RESUMO
Barylelphusa gureini, a fresh water male crab was exposed to sub-lethal concentration (1ppm) of copper sulfate, and the oxygen consumption and haemolymph sugar level of the animal were estimated to study the stress caused by this heavy metal toxicant. These animals are abundantly found in the outskirts of Pune district of Maharashtra State, mainly in and around paddy fields. They were brought to the laboratory from their natural habitat, and first subjected to acclimatization to the laboratory conditions. They were subsequently exposed for 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours to the toxicant, and the total oxygen consumption was studied by Winkler's method, and the haemolymph sugar level was estimated by Enthrone method. In the present study, total oxygen consumption showed a gradual declining trend from 0 to 96 hours in the experimental animals exposed to copper sulfate, while the haemolymph sugar level recorded an elevation, with maximum increase at 48 hours.