oxygen consumption of the crab callinectes rathbunae parasitized by the rhizocephalan barnacle loxothylacus texanus as a function of salinity

  • Robles, R
  • Alvarez, F
  • Alcaraz, G
Publication date
January 2002
Publisher
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
ISSN
0171-8630
Journal
Marine Ecology Progress Series
Citation count (estimate)
17

Abstract

Rhizocephalan parasitism is one of the most important biotic factors affecting commercially valuable crab species in families such as Portunidae and Lithodidae. In addition to the long term and permanent effects of this parasitism on the hosts (e.g. sterilization, cessation of growth), other functional problems may arise due to the considerable size of the parasite and to its particular position inside and outside of the host. In this study, experiments with the Mexican blue crab Callinectes rathbunae parasitized by the rhizocephalan barnacle Loxothylacus texanus were conducted in the laboratory to test whether the parasite affects the host's oxygen consumption rate under changing salinity conditions, A total of 83 crabs (49 parasitized and...

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