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Metabolic characteristics of midwater zooplankton: Ammonia excretion, O:N rations, and the effect of starvation

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Abstract

The nature of protein catabolism in a wide range of species of midwater zooplankton was investigated. The weight-specific ammonia excretion rates (μg NH3−N g−1 dry wt h−1, y) decline exponentially with minimum depth of occurreece (MDO, x), y=163.4 x−0.479±0.212 (95%ci) (CI=confidence interval), when temperature is held constant. The change in ammonia excretion can be partially explained by the decrease in percent protein (%P) with MDO, %P=80.17 MDO−0.148±0.122 (95%ci) The atomic O:N ratio of freshly caught zooplankters ranged from 9.1 to 91, with most measurements between 9 and 25. Detailed studies were carried out on the response of one of the species studied (Gnathophausia ingens) to starvation (28 d). After 14 d of starvation the average ammonia excretion rate declined by more than 75% to less than 1 μg NH3−N g−1 wet wt h−1, although the average oxygen consumption declined by only 13% within the first 7 d of starvation and then remained stable. This differential response of oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion to starvation resulted in an increase in the average O:N ratio of starved animals from an initial 33 to 165 after 21 d. The average O:N ratios of fed mysids remained below 38 during the experiment. G. ingens maintains a relatively uniform metabolic rate during starvation by relying more heavily on its large lipid stores than when being fed.

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Author notes

  1. L. B. Quetin & R. M. Ross

    Present address: Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, P. O. Box 475, 2601, Canberra, A.C.T., Australia

  2. K. Uchio

    Present address: , 1238 West 184th Street, 90248, Gardena, California, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of California at Santa Barbara, 93106, Santa Barbara, California, USA

    L. B. Quetin & K. Uchio

  2. Department of Oceanography, University of Washington, WB-10, 98195, Seattle, Washington, USA

    R. M. Ross

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  1. L. B. Quetin
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  2. R. M. Ross
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  3. K. Uchio
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Communicated by G. F. Humphrey, Sydney

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Quetin, L.B., Ross, R.M. & Uchio, K. Metabolic characteristics of midwater zooplankton: Ammonia excretion, O:N rations, and the effect of starvation. Mar. Biol. 59, 201–209 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00404742

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