Oxygen Consumption in Swimming Salps (Tunicata: Thaliacea)

Abstract

The pelagic salps swim in a regular rhythmic manner, by contracting their muscle bands and so emitting propulsive jets of water from the tubular body. Since they will continue to swim when confined in small chambers in which their oxygen consumption can be measured whilst their activity is monitored, it is possible to make direct estimates of the energetic cost of locomotion, and to compare these with estimates derived from the hydrodynamics of the process (Bone & Trueman, 1983). We show here that salp locomotion is an economical process, and that respirometric and hydrodynamic estimates of the energy expended are in good agreement.