Hypoxia tolerance decreases with body size in red drum Sciaenops ocellatus |
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| Authors: | Y. K. Pan R. Ern A. J. Esbaugh |
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| Affiliation: | University of Texas Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, TX, U.S.A. |
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| Abstract: | Mass‐specific oxygen consumption rate, i.e. standard metabolic rate (Rs) and critical oxygen tension (Pcrit) of red drum Sciaenops ocellatus were measured and scaled over a 2500‐fold range in mass (MF; 0·26–686 g). Rs conformed to well established models (Rs = 3·73·91 MF?0·21; r2 = 0·86) while Pcrit increased over the size range (Pcrit = 3·15 log10MF + 16·19; r2 = 0·44). This relationship may be ecologically advantageous as it would allow smaller S. ocellatus to better utilize hypoxic zones as habitat and refuge from predators. |
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| Keywords: | critical oxygen tension hypoxia refuge SMR standard metabolic rate |
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