The Influence of Salinity on the Rate of Dark Respiration and Structure of the Cells of Brown Algae Thalli from the Barents Sea Littoral

We studied the changes in the rate of dark respiration (DR) and structure of the cells in Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus vesiculosus thalli during the incubation at 40, 34, 20, 10, and 2 salinity for 14 days. The changes in salinity affected the rate of DR and the structure of the thallus apical cells: the organelles swollen and were destroyed later. The effect of hyposalinity on the algae was more pronounced as compared to hypersalinity. The stress intensity directly increased with the degree of desalination. Further adaptation of the algae to low salinity enhanced DR and, hence, was an energy-dependent process. Despite higher DR rates (during the stress and adaptation) in F. vesiculosus as compared to A. nodosum, the seaweeds had similar pattern of adaptation to the variation of salinity. Different primary response of the seaweeds to 20 salinity was an important exception; apparently, the salinity around 20 is the limit of these species distribution in desalination zones.     

Changes in the Intensity of Respiration during Ontogenesis of Some Invertebrates

We studied the dynamic of respiration intensity during ontogenesis of flat worms (Dugesia tigrina), molluscs (Anodonta piscinalis and Viviparus viviparus, and insects (Leptinotarsa decemlineata). In planarians that reproduce vegetatively, the intensity of respiration increases just after fission and decreases at the subsequent phases of growth. In A. piscinalis, this index of metabolism increases during embryonic and early larval development and decreases at the later developmental stages. In V. viviparus, which develops in the female genital tract, the intensity of respiration remains unchanged during embryogenesis and decreases during late embryogenesis and subsequent phases of growth. In L. decemlineata, the intensity of respiration increases during embryonic and early larval development and then decreases to undergo cyclic changes times to molts. This index markedly decreases in the pupae, increases in the beginning of imaginal period, and then again decreases.     

Specific Growth Rate and the Level of Energy Metabolism in the Ontogeny of Axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum(Amphibia: Ambystomatidae)

Concordant changes in the level of energy metabolism and specific growth rate of axolotls have been revealed. Several periods of ontogeny are distinguished, which differ in the ratio of energy metabolism to body weight and, therefore, are described by different allometric equations. It is suggested that the specific growth rate of an animal determines the type of dependence of energy metabolism on body weight.     

The Relation of Energy Metabolism and Body Weight in Bivalves (Mollusca: Bivalvia)

On the basis of experimental and published data, the interspecific and intraspecific (ontogenetic) dependence of energy metabolism on body weight in bivalves was calculated. Changes in the parameters of intraspecific allometric dependence under the effect of environmental factors were analyzed. The rate of comparable standard metabolism (coefficient a at k = 0.76) was shown to vary in different taxonomic and zoogeographic groups of bivalves.