Respiration rates of planktonic crustaceans from the Inland Sea of Japan with special reference to the effects of body weight and temperature

Abstract

A total of 293 measurements of respiration rate were made on planktonic crustaceans collected in different seasons from the Inland Sea of Japan. The relationship between the rate of oxygen consumption (R,µl O2 indiv.−1 hr−1) and body dry weight (W, mg indiv.−1), as expressed by a power function (R=aWb, or logR=loga+b logW), was established as a function of temperature (T, °C). The slope of the regression equation (b) was not significantly affected by seasonal temperature variation, but the intercept of the equation (loga) was strongly influenced by temperature. The equation describing this general relation is logR=(0.0444T−0.333)+0.713 logW.