Osmoregulation in tropical zoanthid Protopalythoa variabilis (Cnidaria: Anthozoa) - doi: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v35i1.10970

Authors

  • Marcelo de Oliveira Soares Universidade Federal do Ceará Author
  • Leonardo Peres de Souza Universidade Federal do Ceará Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4025/actascibiolsci.v35i1.10970

Keywords:

anthozoan, salinity, physiology, reefs

Abstract

This study evaluated the physiological, morphological and ethological effects of salinity variations on the tropical zoanthid Protopalythoa variabilis. This zoanthid was submitted to different salinity levels to probe the hypothesis of osmoregulation. Specimens collected in beach rocks from Northeastern Brazil were taken alive to the laboratory in their original water. The osmoregulatory ability of P. variabilis can be determined by measuring the hemolymph osmolality under various salinity conditions and comparing with the osmolality of the medium. The zoanthid P. variabilis is a “weak regulator”, as it only osmoregulates within a narrow range of external salinity values, and its hemolymph osmolality drops, approximately in parallel with the isosmotic line, when the medium salinity falls below a certain limit. Ethological and morphological modifications under different salinities are discussed. This experiment shows for the first time the importance of osmotic regulation in the tropical zoanthid P. variabilis.

 

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Author Biographies

  • Marcelo de Oliveira Soares, Universidade Federal do Ceará
    Instituto de Ciências do Mar- LABOMAR
  • Leonardo Peres de Souza, Universidade Federal do Ceará
    Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular, UNESP

Published

2012-07-19

Issue

Section

Animal Morphology & Physiology

How to Cite

Osmoregulation in tropical zoanthid Protopalythoa variabilis (Cnidaria: Anthozoa) - doi: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v35i1.10970. (2012). Acta Scientiarum. Biological Sciences, 35(1), 123-127. https://doi.org/10.4025/actascibiolsci.v35i1.10970

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