Tolerance, bioenergetics, and biochemical composition of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus rathbun, exposed to the water-soluble fraction of South Louisiana crude oil

Thesis/Dissertation · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:5921512

Wang, S Y

Blue crabs were highly tolerant to petroleum hydrocarbons. Rates of energy intake decreased with increasing hydrocarbon concentration. Although energy expenditure rates of crabs exposed to 2504 ppb were not significantly higher than that of control crabs, they were significantly higher than those of crabs exposed to 820 and 1476 ppb. Molting was delayed in crabs exposed to 1476 and 2504 ppb. Crab growth was significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner. The correlation between scope for growth and tissue growth was highly significant, indicating a bioenergetic basis for the decreased growth in crabs exposed to petroleum hydrocarbons. RNA content of crabs exposed to crude oil was significantly reduced on all sampling dates. Protein content of crabs exposed to crude oil was lower than that of control crabs on days 14 and 21. DNA content was not significantly different from that of control crabs. RNA:DNA and protein:DNA ratio were significantly reduced in crabs exposed to crude oil. The significant correlations suggest the possibility of their use as indicators of physiological condition. Significant differences in lipid content and concentration were observed. Analysis of five lipid classes indicate that structural lipids were less affected than lipids used for energy storage among crabs exposed to crude oil. The observed changes growth pattern and biochemical composition suggest that the pattern of energy utilization was altered. Among crabs exposed to petroleum hydrocarbons, growth in size took place despite little increase in tissue content. Available energy was used for growth with little being stored in lipid reserves.

• Research Organization: Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5921512
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
CRABS
TOLERANCE
PETROLEUM
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CORRELATIONS
DNA
GROWTH
LIPIDS
LOUISIANA
MOLTING
PROTEINS
QUANTITY RATIO
RNA
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ARTHROPODS
CRUSTACEANS
DECAPODS
ENERGY SOURCES
FEDERAL REGION VI
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
INVERTEBRATES
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
USA
020900* - Petroleum- Environmental Aspects
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology