Low temperature tolerance and osmotic regulation in the amphipod Gammarus oceanicus from Spitsbergen waters

Abstract

The amphipod Gammarus oceanicus can survive being frozen into solid sea ice at a temperature of –6 to 7C- The animals appear to be supercooled at this temperature. No thermal hysteresis agents were present the haemolymph, and the prevention of internal freezing in the animals thus requires a body surface with a low Permeability to water and ice. Gammarus oceanicus is a euryhaline species. Below 700 mOsm seawater, it displays a very efficient osmoregulation, whereas it is an osmoconformer at seawater osmolalities above this value. At +5°C the amphipods die whenever their body fluid osmolality exceeds about 1000 mOsm. When the animals are trapped in freezing seawater, the osmolality of the brine may exceed this value considerably. The tolerance of the animals to hyperosmotic stress thus seems to be higher at subzero temperatures than at +5°C.