Abstract:Arcuatula senhousia is a high-quality food for shrimps, crabs, and other aquaculture species and is a type of shellfish with a high breed latent capacity. The effects of temperature (7℃, 15℃, 23℃, 31℃) on the physiological metabolism of A. senhousia were studied using the stagnant water method under controlled laboratory conditions in October 2015, to obtain a deeper understanding of its physiological metabolism and to establish its energy budget. The results showed that the filtration rate, feeding rate, oxygen consumption rate, and assimilation efficiency of A. senhousia at 23℃ were significantly higher than those at other temperatures (P<0.05), by up to 1.09 L/(g·h), 24.46 mg/(g·h), 3.50 mg/(g·h), and 62.93%, respectively. The filtration rate, feeding rate, oxygen consumption rate, fecal pellet production rate, and ammonia excretion rate of A. senhousia at 7℃ were significantly lower than those at other temperatures (P<0.05), as low as 0.24 L/(g·h), 6.04 mg/(g·h), 1.02 mg/(g·h), 4.20 mg/(g·h), and 2.33 μmol/(g·h), respectively. With increased temperature, the filtration rate, feeding rate, oxygen consumption rate, and assimilation efficiency of A. senhousia increased and then decreased, reaching the highest value at 23℃. The energy budget equations at different temperatures are as follows: 100C=58.12F+46.74R+2.54U–7.40P (7℃); 100C=44.28F+29.14R+1.85U+24.73P (15℃); 100C=17.18F+41.81R+6.64U+34.37P (23℃); 100C= 53.35F+28.26R+14.66U+3.73P (31℃); The energy budget equations show that the energy required for growth (P), respiration (R), excretion (U), and feces (F) accounts for –7.4% to 34.37%, 28.26% to 46.74%, 1.85% to 14.66%, and 17.18% to 58.12% of the feeding energy (C), respectively. The proportion of growth energy to feeding energy varies greatly at different temperatures. Growth energy accounts for the highest percentage (34.37%) at 23℃ (P<0.05) and the lowest percentage (–7.40%) at 7℃. The results of this study provide theoretical guidance for a deeper understanding of the physiological energetics of A. senhousia.
