Effect of Temperature on the Metabolism of Poikilotherms

Abstract

MOST terrestrial and intertidal poikilotherms are subjected to wide and relatively rapid fluctuations in environmental temperature. It has often been supposed that during such short term fluctuations, the metabolism of the poikilotherm must also fluctuate because acclimation is essentially a long term physiological adjustment. Such an assumption has been based primarily on studies of the activity and oxygen consumption of poikilotherms in relation to rapid temperature change. But measurements of the oxygen consumption of invertebrates have commonly been made by methods which sample the respired medium at infrequent intervals only, and this may have led to false conclusions concerning the effect of temperature on poikilotherm metabolism.