Essai d'appréciation d'une phénomène d'allométrie chimique dans un univers multivarié. Application à l'étude des populations naturelles de Sphaeroma hookeri (Crustacea: Isopoda Flabellifera)

A multivariate technique, based on the hypothesis of parallelism of the two first principal axes, is used to estimate differences in allometric growth at the intraspecific level. This communication is concerned with an application of the method to the comparative study of the increase in carbon and nitrogen in the isopod Sphaeroma hookeri. The method allows us to consider, during growth, several chemical components, without losing sight of the functional unity of the living organism. It permits a synthetic approach to the biochemical growth of the organism, and also a comparative physiological study on the allometric phenomena that pertain particularly to elementary chemistry. The results obtained—when interpreted in terms of biochemical growth—reveal significant metabolic differences at the intraspecific level.