Adaptative diversity of calcium metabolism in gammarus fossarum populations

Analysis of Gammarus fossarum populations from mountain torrents in the Grenoble region reveals some morphological and eco physiological diversity which appears to be related to the calcium concentration of the water after both field and laboratory experimentation. Animals from waters with a high calcium concentration (located in Chartreuse and Vercors) show larger size and a longer molt cycle than those from low calcium concentrated waters (located in Belledonne); their calcium balance during the molt cycle is different. Translocation experiments confirm these differences: a significant increase of the duration of the molt cycle is observed in animals translocated to lower calcium concentrated waters and vice-versa whereas no significant difference is observed between controls and animals translocated within comparably calcium concentrated waters. The causes of such an adaptative diversity between Gammarus fossarum populations will be researched at the genetic level, namely through mitochondrial DNA investigations. (author). 25 refs., 2 tabs., 2 figs