THE EFFECTS OF OXYGEN CONCENTRATION AND ANOXIA ON RESPIRATION OFABARENICOLA PACIFICAANDLUMBRINERIS ZONATA(POLYCHAETA) ,

Abstract

1. The mean values of oxygen concentrations observed in burrows of Abarenicola pacifica in False Bay were 0.9 ml O2/l at low tide and 2.3 ml O2/ at high tide.2. Oxygen concentrations in burrows of Lumbrineris zonata were not measured, but burrow walls were often gray (reduced) although sometimes tan (oxidized).3. For A. pacifica with nearly empty guts, dry weight is 14.1% of wet weight, ash-free dry weight is 11.0% of wet weight, and ash-free dry weight is 77.7% of dry weight.4. The following respiratory relationships were found for A. pacifica: (a) Oxygen uptake rate can be expressed as a linear function of oxygen concentration at all oxygen concentrations up to 7.0 ml O2/l. (b) The relationship between wet weight in grams after defecation and oxygen uptake in µl O2 worm-1hr-1 is log R' = 1.49 + 0.78 log W. (c) The relationship between oxygen concentration in ml O2/1, wet weight, and oxygen uptake µl O2g-1hr-1 is log R = 0.93 + 0.86 log [O2]- 0.51 log W. (d) The regression of oxygen uptake on oxygen conc...