Succinic dehydrogenase activity in mesopelagic oceanic fishes
The purposes of this investigation were to measure the relative levels of enzymatic and respiratory metabolism of some vertically migrating mesopelagic fishes collected from the ocean waters off Oregon and to modify and adapt an enzyme method for use as a measure of metabolic activity at sea with a...
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| Other Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Master Thesis |
| Language: | English unknown |
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Oregon State University
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| Online Access: | https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/graduate_thesis_or_dissertations/sj139502j |
| Summary: | The purposes of this investigation were to measure the relative levels of enzymatic and respiratory metabolism of some vertically migrating mesopelagic fishes collected from the ocean waters off Oregon and to modify and adapt an enzyme method for use as a measure of metabolic activity at sea with a minimum of equipment. A knowledge of the quantitative measure of the respiratory and metabolic rates of these organisms could be usefully applied to several problems of interest; oxygen minimum layers, vertical migration, and vertical distribution. Ten species of fishes were studied with regard to their respiratory potential as measured by succinic dehydrogenase activity. Oxygen consumption for two species was measured at various temperatures for comparative purposes. The metabolic rates calculated from the enzyme data fell within the limits of the standard metabolic rate - temperature relationships compiled from the data of several authors for fishes of the same size from various environments. The fish from the greatest depths had low metabolic rates comparable to those reported for some Antarctic and Arctic species. Metabolic rates of species of mesopelagic fish differed significantly and declined with the general depth and temperature at which the species was found. |
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