Respiration rates of two species of Gnathostomulids

Abstract

Respiration rates for two species of Gnathostomulida from poorly oxygenated subtidal sands of Bermuda were measured using Cartesian diver respirometers. ForHaplognathia cf.ruberrima a respiration-body weight regression gaveR=0.790·W ^0,649 (in μl·10^-3O₂/h and μg wet weight). Respiration rates for adult animals ofGnathostomula sp. of a mean weight of 1.3 μg ranged between 0.25 and 0.63 μl·10^-3 O₂/h. These rates are low when compared with literature data on meiobenthic species from a wider habitat range but similar to respiration rates of marine and limnic nematodes living in sediments with strongly reducing capacity.