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First published online February 15, 2008
Journal of Experimental Biology 211, 798-804 (2008)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2008
doi: 10.1242/jeb.014621

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Temperature–oxygen interactions in Antarctic nudibranch egg masses

H. Arthur Woods^1,* and Amy L. Moran²

¹ Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
² Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: art.woods{at}mso.umt.edu)

Accepted 8 January 2008

The Southern Ocean is one of the coldest, most stable marine environments on Earth and represents a unique environment for investigating metabolic consequences of low temperature. Here we test predictions of a new diffusion–reaction model of O₂ distributions in egg masses, using egg masses of the Antarctic nudibranch mollusk, Tritonia challengeriana. When warmed from –1.5° to +1.5°C, embryos of T. challengeriana showed large increases in O₂ consumption (Q₁₀ values of 9.6–30.0). Oxygen electrode measurements in intact masses showed, however, that O₂ levels were high throughout and virtually unaffected by temperature. The model suggested that both effects stemmed from very low metabolic densities in egg masses. Detailed morphological measurements of egg masses of T. challengeriana and a temperate congener, T. diomedea, revealed large differences in structure that may be related to O₂ availability. Egg masses of T. challengeriana were approximately twice as thick. However, the most dramatic effects were observed in embryos: embryos of T. challengeriana were >32 times larger (by volume) than embryos of T. diomedea. Antarctic embryos also were contained singly in large egg capsules (500 µm diameter). Consequently, Antarctic embryos occurred at much lower densities, with very low metabolic densities.

Key words: Antarctica, Southern Ocean, McMurdo Sound, oxygen, diffusion, egg mass, nudibranch, marine, temperature, global warming, size, polar gigantism, Tritonia

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This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. A. Woods, A. L Moran, C. P Arango, L. Mullen, and C. Shields Oxygen hypothesis of polar gigantism not supported by performance of Antarctic pycnogonids in hypoxia Proc R Soc B, March 22, 2009; 276(1659): 1069 - 1075. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. A. Woods and A. L. Moran Oxygen profiles in egg masses predicted from a diffusion-reaction model J. Exp. Biol., March 1, 2008; 211(5): 790 - 797. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]