Effect of Climate and Weather Fluctuations on the Physiological Process of Ectotherms - Lab Report Example

Animals dominate various biomes of the world. Therefore, habitat determines the capability of the animal to maintain internal body temperature despite fluctuations in the environmental temperature. 

Ectotherms are many and dominate most of the world. Although, the report will mainly focus on the Class Crustacea and specifically narrow to crayfish. Effect of Climate and Weather Fluctuations on Physiological Process of Ectotherms Especially Crustaceans Change in climate and weather affects the physiological and biochemical process of ectotherms because ectotherms’ body temperatures are dependent on the surrounding environmental temperature. Climate change is an impact of global warming hence causing a change of habitat for some organisms.

Zuo indicates that ectothermic animals develop faster in warmer temperatures and mature with smaller body sizes. For instance, a species matures at the rate of 20% smaller with a 10°C increase in temperature (1840). Although the allocation of energy and materials during ontogeny determines the maturity of a species, increased environmental temperature also influences the body size of crustaceans at maturity. Sokolova and Lannig explain that an increase in temperature by a few degrees centigrade results in a change in ectotherm distribution in the world and even extinction (182).

Fabry describes that climate change due to increased carbon dioxide has led to increased ocean acidification (415). Since the exoskeleton of crustaceans mainly consists of calcium carbonate the low pH in the ocean will lead to the dissolution of the exoskeleton. As a result, the dissolution of the exoskeleton leads to a profound effect on the crustacean population. Sokolova and Lannig elucidate that increased temperature affects the solubility of dissolved oxygen in the water. Therefore, increased temperature increases the level of dissolved oxygen in water increasing physiological and biochemical activities in the body of the crustaceans.

Crayfish are freshwater invertebrates of population approximately 500 dominating freshwater ponds, streams, lakes, swamps and marshes all over the world. Helfrich classifies crayfish as organisms that belong to Phylum Arthropoda, Class Crustacea and Order Decapoda (2). The Crayfish body is divided into cephalothorax and abdomen. The fusion of the head and thorax formed one part known as the cephalothorax, covered by a carapace. The abdomen has six segments and a fan-like tail called a pleiopod.

Crayfish have compound eyes with numerous eyelets supported in a stalk and two antennae known as the short-jointed inner antennules and the long outer antennae. The function of the inner antennules is to taste the water and locate food while for outer antennae are for the sense of touch. The overlapping mouthparts and tooth-like mandible crush and shred food during ingestion. Crayfish have ten legs and the first pair of legs has pincers for defence, mating, burrowing, egg laying in females, and feeding.

After the first pair of legs, there are four pairs of walking legs. The first two pairs of walking legs are tipped with small pincers, which search into cracks and holes for food, used for eating, walking and grooming. The last two pairs of walking legs are for mating and walking. Crayfish can degenerate legs when broken. Crayfish bodies have exoskeletons therefore, crayfish grow during the process of moulting. Most crayfish have incomplete metamorphosis and r-selected survivorship curves. Male crayfish have gonopods while females have depressed sperm receptacles.

Definition of Temperature Coefficient According to Zuo, the temperature coefficient implies the increase in temperature by ten degrees Celsius rate of change in the biological and chemical systems in an organism (1840). Compensatory Mechanisms that Maintain Normal Rates for Biological Processes in Crayfish Helfrich posits crayfish having a shorter lifespan (4). For that reason, crayfish lay many eggs and take a shorter time to reach maturity such as less than three months. This is to ensure the survival of most species.

Crayfish can degenerate their legs when broken hence ensuring the continuous function of the legs such as movement, defence and burrowing. According to Helfrich, another compensatory mechanism in crayfish is the fact that most crayfish are nocturnal and actively feed at night and on cloudy days (3). This mechanism helps crayfish to avoid increasing temperatures during the day to maintain the normal rates of the biochemical process in the body. Costanzo mostly invertebrates such as crayfish initiate freezing in the INA found the haemolymph (Web).

Most crayfish hibernate during extreme weather conditions to reduce physiological activities in the body reduce the energy demand and reduce desiccation. The small body size of most crustaceans enables them to move at a higher speed with the help of the fan-like tail called pleiopods to avoid predators and to use less energy during movement. Conclusion Although, ectotherms are organisms whose body temperature depends on the surrounding environmental temperatures, the organisms have managed to survive even in the increasing global temperatures.

Therefore, a wider temperature range may lead to the loss of many habitats for most ectothermic species increasing the number of species lost. Crustaceans such as crayfish have been widely affected by a change in water temperature and chemistry despite their compensatory mechanisms.