Respiration of an interstitial ciliate and benthic energy relationships

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Abstract
Respiration of the interstitial ciliate Tracheloraphis sp. was measured with the Cartesian diver. Ciliate respiration ranged from 2353–7088 μl O2/hr/g wet weight, averaging 4477 μl O2/hr/g wet weight. These metabolic data on Tracheloraphis expand the known size range-metabolic rate differential of the omnipresent meiofauna. The metabolic-size relationship of meiofauna has been calculated based on data from the literature and this study. Results indicate that these smaller organisms maintain the same proportionality of metabolism to body weight (b=0.74) as do larger animals. When the ciliate data, and published meio- and macrofauna data, are used to estimate the portion each component plays in total benthic metabolism it is apparent that the metabolic role of each can vary significantly. Only when the ratio of macrofauna to ciliate biomass is 90 or more, or when meiofauna/ciliate biomass is 3 or more do the other components play a more important energetic role than do the ciliates.