Efecto de la salinidad sobre el consumo de oxígeno y la excreción de amonio de Macrobrachium rosenbergii (crustacea: Palaemonidae)

Abstract

The metabolic rate of postlarvae and juvenile of Macrobrachium rosenbergii increased at low salinities
because they required more energy to compensale for the accentuated osmotic gradient. Respiratory rate was constant
at high salinities: less energy was used to hyperosmoconform. When salinity increased ammonia excretion increment
of both stages was related to the activity of the ionic Na*/NH+4 exchange bomb to balance the Na+ levels of
hemolymph. The atomic relation O:N showed that the postlarvae and juvenile prawns used carbohydrate lipid at
diluted mediums and protein at high salinities