Assessment of Activity-Specific Metabolism of Aquatic Organisms: An Improved System

Abstract

An improved flow-through respirometer capable of assessing activity-specific metabolism of aquatic organisms is presented and assessed. The system is highly sensitive and versatile, since it continuously monitors and records activity-specific oxygen consumption readings for periods up to 72 h and is capable of detecting differences in metabolism of individual specimens of similar weight. Using this system, we demonstrated individual variation and intraspecific differences in metabolism between two size classes of the freshwater leech Nephelopsis obscura and interspecific differences between N. obscura and another freshwater leech, Erpobdella montezuma, and compared these findings with the metabolism of the amphipod Hyalella montezuma.