Body size and temperature effects on standard metabolic rate for determining metabolic scope for activity of the polychaete Hediste (Nereis) diversicolor

Abstract

Considering the ecological importance and potential value of Hediste diversicolor, a better understanding of its metabolic rate and potential growth rates is required. The aims of this study are: (i) to describe key biometric relationships; (ii) to test the effects of temperature and body size on standard metabolic rate (as measure by oxygen consumption) to determine critical parameters, namely Arrhenius temperature (TA), allometric coefficient (b) and reaction rate; and (iii) to determine the metabolic scope for activity (MSA) of H. diversicolor for further comparison with published specific growth rates. Individuals were collected in a Mediterranean lagoon (France). After 10 days of acclimatization, 7 days at a fixed temperature and 24 h of fasting, resting oxygen consumption rates (VO2) were individually measured in the dark at four different temperatures (11, 17, 22 and 27 °C) in worms weighing from 4 to 94 mgDW (n = 27 per temperature). Results showed that DW and L3 were the most accurate measurements of weight and length, respectively, among all the metrics tested. Conversion of WW (mg), DW (mg) and L3 (mm) were quantified with the following equations: DW = 0.15 × WW, L3 = 0.025 × TL(mm) + 1.44 and DW = 0.8 × L33.68. Using an equation based on temperature and allometric effects, the allometric coefficient (b) was estimated at 0.8 for DW and at 2.83 for L3. The reaction rate (VO2) equaled to 12.33 µmol gDW−1 h−1 and 0.05 µmol mm L3−1 h−1 at the reference temperature (20 °C, 293.15 K). Arrhenius temperature (TA) was 5,707 and 5,664 K (for DW and L3, respectively). Metabolic scope for activity ranged from 120.1 to 627.6 J gDW−1 d−1. Predicted maximum growth rate increased with temperature, with expected values of 7–10% in the range of 15–20 °C. MSA was then used to evaluate specific growth rates (SGR) in several experiments. This paper may be used as a reference and could have interesting applications in the fields of aquaculture, ecology and biogeochemical processes.

Spatio-temporal population and reproductive responses in Hediste diversicolor (Polychaeta: Nereididae) from the Damietta Harbor Barge Canal, Egypt.

“…7) showed that males and females weight was significantly correlated with total length with higher determination coefficients (R 2 ) for males than females at all stations. The established size-weight relationship was similar to those observed by Durou et al (2008) at the Authie estuary of the English channel and Galasso et. al.…”

Benthic estuarine communities' contribution to bioturbation under the experimental effect of marine heatwaves

“…Other works from this geographical region, with mild (up to 2 °C) and surficial temperature increases with estuarine communities in situ , were also unable to conclude the impact of temperature on bioturbation 40 . Since we tested an 8 °C sudden increase, we would expect more expressive differences in the community behaviour, which could encompass activity decrease as a response to temperature increase stress within a non-lethal threshold 14 , 41 , 42 or a vertical movement towards deeper sediment areas 16 . Also, recent studies relate the intensity of bioturbation to the species metabolism, which is temperature-sensitive 39 , 43 , 44 , reinforcing our initial hypothesis to expect differences due to the warming.…”

Key Bioturbator Species Within Benthic Communities Determine Sediment Resuspension Thresholds

“…I ind was determined from the mean individual ash-free dry weight using the empirical model of Brey (2010), which also accounts for age in case of juvenile L. balthica. The ash-free dry mass (AFDM) of L. balthica, H. diversicolor, and C. volutator (Table 2) was estimated from the mean body length using empirical relations from Eklöf et al (2017); Galasso et al (2018), and Boates and Smith (1979), respectively:…”