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Journal of Experimental Biology 143,333-346 (1989)
Published by Company of Biologists 1989

ADAPTATIONS TO A TERRESTRIAL EXISTENCE BY THE ROBBER CRAB, BIRGUS LATRO L.: III. NITROGENOUS EXCRETION

P. GREENAWAY ¹ and S. MORRIS 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 T2N 1N4, Canada

Nitrogenous excretion by the terrestrial anomuran crab Birgus latro L. was examined. The main excretory product was uric acid, representing 79.5 % of total excretory nitrogen. It was eliminated as white faeces separate from undigested food material and made up 82.6% of excretory faecal nitrogen. The faeces were the principal route of nitrogenous excretion, accounting for 96.2% of total excretion. Loss of nitrogen in the urine and as gaseous ammonia was negligible. The midgut gland had substantial activity of xanthine oxidase and was considered to be the site of production of uric acid and its point of entry into the gut

Key words: Birgus, land crabs, nitrogenous excretion, uric acid, xanthine oxidase

Accepted on December 14, 1988

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