Cardiac frequency compensation responses of adult blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun) exposed to moderate temperature increases

• 1.1. Cardiac frequency patterns of Callincctes sapidus Rathbun were used to evaluate potential thermal stress after exposure to 5°C increases over a range of acclimation temperatures from 5° to 30°C.
• 2.2. An acclimated rate-temperature curve (R-T curve), acute R-T curves of the stabilized rates at the increased temperatures and Q₁₀ temperature coefficients were used to assess the significance of the changes in rate frequency.
• 3.3. The acclimated R-T curve showed that blue crabs go through a series of seasonal adaptation types characterized by a plateau of perfect adaptation for both cold and warm adapted organisms. Paradoxical adaptation occurred between the transition from cold to warm acclimation temperatures.
• 4.4. The acute R-T curves showed that cardiac frequency was highly responsive to a 5°C increase when the organisms were acclimated to low temperatures.
• 5.5. The Q₁₀'s of the acute R-T curves at the warm acclimation temperatures approximated those values derived for the acclimated R-T curve.
• 6.6. This suggests that the temperature increase had a negligible effect on the warm adapted crabs, that is, little or no thermal stress occurred.