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EFFECTS OF THERMAL POLLUTION OF PELAGIC LARVAE OF CRUSTACEA
Citation:
Sastry, A. EFFECTS OF THERMAL POLLUTION OF PELAGIC LARVAE OF CRUSTACEA. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/3-80/064.
Description:
Larvae of six species, Cancer irroratus, C. borealis and Homarus americanus of coastal waters (high salinity), and Palaemonetes pugio, Pagurus longicarpus and Rhithropanopeus harrisii, from the estuarine region (variable salinity) were studied. Larvae were cultured at various combinations of temperature and salinity and highest survival rates and limits for complete development determined. Coastal species have a more restrictive temperature range. Thermal tolerance limits for larvae of the primarily estuarine P. pugio were higher compared to larvae of coastal species, C. irroratus and H. americanus. When temperature and low dissolved oxygen stresses were combined, thermal tolerance limits of C. irroratus larvae were altered. Survival was better for C. irroratus larvae cultured under certain daily cyclic regimes vs. a constant temperature. In contrast, larvae of P. pugio showed no significant differences in either survival or developmental rate when under cyclic vs. constant temperatures.