Metabolic rates of minke whales ( Balaenoptera acutorostrata) in cold water
Body temperature, blubber thickness and lung capacity ( V e ) were recorded in newly killed minke whales, while respiratory frequency ( f ) was determined in free‐swimming animals. Mean deep (thoracic) body temperature was 34.7±0.8 (SD) °C ( n = 14). Weighted mean core/blubber interface temperature...
| Published in: | Acta Physiologica Scandinavica |
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| Main Authors: | , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
1992
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-1716.1992.tb09402.x https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1748-1716.1992.tb09402.x https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1748-1716.1992.tb09402.x |
| Summary: | Body temperature, blubber thickness and lung capacity ( V e ) were recorded in newly killed minke whales, while respiratory frequency ( f ) was determined in free‐swimming animals. Mean deep (thoracic) body temperature was 34.7±0.8 (SD) °C ( n = 14). Weighted mean core/blubber interface temperature in animals caught in 2.5‐5.5 °C water was 28.8±1.7 °C ( n = 8). The minimum average rate of sensible heat loss ( HL s ) was 3.81±0.53 (SD) W kg w ‐0.75 ( n = 8) in animals with body masses (w) in the range of 1840 to 5740 kg, HL s being inversely proportional to ω ( HL S = ‐ 2.98 10 ‐4 w + 4.89 W kgω ‐0 75 ( n = 8, r ‐2 = 0.73, P < 0.01)). The average rate of respiratory heat loss ( HL r ) was 0.26±0.04 (SD) W kg w ‐0.75 , regardless of w, in the same 8 animals. Total rates of heat loss ( HL = HL r + HL s ) in 2.5‐5.5 °C water ranged between 3.40 and 4.87 W kg w ‐0.75 , with an average of 4.06±0.52 (SD) W kg w ‐0.75 ( n = 8). Estimates of oxygen consumption based on records of f and V c and data on oxygen extraction from other cetaceans, yielded a range of metabolic rates which compared nicely with the calculated HL values. |
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