Behavioral temperature regulation by aquatic ectotherms during hypoxia

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Abstract
Terrestrial animals lower their body temperature by behavioral and (or) physiological means in response to environmental or anemic hypoxia. Because hypoxia is common in some aquatic environments, temperature selection by two aquatic ectotherms, paedomorphic tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) and crayfish (Procambarus simulans), was examined during environment hypoxia in an aquatic thermal gradient. Both species selected lower temperatures when exposed to an environment with a PO2 of about 37 Torr (4.9 kPa). These data suggest that the lowering of body temperature, and thus oxygen demand, in the face of a low oxygen availability may be an adaptive response in heterothermal aquatic environments. The available data for diverse species show that the hypothermic response to hypoxia is a taxonomically widespread phenomenon occurring in both water- and air-breathing animals.

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