Zimmermann, C and Kunzmann, Andreas ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9500-4332 (2001) Baseline respiration and spontaneous activity of sluggish marine tropical fish of the family Scorpaenidae. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 219 . pp. 229-239. DOI https://doi.org/10.3354/meps219229.

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Abstract

Baseline respiration and spontaneous activity were determined simultaneously for 6 specimens of tropical scorpionfishes, belonging to 2 different genera: Scorpaenopsis oxycephalus and S. diabolus (false stonefish) andParascorpaena sp. and P. aurita. The experiments were conducted in an intermittent-flow respirometer at 24°C, at ambient light regime (12 h dark: 12 h light) and salinity (S = 32). Permanent measurements of fish activity by an infrared videosystem (number of movements) and oxygen consumption were coupled allowing the calculation of a standard oxygen consumption (SOC) rate. The experimental set-up allowed quantification of spontaneous activity. Relative SOC values varied between 32.3 mgO2 h-1 kg-1 wet mass (wm) for a large S. oxycephalus (82 g WM) and 68.9 mg O2 h-1 kg-1 WM for the smallest investigated specimen, a P. aurita (16 g WM). The latter also showedthe highest spontaneous activity rate (mean 98 movements h-1; max.: 870 h-1), while the values for the most sluggish individual did not exceed 24.6 h-1 (mean) and 480 h-1 (max.), respectively. Absolute SOC fora standard mass of 50 g was calculated to be 2.0 mg O2 h-1, using a wet mass versus oxygen consumption relationship of SOC (mg O2 h-1) = 0.26 x WM(g)0.527. The tropicalscorpionfish investigated are some of the most sluggish fish found on coral reefs, with activity levels (means and variance) similar to that of boreal or polar scorpaenids (e.g. sculpins). In this respect, there was no indication for any specificadaptation to temperature. Baseline oxygen consumption values of the fish in this study were the lowest recorded for marine tropical species, and a first rough comparison of the resting metabolism of scorpaenid fish over a wide range of environmentaltemperatures might indicate a reduced thermal sensitivity of the tropical fish investigated.

Document Type:	Article
Programme Area:	PA1
Research affiliation:	Ecology > Experimental Aquaculture
Refereed:	Yes
Open Access Journal?:	No
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.3354/meps219229
ISSN:	0171-8630
Date Deposited:	05 Nov 2025 12:06
Last Modified:	05 Nov 2025 12:06
URI:	https://cris.leibniz-zmt.de/id/eprint/5954

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