Individual variation in metabolism and thermal tolerance in juvenile qingbo (Spinibarbus sinensis) |
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Authors: | Xu Pang Shi-Jian Fu |
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Affiliation: | 1. College of Animal Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Education of Ministry, Southwest University, Chongqing, China;2. Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, Southwest University, Chongqing, China;3. Laboratory of Evolutionary Physiology and Behaviour, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Animal Biology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China |
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Abstract: | Studies of individual variation in the physiological performance of animals and their relationship with metabolism may provide insight into how selection influences diversity in phenotypic traits. Thus, the aims of the present study were to investigate variation in thermal tolerance and its relationship with individual metabolism in juvenile qingbo (Spinibarbus sinensis). To fulfill our goal, we first measured the resting metabolic rate (RMR), maximum metabolic rate (MMR), metabolic scope (MS, MMR–RMR) and excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) of 40 fish at 25 °C. We then measured the critical thermal minimum (CTmin), lethal thermal minimum (LTmin), critical thermal maximum (CTmax), and lethal thermal maximum (LTmax) of 20 fish. Both MMR and MS were positively correlated with the metabolic recovery rate (MRR) (p = 0.001), indicating that high aerobic metabolic performance individuals possessed an advantage for the recovery of anaerobic metabolism. However, the negative correlation between EPOC and MRR (p = 0.017) indicated a slow recovery of the metabolism of high anaerobic metabolic capacity individuals. The RMR was positively correlated with CTmin and LTmin, whereas all of the metabolic rate parameters (RMR, MMR, and MS) were negatively correlated with CTmax and LTmax (p < 0.05), indicating that high aerobic metabolic performance individuals have a weakened thermal tolerance. These results suggested that there is a trade-off between aerobic metabolic performance and thermal tolerance. |
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Keywords: | Cyprinids eco-physiology inter-individual variation metabolic rate thermal tolerance |
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