Graduation Year
2010
Location
Center for Natural Science, Illinois Wesleyan University
Start Date
10-4-2010 2:35 PM
End Date
10-4-2010 3:35 PM
Description
Larvae of the crustacean Artemia salina are reported to differentially ingest food particles of different sizes. We exposed 2-to-5-day-old A. salina larvae to equal volumetric concentrations (bead volume per mL) of 6 µm-diameter and 0.5 µm-diameter polystyrene beads. The clearance rate (volume cleared of particles per unit time) of each bead size was positively correlated with developmental stage of the larvae (r=0.598, p<0.0001 for 6 µm beads; r=0.610, p<0.0001 for 0.5 µm beads). The average clearance rate for all larvae exposed to 6- µm beads (3.88 ± 2.15 µl/hr, mean ± SD) was significantly and 69 times greater than that that of larvae exposed to 0.5-µm beads (0.0560 ± 0.0234 µl/hr, mean ± SD). These clearance rates suggest that large cells (6-µm particles) contribute significantly to fulfilling the energetic demands of the larvae (as calculated from published values of estimated metabolic rates) while bacteria-sized particles (0.5-µm diameter) do not.
Bacteria not an Energetically Favorable Food Source for Larvae of Artemia salina
Center for Natural Science, Illinois Wesleyan University
Larvae of the crustacean Artemia salina are reported to differentially ingest food particles of different sizes. We exposed 2-to-5-day-old A. salina larvae to equal volumetric concentrations (bead volume per mL) of 6 µm-diameter and 0.5 µm-diameter polystyrene beads. The clearance rate (volume cleared of particles per unit time) of each bead size was positively correlated with developmental stage of the larvae (r=0.598, p<0.0001 for 6 µm beads; r=0.610, p<0.0001 for 0.5 µm beads). The average clearance rate for all larvae exposed to 6- µm beads (3.88 ± 2.15 µl/hr, mean ± SD) was significantly and 69 times greater than that that of larvae exposed to 0.5-µm beads (0.0560 ± 0.0234 µl/hr, mean ± SD). These clearance rates suggest that large cells (6-µm particles) contribute significantly to fulfilling the energetic demands of the larvae (as calculated from published values of estimated metabolic rates) while bacteria-sized particles (0.5-µm diameter) do not.