Aspects of the respiratory physiology of Tubifex tubifex in relation to its ecology

An ecological survey of the London Basin of the Thames was undertaken in an attempt to define the limits of distribution of tubificids and to correlate their distribution with the oxygen concentration and the salinity. The oxygen consumption of Tubifex tubifex has been measured at various oxygen concentrations to define precisely the critical level. Measurements of oxygen consumption at various salinities have also been carried out, since salinity varies considerably over those parts of the estuary where tubificids are found. Salinity tolerance experiments were carried out in an attempt to determine the reason for the downstream limit of London Bridge.