High postural costs and anaerobic metabolism during swimming support the hypothesis of a U-shaped metabolism-speed curve in fishes.

ABSTRACT: Swimming performance is considered a key trait determining the ability of fish to survive. Hydrodynamic theory predicts that the energetic costs required for fishes to swim should vary with speed according to a U-shaped curve, with an expected energetic minimum at intermediate cruising speeds and increasing expenditure at low and high speeds. However, to date no complete datasets have shown an energetic minimum for swimming fish at intermediate speeds rather than low speeds. To address this knowledge gap, we used a negatively buoyant fish, the clearnose skate Raja eglanteria, and took two approaches: a classic critical swimming speed protocol and a single-speed exercise and recovery procedure. We found an anaerobic component at each velocity tested. The two approaches showed U-shape

SUBMITTER: Di Santo V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5724281 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature