Abstract
Oxygen consumption was measured as a function of temperature, oxygen partial-pressure (PO2)and species depth of occurrence for twenty-three species of midwater fishes and crustaceans collected from the eastern Gulf of Mexico from June 1981 to July 1985. Q10s (7° to 20°C) of 3.90 and 3.24 were recorded for myctophid and non-myctophid fish groups, respectively, while values of 2.22, 2.19, 2.19 and 2.54 were calculated for sergestid, penaeid, carid and euphausiid crustacean groups, respectively. Q10s were consistent for species within each group. All of the species tested regulated their oxygen consumption to PO2levels normally encountered within the eastern Gulf. Values of critical partial pressure (Pc) ranged from 20 to 40mm Hg and increased slightly with increasing temperature and respiration rate. Declining respiration with increasing minimum depth of occurrence was primarily a function of temperature alone. Changes in size, dry weight and water content contributed only a small fraction to the observed decrease. This finding contrasts with studies from the eastern Pacific Ocean, where temperature is a minor contributor to changes in respiration rate with depth.
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Communicated by J. M. Lawrence, Tampa
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Donnelly, J., Torres, J.J. Oxygen consumption of midwater fishes and crustaceans from the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Marine Biology 97, 483–494 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00391044
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00391044