of the allometric power function: Y=aX b is similar to that of other poikilotherms. Temperatures above 20°C have a depressing effect on respiration and ammonia excretion. 90% of the variance in metabolic rates is explainable by body mass and temperatures Q10 values for oxygen consumption, ammonia and phosphate excretion, respectively, are 2.45, 1.86 and 1.75 between 15° and 20°C, and 3.75, 2.90 and 3.60 between 20° and 24°C. Metabolic quotients (O:N, O:P, N:P) indicate a protein-oriented diet. The results of this study suggest weak metabolic regulation in O. dioica, an energetic strategy which allows an immediate response to favourable changes in feeding conditions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Literature cited

  • Alldredge, A.: Appendicularians. Scient. Am. 235, 95–102 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  • Alldredge, A.: The impact of appendicularian grazing on natural food concentration in situ. Limnol. Oceanogr. 26, 247–257 (1981)

    Google Scholar 

  • Biggs, D. C.: Respiration and ammonium excretion by open ocean gelatinous zooplankton. Limnol. Oceanogr. 22, 108–117 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Calder, W. A., III: Size and metabolism in natural systems. Can. Bull. Fish. aquat. Sciences 213, 65–75 (1985)

    Google Scholar 

  • Conover, R. J.: The feeding behaviour and respiration of some marine planktonic Crustacea. Biol. Bull. mar. biol. Lab., Woods Hole 119, 399–415 (1960)

    Google Scholar 

  • Curl, H., Jr.: Standing crops of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, and transfer between trophic levels, in continental shelf waters south of New York. Rapp. P.-v. Réun. Cons. perm. int. Explor. Mer 153, 183–189 (1962)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fenaux, R.: Les appendiculaires Faune de l'Europe et du bassin Méditerranéen, 116 pp. Paris: Masson 1967

    Google Scholar 

  • Fenaux, R.: La couche oikoplastique de l'appendiculaire Oikopleura albicans Leuck. Z. Morph. Tiere 69, 310–319 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fenaux, R.: Cycle vital d'un appendiculaire: Oikopleura dioica Fol, 1872. Description et chronologie. Annls Inst. océanogr., Paris (N.S.) 52, 89–101 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fenaux, R.: Life history of the appendicularians (Genus Oikopleura). In: Proceedings of Symposium on Warm Water Zooplankton, pp 497–510. Goa: National Institute of Oceanography 1977

    Google Scholar 

  • Fenaux, R.: Rhythm of secretion of oikopleurid's houses. Bull. mar. Sci. 37, 498–503 (1985)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fenaux, R. et G. Gorsky: Techniques d'élevage des Appendiculaires. Annls Inst. océanogr. Paris (N.S.) 55, 195–200 (1979)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fenaux, R. et G. Gorsky: Nouvelle technique d'élevage des appendiculaires. Rapp. P.-v. Réun. Commn int. Explor. scient. Mer Méditerr. 29, 291–292 (1985)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fenaux, R. et B. Hirel: Cinétique du déploiement de la logette chez l'appendiculaire Oikopleura dioica Fol, 1872. C. r. hebd. Séanc. Acad. Sci., Paris 275, 449–452 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fenaux, R. et I. Palazzoli: Importance de la biomasse des appendiculaires pour évaluer leur rôle dans le réseau trophique du milieu pélagique. Rapp. P.-v. Réun. Commn int. Explor. scient. Mer Méditerr. 28, 91–193 (1983)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaudy, R.: Contribution à la connaissance du cycle biologique et de la physiologie des copépodes du golfe de Marseille, 294 pp. Thèse, Marseille-Luminy 1970

  • Gaudy, R. and J. Boucher: Relation between respiration, excretion (ammonia and inorganic phosphorus) and activity of amylase and trypsin indifferent species of pelagic copepods from an Indian Ocean equatorial area. Mar. Biol. 75, 37–45 (1983)

    Google Scholar 

  • Glass, N. R.: A technique for fitting nonlinear models to biological data. Ecology 48, 1010–1013 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  • Glass, N. R.: Discussion of calculation of power function with special reference to respiratory metabolism in fish. J. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 28, 2643–2650 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gorsky, G., F. S. Fisher, and S. W. Fowler: Biogenic debris from the pelagic tunicate, O. dioica and its role in the vertical transport of a transuranium element. Estuar., cstl Shelf Sci. 18, 13–23 (1984a)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gorsky, G., I. Palazzoli et R. Fenaux: Premières données sur la respiration des appendiculaires (tuniciers pélagiques). C. r. hebd. Séanc. Acad. Sci., Paris 298, 531–535 (1984b)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hemmingsen, A. M.: Energy metabolism as related to body size and respiratory surfaces, and its evolution. Rep. Steno meml Hosp. 9, 1–110 (1960)

    Google Scholar 

  • Heron, A. C.: Population ecology of a colonizing species: the pelagic tunicate Thalia democratica. I. Individual growth and generation time. Oecologia (Berl.) 10, 269–293 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ikeda, T.: Nutritional ecology of marine zooplankton. Mem. Fac. Fish. Hokkaido Univ. 22, 1–97 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ikeda, T.: The effect of laboratory conditions on the extrapolation of experimental measurements to the ecology of marine zooplankton. IV. Changes in respiration and excretion rates of boreal zooplankton species maintained under fed and starved conditions. Mar. Biol. 41, 241–252 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ivleva, I. V.: The dependence of crustacean respiration rate on body mass and habitat temperature. Int. Revue ges. Hydrobiol. 65, 1–47 (1980)

    Google Scholar 

  • King, K. R., J. T. Hollibaugh and F. Azam: Predator-prey interactions between the larvacean Oikopleura dioica and bacterioplankton in enclosed water columns. Mar. Biol. 56, 49–57 (1980)

    Google Scholar 

  • Le Borgne, R. P.: Etude de la respiration et de l'excrétion d'azote et de phosphore des populations zooplanctoniques, de l'upwelling mauritanien (mars-avril, 1972). Mar. Biol. 19, 249–257 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lohmann, H.: Das Gehäuse der Appendicularien nach seiner Bildungsweise, seinem Bau und seiner Funktion. Zool. Anz. 22, 206–214 (1899)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lohmann, H.: Die Gehäuse und Gallertblasen der Appendicularien und hhre Bedeutung für die Erforschung des Lebens im Meer. Verh. dt. zool. Ges. 19, 200–239 (1909)

    Google Scholar 

  • Madin, L. P., C. M. Cetta and V. L. McAlister: Elemental and biochemical composition of salps (Tunicata: Thaliacea). Mar. Biol. 63, 217–226 (1981)

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, C. A. and M. R. Landry: Ingestion-independent rates of ammonium excretion by the copepod Calanus pacificus. Mar. Biol. 78, 265–270 (1984)

    Google Scholar 

  • Nival, P., G. Malara, R. Charra, I. Palazzoli et S. Nival: Etude de la respiration et de l'excrétion de quelques copépodes planctoniques (Crustacea) dans la zone de remontée d'eau profonde des côtes Marocaines. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 15, 231–260 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • Paffenhöfer, G. A.: The cultivation of an appendicularian through numerous generations. Mar. Biol. 22, 183–185 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Paffenhöfer, G. A.: On the biology of Appendicularia of the southeastern North Sea, Proc. 10th Eur. mar. Biol. Symp. 2, 437–455 (1976). (Ed. by G. Persoone and E. Jaspers. Wetteren, Belgium: Universa Press)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ricker, W. E.: Linear regressions in fishery research. J. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 30, 409–434 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryland, J. S.: The feeding of plaice and sand-eel larvae in the southern North Sea. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 44, 343–364 (1964)

    Google Scholar 

  • Seki, H.: Red tide of Oikopleura in Saanich Inlet. La Mer (Bull. Soc. franco-jap. Océanogr.) 2, 153–158 (1963)

    Google Scholar 

  • Shelbourne, J. E.: A predator-prey size relationship for plaice larvae feeding on Oikopleura. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 42, 243–252 (1962)

    Google Scholar 

  • Slawyk, G. and J. J. McIsaac: Comparison of two automated ammonium methods in a region of coastal upwelling. Deep-Sea Res. 19, 521–524 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sokal, R. R. and F. J. Rohlf: Biometry. The principles and practice of statistics in biological research, 2nd ed. 859 pp. San Francisco: W. H. Freeman & Co. 1981

    Google Scholar 

  • Taguchi, S.: Seasonal study of fecal pellets and discarded houses of Appendicularia in a subtropical inlet, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Estuar., cstl Shelf Sci. 14, 545–555 (1982)

    Google Scholar 

  • Torres, J. J. and J. J. Childress: Relationship of oxygen consumption to swimming speed in Euphausia pacifica. I. Effects of temperature and pressure. Mar. Biol. 74, 79–86 (1983)

    Google Scholar 

  • Vacelet, E.: La consommation d'oxygène du copépode Tigriopus fulvus (Fisher), Recl Trav. Stn mar. Endoume 36, 111–113 (1961)

    Google Scholar 

  • Vidal, J.: Physioecology of zooplankton. III. Effects of phytoplankton concentration, temperature, and body size on the metabolic rate of Calanus pacificus. Mar. Biol. 56, 195–202 (1980)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Station Zoologique, F-06230, Villefranche-sur-mer, France

    G. Gorsky, I. Palazzoli & R. Fenaux

Authors
  1. G. Gorsky
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. I. Palazzoli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R. Fenaux
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Communicated by J. M. Pérès, Marseille

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gorsky, G., Palazzoli, I. & Fenaux, R. Influence of temperature changes on oxygen uptake and ammonia and phosphate excretion, in relation to body size and weight, in Oikopleura dioica (Appendicularia). Mar. Biol. 94, 191–201 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00392931

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00392931

Keywords

Search

Navigation