Non-Cold-Adapted Metabolism in the Decapod Chorismus antarcticus and Other Sub-Antarctic Marine Crustaceans

Respiration of Orchomene plebs (Hurley, 1965) and Waldeckia obesa (Chevreux, 1905) from Admiralty Bay (South Shetlands Islands, Antarctic)

“…Rakusa-Suszczewski, 1975) that in crustaceans living at temperatures above freezing the value of b is the same as at temperatures above freezing. This was also confirmed by Maxwell & Ralph (1985) for temperatures close to 0 °C and Suscenja at 20 C (b = 0.79 for all Amphipods).…”

Metabolic responses of the sympagic amphipodsGammarus wilkitzkii andOnisimus glacialis to acute temperature variations

“…Scholander et al (1953) demonstrated that physiological adaptation of poikilotherms to cold was related to the lateral displacement of the metabolism/temperature curve and not to any change of its slope, as expressed as a change in Q~o. Wohlschlag (1960) supported that view; however, arguments against the concept of metabolic cold adaptation have been presented by Clark (1980Clark ( , 1983 and by Maxwell and Ralph (1985). In the present study, both Gammarus wilkitzkii and Onisimus glacialis appeared to have rather low oxygen consumption rates.…”

“…That study was supported by Wohlschlag (1960). However, arguments against the concept of metabolic cold adaptation have been presented by Clark (1980Clark ( , 1983 and Maxwell and Ralph (1985).…”

“…In the present study, both Gammarus wilkitzkii and Onisimus glacialis appeared to have rather low oxygen consumption rates. Low oxygen consumption rates have been found in several polar species, indicating a "non-cold adapted metabolism" (Maxwell and Ralph 1985). However, the metabolism/temperature curve may vary according to season, starvation, sex, thermal exposure and activity of the animals (Halcrow and Boyd 1967, Clarke 1980, Ivleva 1980, Vernberg 1983, making comparative studies difficult to interpret.…”

Toxic Effects of Contaminants in Polar Marine Environments

“…Large size causes a lower surface-area-to-volume ratio, which means slow contaminant uptake compared with temperate biota (13). At the low temperatures typical of polar regions, metabolic rates are slower (14,15) than in temperate or tropical regions, and total energy usage is reduced (16,17 ). In general, life-forms with lower metabolic rates accumulate contaminants in tissues more slowly.…”