Abstract
In the present study, oxygen consumption of two sturgeon species, beluga (Huso huso), sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus), and their hybrid reared in a recirculating aquaculture system were compared over body intervals from 54–107 g to determine the interspecific variation of metabolic rate. Metabolic rates were measured using the intermittent-flow respirometry technique. Standard oxygen consumption rates (SMR, mg O2 h−1) of sterlet were 30% higher compared with beluga and 22% higher compared with bester hybrid. The routine metabolic rate (RMR, mg O2 h−1) averaged 1.58 ± 0.13 times the SMR for A. ruthenus, 1.59 ± 0.3 for H. huso, and 1.42 ± 0.15 for the hybrid bester. However, the study revealed no significant differences (p > 0.05) between mean values of SMR and RMR for beluga and bester hybrid. The scaling coefficient reflected a closed isometry for the hybrid (b = 0.97), while for the purebred species the coefficient of 0.8 suggests a reduction in oxygen consumption with increasing body mass. These findings may contribute to understanding the differences in growth performances and oxygen requirements of the studied species reared in intensive aquaculture system.
Highlights
Aquaculture is a multidisciplinary industry that benefits from several scientific disciplines, including biology, ecology, animal behavior, and engineering [1]
Whenever subjects show some minor activity in a respirometer many authors prefer the term routine metabolic rate (RMR), which includes a minor cost of the activity [7,8]
RMR was calculated as the mean of all the MO2 measurements during the 20-h respirometry period, and Standard metabolic rate (SMR) was calculated by taking the mean of the lowest 10% of the MO2 measurements
Summary
Aquaculture is a multidisciplinary industry that benefits from several scientific disciplines, including biology, ecology, animal behavior, and engineering [1]. The fast development of highly intensive production systems such as recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) was possible as a result of the common scientific effort of both engineering science, to optimize system design or waste management [2,3], and biological science, aiming to understand the physiological requirements of the cultivated species under intensive conditions. Considering the relatively high cost of water pumping or oxygen generation in recirculating aquaculture systems, it is important to understand the oxygen requirements of cultivated species under intensive conditions [4]. Whenever subjects show some minor activity in a respirometer (swimming or maintaining position) many authors prefer the term routine metabolic rate (RMR), which includes a minor cost of the activity [7,8]
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