The Effect of Loading the Respiratory Pumps on the Oxygen Consumption of Callionymus Lyra

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Abstract
1. The oxygen consumption of Callionymus lyra is about 40 c.c./kg./hr. at 11° C. but it varies according to the size and sex. Males have a significantly higher metabolism than females for specimens above 30g. 2. The oxygen consumption is increased in specimens which have rubber horns attached about their opercular openings or have their opercular and buccal cavities cannulated with polyethylene tubing. The effects are least in fish above 90 g. 3. Variations in the resistance to flow out of the opercular cavity were achieved by altering the bore of rubber tubes attached to the horns fixed about the opercular opening. The O2 consumption was significantly increased if the tubes were less than ⅜ in. diameter. 4. It is concluded that the experimental set-up used to measure ventilation volume directly increases the oxygen consumption of the fish, mainly because of an interference with the normal respiratory movements and the general mechanical irritation, but these effects are relatively small for fish above 90 g. With this limitation, however, this method of studying ventilation volume, utilization and O2 consumption has much to recommend it, especially where the effect of changes in environmental conditions is to be studied.