New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

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Respiration in air and water of the chiton Chiton pelliserpentis from high and low zones of a sheltered shore

PETER L. HORN*

Zoology Department University of Canterbury Private Bag, Christchurch New Zealand

Abstract Oxygen uptake of Chiton pelliserpentis from high and low zones of a sheltered shore was measured in air and water at various temperatures. Oxygen uptake in water was higher than aerial oxygen uptake for both chiton groups. Oxygen consumption by low-shore chitons was more dependent on temperature than that by high-shore chitons. On the low shore, small chitons were affected more by changes in temperature than were large animals, whereas on the high shore all sizes of chitons were influenced to the same extent. Inter-shore differences in respiration trends are best explained as adaptations by high-shore chitons to conserve energy, rather than being dependent on shore level.

Keywords Chiton pelliserpentis; Polyplaco-phora; respiration; adaptations; physiology; energetics; intertidal environment

New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 1985, Vol. 19: 11-19 Received 19 July 1984; accepted 6 September 1984

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (548K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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