Response to heat stress of brittlestar [Ophiocoma erinaceus (Müller & Troschel, 1842)]: Behaviour and respiration

Tide pools are considered as a harsh ecosystem in which many natural threats to living organisms are living, including extreme temperatures. As the water temperature rises due to global warming, tide pool temperature will also increase and therefore force the organisms living inside to adapt to alteration. Brittlestar (Ophiocoma erinaceus) is one type of the species that lives in tide pools and plays an important role in the food chain. A study of temperature treatment to O. erinaceus was conducted to investigate the behaviour and respiration as the response to adapt to heat stress. The experiments were conducted in 144 h. Temperatures used were 27 °C, 30 °C, 33 °C and ambient water as the control, with three replicas each. Behaviour and respiration were observed and measured after reaching 48 h, 96 h and 144 h each respectively. The results showed that the activities decreased at 33 °C, with burrowing as the most often response. Individuals in temperature of 33 °C respired at a lower rate after 48 h of the experimental period.