Metabolic rates scale isometrically in larval fishes

Abstract

The authors estimated the rate of oxygen consumption of larval Atlantic mackerel, Scomber scombrus at 3 temperatures (13, 16, 19 degree C) while controlling rigorously for methodological biases. Routine metabolic rates increase with body weight (W, in mg) and temperature (T, in degree C) as: RMR = 2.168 multiplied by W super(1.000) multiplied by e super(0.058) multiplied by T (r super(2) = 0.96). Thus metabolic rates scale isometrically with respect to body weight in larval Atlantic mackerel. This finding is at variance with results obtained for juvenile and adult fishes which follow an allometric relationship (W super(0.8)).