Do method and species lifestyle affect measures of maximum metabolic rate in fishes?

S S Killen,L G Halsey,T Norin

doi:10.1111/jfb.13195

S S Killen, L G Halsey + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.13195

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Abstract

The rate at which active animals can expend energy is limited by their maximum aerobic metabolic rate (MMR). Two methods are commonly used to estimate MMR as oxygen uptake in fishes, namely during prolonged swimming or immediately following brief exhaustive exercise, but it is unclear whether they return different estimates of MMR or whether their effectiveness for estimating MMR varies among species with different lifestyles. A broad comparative analysis of MMR data from 121 fish species revealed little evidence of different results between the two methods, either for fishes in general or for species of benthic, benthopelagic or pelagic lifestyles.

Highlights

The maximum aerobic metabolic rate (MMR) of an animal imposes an upper constraint on the capacity for performing oxygen-consuming physiological activities
It has been hypothesized that MMR may be related to the ability of fish species to cope with climate change since the thermal performance curve for MMR may differ from that for standard (minimum) metabolic rate (SMR), thereby shaping aerobic scope differently across temperatures (Fry, 1971; Pörtner & Farrell, 2008; Clark et al, 2013)
A comparative approach based on the published literature was used to investigate whether the estimates of MMR obtained from swimming and post-exercise respirometry methods concur and whether species lifestyle influences the measures of MMR obtained from the methods

Summary

Introduction

The maximum aerobic metabolic rate (MMR) of an animal imposes an upper constraint on the capacity for performing oxygen-consuming physiological activities. A comparative approach based on the published literature was used to investigate whether the estimates of MMR obtained from swimming and post-exercise respirometry methods concur and whether species lifestyle influences the measures of MMR obtained from the methods.

Results

Conclusion