Journal article
Salt and water regulation by the leatherback sea turtle Dermochelys coriacea
Journal of experimental biology, v 205(Pt 13), pp 1853-1860
Jul 2002
PMID: 12077161
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
We measured the salt and water balance of hatchling leatherback sea turtles, Dermochelys coriacea, during their first few days of life to investigate how they maintain homeostasis under the osmoregulatory challenge of a highly desiccating terrestrial environment and then a hyperosmotic marine environment. Hatchlings desiccated rapidly when denied access to sea water, with their hematocrit increasing significantly from 30.32+/-0.54 % to 38.51+/-1.35 % and plasma Na(+) concentration increasing significantly from 138.2+/-3.3 to 166.2+/-11.2 mmol l(-1) in 12 h. When hatchlings were subsequently put into sea water, hematocrit decreased and plasma Na(+) concentration was unchanged but both were significantly elevated above pretreatment values. In other hatchlings kept in sea water for 48 h, body mass and plasma Na(+) concentration increased significantly, but hematocrit did not increase. These data show that hatchlings were able to osmoregulate effectively and gain mass by drinking sea water. We stimulated hatchlings to secrete salt from the salt glands by injecting a salt load of 27 mmol kg(-1). The time taken for secretion to begin in newly hatched turtles was longer than that in 4-day-old hatchlings, but the secretory response was identical at 4.15+/-0.40 and 4.13+/-0.59 mmol Na(+) kg(-1) h(-1) respectively. Adrenaline and methacholine were both potent inhibitors of salt gland secretion in a dose-dependent manner, although methacholine administered simultaneously with a subthreshold salt load elicited a transient secretory response. The results showed that hatchling leatherbacks are able to tolerate significant changes in internal composition and efficiently use their salt glands to establish internal ionic and water balance when in sea water.
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Details
- Title
- Salt and water regulation by the leatherback sea turtle Dermochelys coriacea
- Creators
- Richard D Reina - Drexel UniversityT Todd JonesJames R Spotila - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- Journal of experimental biology, v 205(Pt 13), pp 1853-1860
- Publisher
- Company of Biologists
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- [Retired Faculty]
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000176960600003
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-0036651989
- Other Identifier
- 991019168527404721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Biology
- Zoology