Effect of temperature on the respiration of an Antarctic freshwater anostracan, Branchinecta gaini Daday 1910, in field experiments

The Antarctic crustacean Branchinecta gaini (Branchiopoda, Anostraca) occurs in nine fresh water lakes near the Polish H. Arctowski Station. In one of the largest, Lake Wujka (Lake Uncle in English), we determined how temperatures affect its respiration and whether this is sex dependent. Experiments were carried out on males and females bearing eggs over a range of temperatures from 0.5 to 10 degrees C. An ANOVA showed that while the amount of oxygen consumed increased with temperature (P < 0.001) males consumed more oxygen than similarly-sized females bearing eggs (P < 0.001).