The key mechanisms associated with the survival of Gulf toadfish, Opsanus beta, when in severe hypoxia.

ABSTRACT: Florida's shallow seagrass beds experience daily diurnal fluctuations in environmental oxygen, leading to hypoxic episodes (PO₂ < 2 mg L^-1, ~6 kPa) that have increased in frequency and intensity in recent decades. The native Gulf toadfish (Opsanus beta) have been shown to employ a suite of adaptive cardiovascular, ventilatory and metabolic adjustments to survive moderate hypoxia, but little is known of the mechanisms used to survive severe hypoxia. The objective of this study was to characterize the acute response of Gulf toadfish to severe hypoxia (<2 kPa). We hypothesized that Gulf toadfish would respond to severe hypoxia by reducing energy expenditure while switching to anaerobic metabolism. Cannulated adult Gulf toadfish were exposed to either control conditions (

SUBMITTER: Plotnikova A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12710847 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature