Cell and Developmental Biology Commons^™

The Effect Of Littermate Weight On Survival, Weight Gain, And Suckling Behavior Of Low-Birth-Weight Piglets In Cross-Fostered Litters, Barry N. Milligan, David Fraser, Donald L. Kramer

Ontogeny Collection

Objective: To determine whether low-birth-weight piglets show better survival, weight gain, and suckling behavior when grouped with other small piglets by cross-fostering.

Methods: We manipulated the number and size of foster littermates for low-birth-weight piglets in 31 small (eight or nine piglets) and 22 large (11 or 12 piglets) litters. Experimental litters were composed of four to six piglets of lowest birth weight and either four to six slightly heavier or four to six much heavier piglets from two combined litters.

Results: Low-birth-weight piglets raised with much heavier littermates had somewhat lower survival rates, but showed no tendency towards lower …

Growth Rate Variability And Lipofuscin Accumulation Rates In The Blue Crab Callinectes Sapidus, Se-Jong Ju, David H. Secor, H. Rodger Harvey

OES Faculty Publications

To better understand growth and age-pigment (lipofuscin) accumulation rates of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus under natural conditions, juveniles (33 to 94 mm carapace width) were reared in outdoor ponds for over 1 yr. Growth rates, measured by carapace width, during summer and fall exceeded all those reported in the literature; the initial carapace width of 59 ± 14 mm (mean ± SD) increased to 164 ± 15 mm within a 3 mo period. No growth occurred during winter months (November to April) at low water temperatures. Growth rates of crabs in ponds were substantially higher (von Bertalanffy growth parameter …