The importance of the feeding current for oxygen uptake in the water flea daphnia magna

In the planktonic crustacean Daphnia magna (Branchiopoda, Cladocera), different views exist on the mechanism of respiratory gas exchange, ranging from gill breathing to general integumentary respiration. The presumed structures for specialized gas exchange are located ventrally within the filter chamber, which is continuously perfused with the ambient medium for food gathering. To localize respiratory gas exchange in D. magna, we determined the contribution of the feeding current to total oxygen transport. Combining microscopy with special optical techniques, we used a phosphorescent oxygen-sensitive dye for oxygen partial pressure (PO2) measurements and applied fluorescent microspheres for flow-rate analysis. Appendage beat rate was determined by digital image-processing. All experiments were carried out on hypoxia-adapted animals with a body length ranging from 2.3 to 2.7 mm at 20 degreesC. External PO2 measurement revealed oxygen depletion in the ventral body region but essentially no change at posterior, lateral and dorsal positions. The PO2 difference between the inflow and outflow of the feeding current was 13.0 mmHg (1.73 kPa). The flow rate of the feeding current ranged from 1.2 to 5.2 ml h-1 and showed a close correlation with appendage beat rate, which varied from 310.4 to 460.7 beats min-1. Model calculations based on the Fick principle suggest that oxygen extraction from the feeding current satisfies most of the total of oxygen requirement of D. magna.