Body mass and cell size shape the tolerance of fishes to low oxygen in a temperature-dependent manner.

ABSTRACT: Aerobic metabolism generates 15-20 times more energy (ATP) than anaerobic metabolism, which is crucial in maintaining energy budgets in animals, fueling metabolism, activity, growth and reproduction. For ectothermic water-breathers such as fishes, low dissolved oxygen may limit oxygen uptake and hence aerobic metabolism. Here, we assess, within a phylogenetic context, how abiotic and biotic drivers explain the variation in hypoxia tolerance observed in fishes. To do so, we assembled a database of hypoxia tolerance, measured as critical oxygen tensions (P_crit ) for 195 fish species. Overall, we found that hypoxia tolerance has a clear phylogenetic signal and is further modulated by temperature, body mass, cell size, salinity and metabolic rate. Marine fishes were more susceptible

SUBMITTER: Verberk WCEP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9542040 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature