Haemolymph nitrogenous constituents and nitrogen efflux rates of juvenile shrimp,Penaeus paulensis(Perez-Farfante), exposed to ambient ammonia-N

Abstract

The effects of increased levels of ambient ammonia-N (7, 20 and 50 mg L–1) on some blood nitrogenous constituents, and on ammonia-N and urea-N efflux rates of Penaeus paulensis are reported. Haemolymph urea, protein and haemocyanin levels, and the haemocyanin:protein ratio were not significantly altered in any of the situations tested. Sudden exposure to 20 mg L–1 caused a transient increase in haemolymph ammonia-N levels, and induced pH and uric acid-N levels to increase after 24 h of exposure. A similar transient increase in haemolymph ammonia-N levels occurred during recovery, and the original pH and uric acid-N levels were restored within 30 min. The haemolymph ammonia-N and uric acid-N levels of shrimp held in 50 mg L–1 for 24 h were higher than those held in low ammonia-N sea water at all times (control). Increased ammonia-N effluxes were found to occur upon recovery, but urea-N effluxes were not different from those of control shrimp. The amounts of ammonia-N which accumulated in the haemolymph of shrimp at high ambient ammonia-N levels were considerably lower than those excreted during the recovery period. Such findings indicate that some of the accumulating haemolymph ammonia-N was transformed into other compounds or stored elsewhere. Possible mechanisms involved are discussed.