Marine Biology Commons^™

Evaluating Methods To Determine The Maximum Oxygen Consumption By The Gulf Killifish, Fundulus Grandis, Sylvia Mullen

Senior Honors Theses

Metabolic rate is an essential feature of animal physiology and ecology. The rate of aerobic metabolism, as determined by oxygen consumption rate (MO2), is influenced by a variety of factors, including body size, temperature, and activity levels. Maximum aerobic metabolic rate (MMR) reflects the physiological capacity of an animal for oxygen extraction and utilization. As such, MMR is argued to be an important feature of an animal’s life history. For fish, MMR is frequently estimated as the peak MO2 immediately following an exhaustive chase, although several studies indicate that this value may underestimate MMR. Rather, MMR may be attained during …