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Journal of Experimental Biology 140,493-509 (1988)
Published by Company of Biologists 1988

Adaptations to a Terrestrial Existence by the Obber Crab Birgus Latro : II. In Vivo Respiratory Gas Exchange and Transport

P. GREENAWAY ¹, S. MORRIS ², and B. R. McMAHON ²

¹ School of Biological Science, University of New South Wales PO Box 1, Kensington, NSW 2033, Australia
² Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N1N4, Canada

The lungs are responsible for essentially all uptake of oxygen in Birgus latro. Elimination of CO₂ in resting crabs appears to occur largely across the gills but during exercise approximately half the output of CO₂ is pulmonary. Pa_O2 was high in resting crabs (43.8 mmHg; 1 mmHg = 133.3 Pa) but fell during exercise (to 27mmHg). Pv_O2 remained constant at 10-12 mmHg. Pa_CO2 rose substantially during exercise (from 7.1 to 14.6mmHg).

Haemocyanin delivered 90% of oxygen in resting crabs rising to 97%following exercise. Oxygen delivery at rest was 0.46 mmoll^-1 haemolymph rising to 0.72mmoll^-1 following exercise. Pigment-bound oxygen capacity was 1.1 mmoll^-1. Oxygen delivery to the tissues was diffusion-limited during exercise.

Anaerobic metabolism during exercise raised the concentration of L-lactate in the haemolymph 100-fold (from 0.25 to 25 mmoll^-1) and concomitantly caused a fall in pH of 0.7 units. This acidosis was partially compensated by the end of the 30-min exercise period.

Key words: Birgus, haemocyanin, landcrabs, oxygen, carbon dioxide, gills, lungs

Accepted on June 9, 1988

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