Respiration of the eggs of the giant cuttlefish Sepia apama |
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Authors: | E R Cronin R S Seymour |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Environmental Biology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia Fax: 0061 (0)8 8303-4364 email: roger.seymour@adelaide.edu.au, AU |
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Abstract: | On the roofs of subtidal crevices, the giant cuttlefish (Sepia apama) of southern Australia lays clutches of lemon-shaped eggs which hatch after 3 to 5 mo. Diffusion of oxygen through the capsule
and chorion membrane to the perivitelline fluid and embryo was modelled using the equation V˙
O2 = G
O2(P
O2out−P
O2in), where V˙
O2 = rate of oxygen consumption, G
O2 = oxygen conductance of the capsule, and P
O2 values = oxygen partial pressures across the capsule. During development, V˙
O2 rose exponentially as the embryo grew, reaching 5.5 μl h−1 at hatching. Throughout development, the capsule dimensions enlarged by absorption of water into the perivitelline space,
increasing G
O2 by a combination of increasing surface area, and decreasing thickness of the capsule. These processes maintained P
O2in high enough to allow unrestricted V˙
O2 until shortly before hatching. Diffusion limitation of respiration in hatching-stage embryos was demonstrated by (1) increased
embryonic V˙
O2 when P
O2out was experimentally raised, (2) greater V˙
O2 of resting individuals immediately after hatching, and (3) reduced V˙
O2 of hatchlings at experimental P
O2 levels higher than P
O2in before hatching. Thus, low P
O2in may be the stimulus to hatch. Potential problems of diffusive gas-exchange are mitigated by the relatively low incubation
temperature (12 °C), which may be a factor limiting the distribution of the species to cool, southern waters.
Received: 14 August 1999 / Accepted: 24 January 2000 |
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Keywords: | |
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