The relationship between blood PH, ammonia excretion and adaptation to low salinity in the blue crab callinectes sapidus

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Abstract
The output of ammonia increases in dilute waters in which blue crabs absorb Na+ against a gradient, but not those in which crabs remain in salt balance with the medium. Net acid output does not clearly vary with salinity. The balance between ammonia and urea output shifts towards ammonotelism at low salinity. These results, and the temporal responses of blood NH4+, Na+ and Cl‐after a salinity change, support the hypothesis that excess ammonia in blood plays an important role in osmoregulation as well as opposing the effect of salt reduction on the oxygen transport system.