Further studies on respiratory rates of freshwater amoebae (Rhizopoda,Gymnamoebia)

The respiration rates of axenically culturedAcanthamoeba castellanii (Gymnamoebia) and of the test organismTetrahymena pyriformis (Ciliophora) were compared using both Warburg and cartesian diver respirometer techniques at 20°C. Furthermore, the latter procedure was employed to measure the oxygen consumption of the amoebae,Polychaos fasciculatum, Saccamoeba limax, andAmoeba sp. The linear relationship between respiration rate and mean cell volume in amoebae was reassessed in view of these additional estimates. The importance of this regression in ecological studies is discussed.