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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Ref ID : 873

R.Z. Klekowski, L. Wasilewska, and E. Paplinska; Oxygen consumption in the development stages of Panagrolaimus rigidus. Nematologica 20:61-68, 1974

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A study was made of oxygen consumption in all six developmental stages, eggs, juveniles 1-4 and adults, of the microbivorous nematode Panagrolaimus rigidus (Schneider). The cartesian diver method used. The exponent of regression for the relationship between respiration and weight was 0.64, indicating that the respiration intensity is proportional to the surface area of the body of those nematodes examined. Eggs had a respiratory rate seven times lower than juveniles just after hatching. The results are presented as respiratory rate and also as metabolic rate. The respiration equation calculated by the authors R=(2.02+/-1.28)W(0.64+/-0.12), could be used to estimate the energy budget of a real population of P. rigidus or as an estimation of the cost of maintenance of various size-age groups of the species similar, ecologically, to P. rigidus. A comparison is also given of regressions for the relation between respiration and weight in other species or whole groups of nematodes, known in the literature. The regression for P. rigidus is similar to the general results for a larger number of nematodes.