Constructing realistic energy budgets for Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba, is hampered by the lack of data on the metabolic costs associated with swimming. In this study respiration rates and pleopod beating rates were measured at six current speeds. Pleopod beating rates increased linearly with current speed, reaching a maximum of 6 beats s-1 at 17 cm s -1. There was a concomitant linear increase in respiration rate, from 1.8 mg O2 gD -1 h-1 at 3 cm s -1 to 8.0 mg O2 gD -1 h-1 at 17 cm s-1. The size of the group tested (50, 100 and 300 krill) did not have a significant effect on pleopod beating rates or oxygen consumption (ANCOVA, F=0.264; P>0.05). The cost of transport reached a maximum of 75 J g-1 km-1 at 5 cm s-1, and then decreased with increasing current speed to 29 J g-1 km-1. When considered in light of energy budgets for E. superba, these data indicate that the cost of swimming could account for up to 73% of total daily metabolic expenditure during early summer. © Springer-Verlag 2005.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Research Division:	Biological Sciences
Research Group:	Ecology
Research Field:	Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology)
Objective Division:	Expanding Knowledge
Objective Group:	Expanding Knowledge
Objective Field:	Expanding Knowledge in the Environmental Sciences
UTAS Author:	Swadling, KM (Dr Kerrie Swadling)
UTAS Author:	Ritz, DA (Associate Professor David Ritz)
UTAS Author:	Osborn, JE (Dr Jon Osborn)
UTAS Author:	Gurney, LJ (Ms Leigh Gurney)
ID Code:	32799
Year Published:	2005
Web of Science® Times Cited:	25
Deposited By:	Zoology
Deposited On:	2005-08-01
Last Modified:	2011-11-21
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