Oxygen consumption in the mullet Liza macrolepis with special reference to swimming velocity

Abstract

Oxygen consumption of tagged (plastic opercular tag) and untagged mullet L/z~ macrolepis (SMrrK), forced to swim up to 22 cm/sec (fish size: t0 era), increased proportionately to increase in swimming velocity above 5 era/see. The tag did not appear to cause any marked metabolic disturbance. The mean routine metabolic rate and the rate at 5 cm/sec were higher than the rates obtained for several higher levels of forced activity, possibly due to excitement and inefficient swimming at lower swimming speeds, as suggested by earlier workers. The interpretation of the elevation of a line drawn through the mean rates of metabolism at various swimming speeds, in relation to the standard metabolic rate, may be of value in quantitative expression of excitability of individual species.