Organic Reserves in the Midgut Gland and Fat Body of the Giant Deep-sea Isopod Bathynomus Giganteus

Biesiot, Patricia M.; Wang, Shiao Y.; Perry, Harriet M.; Trigg, Christine

doi:10.2307/1549253

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…However, this may also serve as an adaptation for opportunistic feeding in a habitat with ephemeral food resources. Further support for this hypothesis is the large quantities of lipid reserves in the hepatopancreas ( Steves, 1969 ) and fat bodies ( Biesot et al, 1999 ) of this isopod. Thus, the large size of B. giganteus may serve as an adaptation to low and sporadic food availability by increasing fasting potential because greater fat reserves can be maintained ( McClain, Boyer & Rosenberg, 2006 ; McClain et al, 2012b ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 82%

Sizing ocean giants: patterns of intraspecific size variation in marine megafauna

McClain

Balk

Benfield

et al. 2015

PeerJ

125

108

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What are the greatest sizes that the largest marine megafauna obtain? This is a simple question with a difficult and complex answer. Many of the largest-sized species occur in the world’s oceans. For many of these, rarity, remoteness, and quite simply the logistics of measuring these giants has made obtaining accurate size measurements difficult. Inaccurate reports of maximum sizes run rampant through the scientific literature and popular media. Moreover, how intraspecific variation in the body sizes of these animals relates to sex, population structure, the environment, and interactions with humans remains underappreciated. Here, we review and analyze body size for 25 ocean giants ranging across the animal kingdom. For each taxon we document body size for the largest known marine species of several clades. We also analyze intraspecific variation and identify the largest known individuals for each species. Where data allows, we analyze spatial and temporal intraspecific size variation. We also provide allometric scaling equations between different size measurements as resources to other researchers. In some cases, the lack of data prevents us from fully examining these topics and instead we specifically highlight these deficiencies and the barriers that exist for data collection. Overall, we found considerable variability in intraspecific size distributions from strongly left- to strongly right-skewed. We provide several allometric equations that allow for estimation of total lengths and weights from more easily obtained measurements. In several cases, we also quantify considerable geographic variation and decreases in size likely attributed to humans.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 82%

Sizing ocean giants: patterns of intraspecific size variation in marine megafauna

McClain

Balk

Benfield

et al. 2015

PeerJ

125

108

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“…In isopods, lipids are predominantly accumulated in the midgut gland, in apidocytes, in the pericard and in the entire hemocoel (Biesiot et al 1999). Idotea metallica showed higher total lipid content than did I. baltica.…”

Section: Storage Productsmentioning

confidence: 89%

Behavioural and metabolic adaptations of marine isopods to the rafting life style

et al. 2006

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Rafting on floating objects is a common dispersal mechanism for many marine invertebrates. In order to identify adaptations to the rafting life style, we compared behavioural and metabolic characteristics of two isopods, the obligate rafter Idotea metallica and the facultative rafter Idotea baltica. In laboratory experiments, I. metallica showed low locomotive activity and a tight association to the substratum. Idotea baltica, in contrast, was more active with more frequent excursions in the surrounding water column. Oxygen consumption rates were similar in both species. Idotea metallica fed on zooplankton making this species widely independent of autochthonous food resources of the raft. Feeding rates and digestive enzyme activities were low in I. metallica. Reduced egestion rates may indicate slow gut passage and, thus, efficient resorption of nutrients. Efficient food utilization and the ability to accumulate high amounts of storage products, i.e. lipids, indicate a possible adaptation of I. metallica to low food availability or starvation. The feeding behaviour of I. baltica, in contrast, was more herbivorous and appeared wasteful and inefficient. Low lipid contents in I. baltica also indicate poor storage reserves. Thus, I. baltica requires a permanent access to food.

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“…The absence of captured ovigerous females suggests a behaviour of seclusion in pits dug in the substrate, as well as an interruption in foraging behaviour during the incubation of eggs, consequently decreasing the likelihood of capture of ovigerous females with baited traps (Briones-Fourzán & Lozano-Alvarez, 1991). Survival over long periods with no foraging is possible because of the females' ability to store organic reserves in the hepatopancreas (Tso & Mok, 1991), intestinal gland and adipocytes (Biesiot et al, 1999).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Good mobility, the ability to ingest large amounts of food in a short time, and storage of organic reserves (Biesiot et al, 1999) for long periods are advantageous for giant animals like B. giganteus (Lowry & Dempsey, 2006). Thus, the sinking of large carcasses, both by natural deaths and through bycatch from industrial fishing, should favour the presence of ovigerous females throughout the year (Kelleher, 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biological and ecological traits of Bathynomus giganteus and Bathynomus miyarei (Crustacea: Isopoda): Contribution to the conservation of deep‐sea in southern Brazil

Boos

Scalco

Araujo

2021

Aquatic Conservation

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1. This study aimed to determine biological and distributional aspects of deep-sea giant isopods Bathynomus giganteus and Bathynomus miyarei to assess their extinction risk. 2. Bathynomus giganteus (663 specimens) and B. miyarei (649 specimens) were collected during five research cruises involving 265 h of sampling effort during 32 fishing operations of circular pots, baited traps, ranging from 400 and 1,000 m deep, between 26 and 29 S adjacent to the Brazilian coast. 3. A trend towards larger, sexually mature animals in shallower regions was observed for both species, and depth was the most important environmental variable influencing the animals' distribution. 4. Bathynomus giganteus were collected between 600 m and 1,000 m depth, while the highest densities of B. miyarei were at shallower depths, between 400 and 600 m. 5. The sex ratio was equal for both B. giganteus and B. miyarei for different seasons, latitudes and bathymetries. 6. The sexual maturity of B. giganteus was estimated at 340-345 mm total length for males and between 280-290 mm for females. Bathynomus miyarei males' sexual maturity was estimated in the 225-230 mm size class. 7. Bathynomus giganteus showed reproductive activity throughout the year. 8. The longevity of B. giganteus was estimated at 6 years for males and 7.7 years for females. The longevity of B. miyarei was estimated at 9 years for males and 6 years for females. 9. Extinction risk assessment for B. giganteus, which has a greater latitudinal and bathymetric distribution, was evaluated as Least Concern. However, B. miyarei was evaluated in the Data Deficient category.

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Organic Reserves in the Midgut Gland and Fat Body of the Giant Deep-sea Isopod Bathynomus Giganteus

Cited by 6 publications

References 23 publications

Sizing ocean giants: patterns of intraspecific size variation in marine megafauna

Sizing ocean giants: patterns of intraspecific size variation in marine megafauna

Behavioural and metabolic adaptations of marine isopods to the rafting life style

Biological and ecological traits of Bathynomus giganteus and Bathynomus miyarei (Crustacea: Isopoda): Contribution to the conservation of deep‐sea in southern Brazil

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