Oxygen Uptake with Acute Variation in Temperature and Salinity in Two Coral Reef Polychaetes

Abstract. Eupolymnia nebulosa (Terebellidae) and Hermodke carunculata (Amphinomidae) were compared with respect to rates of oxygen consumption in response to acute temperature and salinity variation. E. nebulosa , but not H. carunculata , demonstrated significant temperature sensitivity correlating with the former species' restriction to habitats that are temperature variation. In contrast, H. carunculata occurs where such fluctuation is common. Oxygen uptake in both species was responsive to dilution of the medium whereas only H. carunculata demonstrated insensitivity to increased salinity under most temperature conditions.