Experimentelle Untersuchungen zur Ökologie der marinen Kieselalge Thalassiosira rotula. I. Temperatur und Licht

Nearly 500 crabs, Scylla serrata (Forskal) (family Portunidae), ranging in wet weight from 0.2 to 14.0 g, were acclimated to 27° and 35°C and their respiratory metabolism under water and on exposure to air at test temperatures ranging from 16° to 38°C was studied. In aquatic respiration, the response to temperature of crabs acclimated to a temperature of 16°C is statistically significant, and directly related to their weight. Smaller crabs did not survive at the warm acclimation level of 35°C. The metabolic rates of cold-adapted S. serrata are higher than those of warm-adapted ones. The effect of acclimation to aerial respiration on crabs acclimated to cold temperature varied slightly between large and small crabs. The aerial respiration rate was less than a tenth of the aquatic rate for all sizes. The response of S. serrata to warm acclimation in air has been found to be almost opposite to its response in water.This paper formed part of a thesis approved for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by the Madras University, India.