Physiological And Biochemical Aspects Of The Valve Snap And Valve Closure Responses In The Giant Scallop Placopecten-Magellanicus .1. Physiology

1. Catabolic processes of the phasic and catch parts of the adductor muscle ofPlacopecten magellanicus have been studied in relation to valve snap and valve closure responses. It is concluded that the snap response is powered by both parts of the adductor muscle and the valve closure response is powered exclusively by the catch part. 2. Both parts of the adductor muscle show a high glycolytic potential, reflected by high levels of glycolytic enzymes (Table 1) and high glycogen levels (Table 2). Lactate dehydrogenase could not be detected. In contrast, octopine dehydrogenase shows high activities in both parts of the adductor muscle. It is therefore concluded that a main anaerobic pathway in both tissues is the breakdown of glycogen to octopine. In the catch part, however, a considerable amount of the pyruvate formed from glycogen may also be converted into alanine (see below). The glycolytic flux in the catch part is much higher during the snap response than during valve closure. 3. The absence of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in the adductor muscle ofP. magellanicus and the observed changes in aspartate, alanine and succinate demonstrate that the energy metabolism in the catch part during valve closure shows great similarities to that which occurs only in the initial stage of anaerobiosis in the catch adductor muscle of the sea musselMytilus edulis L. 4. Arginine kinase activity and arginine phosphate content of the phasic part are much higher than those of the catch part (Tables 1 and 3). This may explain why in the phasic part during the snap response most ATP equivalents are derived from arginine phosphate, and in the catch part during both valve responses most are derived from glycolysis (Table 6). Despite the limited contribution of glycolysis in the phasic part during the snap response, the glycolytic flux increases by a factor of at least 75. 5. Evidence is obtained that octopine is neither transported from one part of the adductor muscle to the other, nor from the adductor muscle to other tissues.

Seasonal-Changes In The Physiology Reproductive Condition And Carbohydrate Content Of The Cockle Cardium (=Cerastoderma) Edule (Bivalvia Cardiidae)

Pronounced seasonal cycles in the rates of oxygen consumption and feeding were found for Cardium (=Cerastoderma) edule L. measured in the field under ambient conditions. The cockles had a maximum rate of oxygen consumption (0.89 ml O2 g-1 h-1) in April which declined to a minimum of 0.35 ml O2 g-1 h-1 in March. Their feeding rate was variable but had a maximum value (3.91 l g-1 h-1) in April and a minimum value (0.73 l g-1 h-1) in October. There was no apparent seasonal variation in absorption efficiency, with a mean value of 67.6%. Gametogenesis was initiated in January and the population reached a peak in reproductive condition in April/May, followed by a 3 month spawning period. Carbohydrate reserves were synthesised during spawning, and were then utilised during the winter and early spring. An adaptive function for a reduction in time spent feeding is postulated, and correlations between the rates of certain physiological processes and some exogenous and endogenous variables are discussed.

Combined Effects Of Body Size Food Concentration And Season On Physiology Of Mytilus-Edulis

Multivariate experiments are used to study the effects of body size, food concentration, and season on the oxygen consumption, ammonia excretion, food assimilation efficiency and filtration rate of Mytilus edulis adults. Food concentrations and season affect both the intercept and the slope of the allometric equation describing oxygen uptake as a function of body size. Multiple regression and response surface techniques are used to describe and illustrate the complex relationship between metabolic rate, ration, season and the body size of M. edulis. Filtration rate has a relatively low weight exponent Q> = 038) and the intercept for the allometric equation is not significantly affected by food concentration, season or acclimation temperatures between 5 and 20 °C. Food assimilation efficiency declines exponentially with increasing food concentration and is dependent on body size at high food levels. The rate of ammonia excretion shows a similar seasonal cycle to that of oxygen consumption. They are both minimal in the autumn/winter and reach a maximum in the spring /summer.

Physiology, ecological niches and species distribution

Although many studies have debated the theoretical links between physiology, ecological niches and species distribution, few studies have provided evidence for a tight empirical coupling between these concepts at a macroecological scale. We used an ecophysiological model to assess the fundamental niche of a key-structural marine species. We found a close relationship between its fundamental and realized niche. The relationship remains constant at both biogeographical and decadal scales, showing that changes in environmental forcing propagate from the physiological to the macroecological level. A substantial shift in the spatial distribution is detected in the North Atlantic and projections of range shift using IPCC scenarios suggest a poleward movement of the species of one degree of latitude per decade for the 21st century. The shift in the spatial distribution of this species reveals a pronounced alteration of polar pelagic ecosystems with likely implications for lower and upper trophic levels and some biogeochemical cycles.