Summary
The relationship between oxygen consumption and body length was determined for eight larval chironomid species in Bear Lake, Utah-Idaho. Respiration was measured by the micro-Winkler method in 1-cc tuberculin syringes filled with lake water and lowered to lake bottom. A total of 144 measurements of O2 consumption was made.
Oxygen consumption for all individuals was related to body length by a power function. On a double log plot the relationship was a straight line and by least squares regression was Y = 2.26X−1.72, where Y is log10 oxygen consumption (µliters/animal per hour) and X the log10 body length (millimeters). Correlation coefficient (r) was 0.884.
The measurements in the lake were taken over a naturally occurring range of oxygen concentration of 5 ppm, but deviations from regression were not associated with differences in concentration. Body length covered a range from 1.5 to 12.6 mm, and the species represented carnivores and herbivores as well as different-aged in-stars.
For some chironomid larvae at least, body length seemed preferable to other body size measurements because of ease in determination and reasonable precision.
Zusammenfassung
Das Verhältnis zwischen dem Sauerstoffverbrauch und der Körpergrö\e wurde an 144 Chironomidenlarven von acht verschiedenen Arten im Bear-See an der Grenze von Utah and Idaho bestimmt. Die Atmung der Tiere konnte mittels der Micro-Winkler-Methode in 1 ccm gro\en Glasbehältern gemessen werden. Diese Behälter waren zuerst mit Seewasser gefülltt and dann zum Grund des Sees herabgelassen worden.
Der Sauerstoffverbrauch der einzelnen Tiere zeigte im Verhältnis zu ihrer Körperlange einen gradlinigen Verlauf auf doppellogarithmischem Papier. Eine Regressionsanalyse mittels der Methode der kleinsten Quadrate ergab die Gleichung Y = 2,26 X-1,72, wobei Y den Logarithmus des Sauerstoffverbrauchs in Mikrolitern pro Stunde pro Tier, and X den Logarithmus der Körperlange in Millimetern darstellt. Der Korrelationskoeffizient dieser Analyse betrug 0,884.
Die Sauerstoffkonzentration im See war nicht gleichmä\ig sondern variierte fiber eine Spanne von 5 Promill. Diese Variation beeinflu\te aber nicht die Standardabweichung von der Regressionslinie. Die Körperlänge der Larven erstreckte sich von 1,5 bis 12,6 Millimeter. Die Larven gehörten fleischfressenden und pflanzenfressenden Arten an and befanden sich in verschiedensten Alterstadien der Entwicklung.
Die Messung der Körperlange erschien, zumindest für einige Chironomidenlarven, leichter and mit guter Genauigkeit bestimmbar zu sein, als dies mit anderen Körpermassen der Fall ist.
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Erman, D.C., Helm, W.T. Estimating oxygen consumption from body length for some chironomid larvae. Hydrobiologia 36, 505–512 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00039803
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00039803