Some physiological factors in the ecology of Mediterranean limpets
Abstract
The limpets Patella lusitanica and Patella caerulea have been observed to show adaptational differences which correlate with their position in the upper and lower parts, respectively, of the eulittoral zone in the Mediterranean.
The instantaneous lethal temperature in air and in water is higher in P. lusitanica than in P. caerulea. Both limpets have higher instantaneous lethal temperatures in air than in water.
P. lusitanica has a higher resistance to desiccation and a slightly higher body water than P. caerulea.
P. lusitanica and P. caerulea have essentially the same resistance to high salinities, but P. caerulea is more tolerant to low salinities than P. lusitanica.
The rate of oxygen consumption of P. lusitanica is about three times higher in air than in water, whereas the rate of oxygen consumption of P. caerulea in water is about twice that in air.
