Calcium Balance at the Premoult Stage of the Freshwater Crayfish Austropotamobius Pallipes (Lereboullet)

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Abstract
The premoult stage in Austropotamobius pallipes is characterized by a net loss of calcium which increases from D0 to a maximum of 0.83 µmoles/g/h at D4. The concentration of ionized calcium in the haemolymph does not increase during the premoult stage although there is an increase in complexed calcium. The electrochemical gradient across the body surface is similar to that at the intermoult stage and favours calcium outflux. Possible routes for calcium net loss have been discussed and a mechanism for elimination of calcium has been proposed.