Physiology of Finfish and Shellfish (2+1)

4.3.2.13 Why is it useful to measure the metabolic rate of organism?

Measuring metabolic rate is not only useful to physiologists, but also to ecologists, animal behaviorists, evolutionary biologists and many other fields of study, because the metabolic rate can yield information on the energy requirements of animals. In order to learn more about the heat conserving and heat releasing mechanism of animals, metabolic rates can be measured at different temperatures. Metabolic rate can tell us, how much energy an animal needs to expend to fly,swim, run or walk. It can also tell us something about the processes of tissue growth and repair, chemical, osmotic, electrical and mechanical internal work and external work, that are necessary for such things as locomotion and communication.

The metabolic rate of an animal (oxygen consumption) is primarily influenced by water temperature, fish size and activity of the fish, feeding, osmoregulation and concentration of oxygen in water. Concentration of ammonia, nitrite or other adverse compounds in the water, nutritional deficiencies, hormone applications and other factors can also affect rate of metabolism in fish.

Among all the environmental factors that affect the physiology of animals, temperature is most important because with every 10 ° C rise in temperature, metabolism doubles.