Abstract
The obligatory air-breathing fish Ophiocephalus striatus, fed on goat-liver, surfaced 906 times, swimming 270 m/day in aerated water (mean pO2: 151 mm Hg) and 883 times, travelling 325 m/day in non-aerated water (92 mm Hg); surfacing and swimming activities increased below the pO2 of 74 mm Hg. Hanging duration was more (8.4 hr/day) in the aerated series than that in the non-aerated series (5.9 hr/day). Rates of feeding, absorption and metabolism of either series averaged to 131,126 and 93 (= 0.8 ml O2/g/hr) g cal/g live fish/day. Conversion rate and efficiency slightly increased from 22 g cal/g/day and 17% in the aerated series. Culturing O. striatus in aerated waters may not be advantageous. Starving groups in the aerated and non-aerated aquaria surfaced 317 times, hung for 14.7 hr, and swam 61 m/day, expending 15 g cal/ g/day (= 0.1 ml O2/g/hr).
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Vivekanandan, E. Effects of the pO2 on swimming activity and food utilization in ophiocephalus striatus. Hydrobiologia 52, 165–169 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00036439
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00036439