Metabolism and Oxygen Transport in the Innkeeper Urechis caupo

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Abstract
Oxygen consumption, irrigation rate, and coelomic fluid were determined in Urechis caupo kept in glass ⋃-tubes in the laboratory. Urechis is a partial oxyregulator, with O₂ uptake beginning to decline at O₂ levels below about 50% air-saturated water. Complete aerobic shutdown was not observed. Serial measurements of coelomic made concurrently with measurements of external medium indicate a fairly constant gradient of from external medium to coelom, down to O₂ partial pressures of about 15 torr (10% air-saturated water). Irrigation rate and both show linear relationships with body pump rate (number of peristaltic waves per minute). Large amounts of H₂O are pumped per milliliter of O₂ consumed, and oxidative cost of irrigation remains constant over the range of irrigation and pump rates examined.