Studies on respiration of Ommastrephid squid Illex Illecebrosus (Lesueur, 1821)

• Main Author: Kao, Ming-hsiung
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 1970
• Subjects: Newfoundland
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/7259/; https://research.library.mun.ca/7259/1/Kao_MingHsiung.pdf; https://research.library.mun.ca/7259/3/Kao_MingHsiung.pdf

The oxygen consumption of the ommastrephid squid Illex illecebrosus from Newfoundland waters was determined by the flowing water method and the hyponomal tube implanation method. Using statistical analysis, the total oxygen consumption per hour was found to be related to body weight, but with no significant difference between the sexes. This relationship was found to be similar to that reported for Octopus cyanea and Sepia officinalis. The rate of oxygen consumption does not show a significant relationship to body weight. -- Illex illecebrosus shows no evidence of diurnal rhythm with regard to oxygen consumption under laboratory conditions. There is a significant decrease in oxygen consumption with decreasing salinity values. -- The effect of either raising or lowering the pH of the environmental medium causes irregular responses in oxygen consumption. These are discussed in detail, showing the sequence of alteration in the consumption through different ranges of pH. All of the increases in oxygen consumption may be explained as secondary effects of either physical (chemical) stimulation, or osmotic stress due to the addition of pH-altering chemicals (NaOH and HCl) or their dissociation products. Decreases in oxygen consumption with change of pH may be due to lessened oxygen-carrying capacity of haemocyanin, the Bohr Effect, or to acute shock when nearing the lethal ranges of pH. -- The absolute utilization of oxygen for I. illecebrosus was found not to be correlated with the body weight. The mean absolute oxygen utilization coefficient value was calculated to be 19.53%. No correlation was found between body weight and volume of exhalent water per unit time. The mean exhalent water volume was found to be 35.62 litres per hour. -- All experiments were performed in the range of water temperatures 10-12°C.