There is evidence suggesting that exposing female O. maya to thermal stress conditions at the final stages of sexual maturation impacts the physiology and growth of the next generation. A total of 600 juveniles of O. maya , two weeks old were used, origination from two different maternal thermal conditions (24 o 30°C), with 300 organisms from each origin. The juveniles were then randomly assigned to three different dermal treatments (24°C, 30°C, or thermal fluctuation), with 100 organisms per treatment. The exposure period lasted 50 days, with evaluations conducted every 10 days.
The results demonstrated the c onsequences of maternal thermal stress, negatively impacting the survival and hatching weight of O. maya juveniles. In general, juveniles from non-stressed females consistently had higher weights than those descended from stressed females throughout the experimental period.
Maternal origin had a significant effect on the respiratory m etabolism and the antioxidant defense system of O. maya juveniles. For juveniles from thermally stressed females, an increase in metabolic rate and the value of the thermal aerobic potential (PAT) was observed, along with high activity of superoxide dismutase, glutathione S-transferase and total glutathione, but low or no activity of catalase and cholinesterases. In contrast, the opposite was observed in juveniles from females kept at optimal temperatures. Similarly, thermal fluctuations did not favor the growth or sur vival of juveniles, regardless of maternal origin Although no significant differences were found between thermal fluctuation and the control treatments (24 or 30°C), O. maya juveniles exposed to thermal fluctuation exhibited oxygen consumption, PAT and survival behaviors similar to those in the 30°C treatment.