Blood Osmoregulation and Ultrastructure of the Gas Windows(‘Tympana’)of Intertidal Ocypodid Crabs: Dotilla vs. Scopimera
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- Matsumasa Masatoshi
- Department of Biology, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Iwate Medical University
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- Kikuchi Susumu
- Department of Biology, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Iwate Medical University
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- Takeda Satoshi
- Marine Biological Station, Faculty of Science, Tohoku University
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- Poovachiranon Sombat
- Phuket Marine Biological Center, Phuket 83000, Thailand
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- Yong Hoi-Sen
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 59100, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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- Murai Minoru
- Sesoko Station, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus
Bibliographic Information
- Other Title
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- Blood Osmoregulation and Ultrastructure of the Gas Windows(‘Tympana’)of Intertidal Ocypodid Crabs: Dotilla vs. Scopimera
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Abstract
Abstract: Intertidal ocypodid crabs of the two genera Dotilla and Scopimera have unique membranous windows(‘tympana’)on their legs for aerial gas exchange, and the former also has them on its thoracic sterna. The osmoregulatory capabilities of Dotilla myctiroides and Scopimera pilura in dilute external media were compared, and microstructure of their tympana was examined to clarify whether they have an osmoregulatory function as well as a respiratory one, because respiratory surfaces are probablc sitcs for osmoregulation or of water/ion loss. Although both D. myctiroides and S. pilura were hyperosmoregulators, the former species was much the weaker in this respect. Histological results showed that the tympana have simple, thin respiratory epithelia in both of these species as well as S. proxima, which indicates that the tympana are probably sites of water/ion loss. The thicker cuticle in Scopimera species than in D. myctiroides may be an adaptive characteristic for maintaining blood osmolality in dilute media, and this was confirmed by silver staining, which indicated that the loss of Cl-through tympana was smaller in Scopimera than in Dotilla. However, at the same time, the longer blood/gas diffusion distance due to the thickened cuticle must result in lower efficiency of gas exchange. Hence, a trade-off between respiratory efficiency and water/ion retention is involved in the development of tympana. From this viewpoint, the presence/absence of tympana among species of the subfamily Dotillinae, which includes Dotilla and Scopimera, is reviewed with reference to some taxonomic and phylogenetic considerations.
Journal
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- BENTHOS RESEARCH
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BENTHOS RESEARCH 56 (2), 47-55, 2001
JAPANESE ASSOCIATION OF BENTHOLOGY
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Keywords
Details 詳細情報について
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- CRID
- 1390282680457088640
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- NII Article ID
- 130004997543
- 10016212800
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- NII Book ID
- AN10565057
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- ISSN
- 18838901
- 02894548
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- NDL BIB ID
- 6030944
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- Text Lang
- en
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- Data Source
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- JaLC
- NDL
- Crossref
- CiNii Articles
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- Abstract License Flag
- Disallowed