Temperature increases induce metabolic adjustments in the early developmental stages of bigfin reef squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana).

Climate changes, such as extreme temperature shifts, can have a direct and significant impact on animals living in the ocean system. Ectothermic animals may undergo concerted metabolic shifts in response to ambient temperature changes. The physiological and molecular adaptations in cephalopods during their early life stages are largely unknown due to the challenge of rearing them outside of a natural marine environment.

Specialized adaptations allow vent-endemic crabs (Xenograpsus testudinatus) to thrive under extreme environmental hypercapnia.

Shallow hydrothermal vent environments are typically very warm and acidic due to the mixing of ambient seawater with volcanic gasses (> 92% CO) released through the seafloor making them potential 'natural laboratories' to study long-term adaptations to extreme hypercapnic conditions. Xenograpsus testudinatus, the shallow hydrothermal vent crab, is the sole metazoan inhabitant endemic to vents surrounding Kueishantao Island, Taiwan, where it inhabits waters that are generally pH 6.50 with maximum acidities reported as pH 5.

Strong Ion Regulatory Abilities Enable the Crab Xenograpsus testudinatus to Inhabit Highly Acidified Marine Vent Systems.

Hydrothermal vent organisms have evolved physiological adaptations to cope with extreme abiotic conditions including temperature and pH. To date, acid-base regulatory abilities of vent organisms are poorly investigated, although this physiological feature is essential for survival in low pH environments. We report the acid-base regulatory mechanisms of a hydrothermal vent crab, Xenograpsus testudinatus, endemic to highly acidic shallow-water vent habitats with average environment pH-values ranging between 5.