Physiological changes inMytilus edulisL. induced by temperature and nutritive stress

Abstract

Three levels of oxygen consumption rate are identified, viz. standard, routine and active. Animals fed above the maintenance energy requirement adjust their oxygen consumption rate to a routine level. Animals fed below the maintenance requirement reduce their oxygen consumption rate to a standard level within 35–40 days. The routine rate is seasonally variable, with high values in the winter and low values in the summer. The standard rate also varies seasonally. The exponent that relates routine oxygen consumption to body size varies from a high value in the summer to a lower value in the winter.