title: Thermal biology of the sub-polar-temperate estuarine crab Hemigrapsus crenulatus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Varunidae).
abstract: Optimum temperatures can be measured through aerobic scope, preferred temperatures or growth. A complete thermal window, including optimum, transition (Pejus) and critical temperatures (CT), can be described if preferred temperatures and CT are defined. The crustacean Hemigrapsus crenulatus was used as a model species to evaluate the effect of acclimation temperature on: (i) thermal preference and width of thermal window, (ii) respiratory metabolism, and (iii) haemolymph proteins. Dependant on acclimation temperature, preferred temperature was between 11.8°C and 25.2°C while CT was found between a minimum of 2.7°C (CTmin) and a maximum of 35.9°C (CTmax). These data and data from tropical and temperate crustaceans were compared to examine the association between environmental temperature and thermal tolerance. Temperate species have a CTmax limit around 35°C that corresponded with the low CTmax limit of tropical species (34-36°C). Tropical species showed a CTmin limit around 9°C similar to the maximum CTmin of temperate species (5-6°C). The maximum CTmin of deep sea species that occur in cold environments (2.5°C) matched the low CTmin values (3.2°C) of temperate species. Results also indicate that the energy required to activate the enzyme complex (Ei) involved in respiratory metabolism of ectotherms changes along the latitudinal gradient of temperature.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Acuicultura, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla 1327, Puerto Montt, Chile.
authors.forename: Juan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Cumillaf
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Acuicultura, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla 1327, Puerto Montt, Chile.
authors.forename: Johnny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Blanc
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Acuicultura, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla 1327, Puerto Montt, Chile.
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Paschke
authors.affiliation: Centro-IMAR, Universidad de Los Lagos, Casilla 557, Puerto Montt, Chile.
authors.forename: Paulina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gebauer
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Ecofisiologıá de Organismos Acuáticos, Departamento de Biotecnologıá Marina, Centro de Investigación Cientıf́ica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana # 3918, Ensenada 22860, Baja California, México.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Ecofisiologıá de Organismos Acuáticos, Departamento de Biotecnologıá Marina, Centro de Investigación Cientıf́ica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana # 3918, Ensenada 22860, Baja California, México.
authors.forename: Denisse
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Re
authors.affiliation: Unidad Multidisciplinaria de Docencia e Investigación, Facultad de Ciencias UNAM, Puerto de abrigo s/nSisal, Yucatán 97355, México.
authors.forename: María E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Chimal
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Acuicultura, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla 1327, Puerto Montt, Chile.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vásquez
authors.affiliation: Unidad Multidisciplinaria de Docencia e Investigación, Facultad de Ciencias UNAM, Puerto de abrigo s/nSisal, Yucatán 97355, México crv@ciencias.unam.mx.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rosas
keywords: Critical thermal limits; Haemolymph protein; Hemigrapsus crenulatus; Oxygen consumption; Preferred temperature