Sell A F
Department of Biology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA.
Proc Biol Sci. 2000 Nov 22;267(1459):2323-6. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2000.1286.
This is the first study, to my knowledge, quantifying the respiratory pigment haemoglobin discovered in a deep-sea copepod. Haemoglobin in copepods has previously been documented in only one other species from the deep water of an Italian lake. Specimens of the siphonostomatoid Scotoecetes introrsus Humes were collected during submersible dives at 2500 m depth near a hydrothermal vent at the East Pacific Rise (9 degrees N). The haemoglobin content in the copepods' haemolymph was 4.3 +/- 0.6 micrograms per individual female (n = 6) and 1.8 +/- 0.1 micrograms per individual male (n = 6). Weight-specific concentrations of haemoglobin were identical for females and males (0.25 +/- 0.04 and 0.26 +/- 0.02 microgram per microgram dry weight, respectively). These haemoglobin concentrations are higher than those found in other small crustaceans. Activity of the electron transport system indicated that the respiration rates in S. introrsus (13.7 +/- 7.7 microliters O2 per milligram dry weight per hour) were similar to those in the shallow-water copepod Acartia tonsa (9.1 +/- 1.3 microliters O2 per milligram dry weight per hour). It was concluded that the possession of highly concentrated haemoglobin allows S. introrsus to colonize a geologically young, thermally active site such as the vicinity of a hydrothermal vent, despite the prevailing oxygen depletion.
据我所知，这是第一项对在深海桡足类动物中发现的呼吸色素血红蛋白进行定量的研究。此前，仅在意大利一个湖泊深水中的另一个物种中记录过桡足类动物中的血红蛋白。在东太平洋海隆（北纬9度）一处热液喷口附近2500米深度的潜水过程中，采集了内向管颚虱（Scotoecetes introrsus Humes）的样本。雌性个体的血淋巴中血红蛋白含量为4.3±0.6微克/个体（n = 6），雄性个体为1.8±0.1微克/个体（n = 6）。雌性和雄性的血红蛋白重量比浓度相同（分别为0.25±0.04和0.26±0.02微克/微克干重）。这些血红蛋白浓度高于其他小型甲壳类动物中的浓度。电子传输系统的活性表明，内向管颚虱的呼吸速率（13.7±7.7微升O2/毫克干重/小时）与浅水桡足类动物中华哲水蚤（Acartia tonsa）的呼吸速率（9.1±1.3微升O2/毫克干重/小时）相似。研究得出结论，尽管普遍存在缺氧情况，但拥有高浓度的血红蛋白使内向管颚虱能够在地质年代较新、热活动活跃的区域（如热液喷口附近）定殖。
