Haemolymph inorganic ion composition of crustaceans from the Southern Ocean

• Main Authors: Wittmann, Astrid, Held, Christoph, Pörtner, Hans-Otto, Sartoris, Franz-Josef
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2010
• Subjects: 2 m Blake Trawl; 2mBT; Agassiz Trawl; AGT; ANT-XXIII/8; Bottom trawl; BT; Date/Time of event; Elevation of event; Event label; Haemolymph; calcium ion; chloride ion; magnesium ion; potassium ion; sodium ion; sulfate ion; Haemolymph collection site; Icefish2004; Icefish2004_19; Icefish2004_26; Icefish2004_49; Ion chromatograph; Dionex Corporation; ICS-2000; Latitude of event; Longitude of event; Nathaniel B. Palmer; Polarstern; Priority Programme 1158 Antarctic Research with Comparable Investigations in Arctic Sea Ice Areas; PS69; PS69/603-5; PS69/635-1; PS69/683-1; PS69/710-6; Punta_Arenas_2008c; Punta Arenas; Chile; South Atlantic Ocean; Species; SPP1158; Trap; fish; Antarc*; Antarctic; Polar Biology; Sea ice; Southern Ocean
• Online Access: https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.788789; https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.788789

Brachyuran and anomuran decapod crabs do not occur in the extremely cold waters of the Antarctic continental shelf whereas caridean and other shrimp-like decapods, amphipods and isopods are highly abundant. Differing capacities for extracellular ion regulation, especially concerning magnesium, have been hypothesised to determine cold tolerance and by that the biogeography of Antarctic crustaceans. Magnesium is known to have a paralysing effect, which is even more distinct in the cold. As only few or no data exist on haemolymph ionic composition of Sub-Antarctic and Antarctic crustaceans, haemolymph samples of 12 species from these regions were analysed for the concentrations of major inorganic ions (Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl-, SO4 2-) by ion chromatography. Cation relationships guaranteed neuromuscular excitability in all species. Sulphate and potassium correlated positively with magnesium concentration. The Antarctic caridean decapod as well as the amphipods maintained low (6-20% of ambient sea water magnesium concentration), Sub-Antarctic brachyuran and anomuran crabs as well as the Antarctic isopods high (54-96% of ambient sea water magnesium concentration) haemolymph magnesium levels. In conclusion, magnesium regulation may explain the biogeography of decapods, but not that of the peracarids.