Respiratory Response and Hemolymph Sugar Level of The Crab Barytelphusa gureini Exposed To Heavy Metals

Abstract

To explore the respiratory and metabolic responses, the fresh water crabs Barytelphusa gureini, were exposed to sublethal concentrations (2.0 & 2.25 µg/L) of cadmium chloride and copper sulphate respectively. Oxygen consumption and hemolymph sugar level of the animals were estimated to study the stress caused by these heavy metal toxicants. These animals after acclimatization to the laboratory conditions exposed for 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hrs to the toxicants. Total oxygen consumption was studied by Winkler’s method and the hemolymph sugar level was estimated by Anthrone method. In the present study, total oxygen consumption showed a gradual decline trend from 0 to 96 hrs in the experimental animals exposed to cadmium chloride, while the hemolymph sugar level recorded an elevation, with maximum increase at 96 hrs. These results showed that cadmium was found to be more toxic than copper metal.