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Metabolic rates and biochemical compositions of Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka) tissue during periods of inactivity

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Abstract

Estivation, hibernation, and starvation are indispensable inactive states of sea cucumbers Apostichopus japonicus in nature and in culture ponds. Generally, temperature is the principal factor that induces estivation or hibernation in the sea cucumber. The present study provided insight into the physiological adaptations of A. japonicus during the three types of inactivity (hibernation, estivation, and starvation) by measuring the oxygen consumption rates (Vo2) and biochemical compositions under laboratory conditions of low (3°C), normal (17°C) and high (24°C) temperature. The results show that the characteristics of A. japonicus in dormancy (hibernation and estivation) states were quite different from higher animals, such as fishes, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals, but more closely resembled a semi-dormant state. It was observed that the shift in the A. japonicus physiological state from normal to dormancy was a chronic rather than acute process, indicated by the gradual depression of metabolic rate. While metabolic rates declined 44.9% for the estivation group and 71.7% for the hibernation group, relative to initial rates, during the 36 d culture period, metabolic rates were not maintained at constant levels during these states. The metabolic depression processes for sea cucumbers in hibernation and estivation appeared to be a passive and an active metabolic suppression, respectively. In contrast, the metabolic rates (128.90±11.70 μg/g h) of estivating sea cucumbers were notably higher (107.85±6.31 μg/g h) than in starving sea cucumbers at 17°C, which indicated that the dormancy mechanism here, as a physiological inhibition, was not as efficient as in higher animals. Finally, the principle metabolic substrate or energy source of sea cucumbers in hibernation was lipid, whereas in estivation they mainly consumed protein in the early times and both protein and lipid thereafter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China

    Jie Bao  (包杰), Shuanglin Dong  (董双林), Xiangli Tian  (田相利), Fang Wang  (王芳), Qinfeng Gao  (高勤峰) & Yunwei Dong  (董云伟)

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  1. Jie Bao  (包杰)
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  2. Shuanglin Dong  (董双林)
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  3. Xiangli Tian  (田相利)
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  4. Fang Wang  (王芳)
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  5. Qinfeng Gao  (高勤峰)
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  6. Yunwei Dong  (董云伟)
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Correspondence to Shuanglin Dong  (董双林).

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Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.30400333) and the National Key Program of Science and Technology of China (2006BAD09A01)

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Bao, J., Dong, S., Tian, X. et al. Metabolic rates and biochemical compositions of Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka) tissue during periods of inactivity. Chin. J. Ocean. Limnol. 28, 218–223 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-010-9016-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-010-9016-3

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