Effect of Acclimation Temperature on Oxygen Consumption in the Crayfish, Orconectes propinquus

Results (And Reporting Statistics)
The oxygen consumption rates were not significant between the warm acclimated crayfish and the cold acclimated crayfish . (Unpaired, two tailed t-test; t52=2.007, P=0.553; Figure 1). The Q10 value calculated in experiment was 1.044.

Figure 1: The affect of varying temperatures on Metabolism via oxygen consumption rates on warm and cold acclimated Orconectes propinquus. Mean is ± SE, n (warm)= 34, n (cold) = 32. The warm acclimated crayfish were at a temperature of around 21°C and the cold acclimated crayfish were at a temperature of around 5°C.

Discussion
The 14 day acclimated crayfish, Orconectes propinquus, showed no difference in the …show more content…
Oxygen consumption is an example of a largely physiological variable that is not dependent solely on temperature. Vernberg (1959) describes that oxygen consumption rates also are subjected to factors that can affect it such as age, size, and altitude. The size of the crayfish is proportional to the requirement of oxygen. However with an increase in age and latitude, there is a decreased requirement for oxygen. The size variability factor also is, largely in part, the reasoning as to why the oxygen consumption values are expressed in mass, mass effects metabolism greatly. Variation can also take form in the experimental results that are produced in the lab. For example, human error could be one of the factors that causes a slight variation in the direct results obtained. This could have been a result of improper recording or miscalculation with one of the equations provided in the laboratory experiment. Experimental error is also likely. This includes physical error, oxygen escaping from jars, and skewing the actual oxygen level results