Abstract

Red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, are often forced into a burrowing habitat under drought conditions. Arterial and venous hemolymph was sampled anaerobically from P. c1arkii acclimated to simulated pondwater conditions, air-exposed 24 hr and recovered in either simulated pondwater or simulated burrow-water conditions (200 mL water in loosely closed container. Measurements of O₂ and CO₂ partial pressures and pH of hemolymph and ambient water prior to air exposure and at intervals during air exposure and recovery allowed assessment of the effects of air exposure in this species and comparison of the effects of recovery in simulated pond water and burrow-water conditions. This crayfish survives 24 hr air exposure without hemolymph oxygen depletion. Air exposed crayfish returned to pond water conditions recover rapidly and completely. Crayfish confined to small trapped volumes of water typical of those at the base of the burrow did not fully recover since neither hemolymph oxygen nor acid-base status returned to pre-exposure values. Such simulated burrow conditions rapidly become O₂-depleted and CO₂-enriched when inhabited by a crayfish. Under these conditions the hemolymph of the crayfish showed serious CO₂ build-up and rapidly becomes sufficiently O₂-depleted so as decrease hemolymph O₂ delivery to tissues. This may force crayfish to resort often to aerial ventilation when confined in the burrow.

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