Increased production and excretion of uirea in the kuruma shrimp (Marsupenaeus japonicus) exposed to combined environments of rneireased ammonia and nitrite

Abstract

Marsupenaeusjaponicus (6.37 +/- 1.29 g) individually exposed to 9 different combined solutions of ambient ammonia (C) and nitrite (C') ammonia at 0.003 [control], 0.39, and 1.49 mmol/L combined with nitrite at 0.001 [control], 0.38, and 1.49 mmol/L in 30 ppt were examined for nitrogenous excretion accumulations of ammonia, nitrite, urea, and uric acid in tissues after 48 hours. M. japonicus exposed to 0.39 mmol/L ammonia-0.38 mmol/L nitrite displayed higher levels of urea-nitrogen (UNE) and organic-N (ONE) excretion by a factor of 2.2 and 5.7, respectively, compared with shrimp exposed only to 0.39 mmol/L ammonia. Exposure to 0.39 mmol/L ammonia-0.38 mmol/L nitrite resulted in lower levels of hemolymph uric acid (HUA), gill ammonia (GAM), gill urea (GUE), gill uric acid (GUA), hepatopancreas ammonia (HPAM), hepatopancreas urea (HPUE), and hepatopancreas uric acid (APUA), respectively, compared with shrimp exposed only to 0.39 mmol/L ammonia. We concluded that M. japonicus exposed to combined environments of ammonia and nitrite display increased nitrogen metabolism and production of urea-N and other organic-N.