The influence of salinity and temperature on the survival and behaviour of the isopod Sphaeroma rugicauda from a salt-marsh habitat

The survival of the salt-marsh isopod Sphaeroma rugicauda (Leach) was investigated under varying conditions of salinity and temperature following thermal acclimation. It was found that the isopods showed increased resistance to high temperatures following warm-acclimation, and that this increase was greater in adults than in juveniles. S. rugicauda were able to withstand salinity changes event at high experimental temperatures, although this was more pronounced in the older individuals. Behavioural responses in a temperature gradient showed that the isopods could avoid potentially lethal temperatures.