Differential effects of food availability on minimum and maximum rates of metabolism

Auer, S. K., Salin, K., Rudolf, A. M., Anderson, G. J. and Metcalfe, N. B. (2016) Differential effects of food availability on minimum and maximum rates of metabolism. Biology Letters, 12(10), 20160586. (doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0586)

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Abstract

Metabolic rates reflect the energetic cost of living but exhibit remarkable variation among conspecifics, partly as a result of the constraints imposed by environmental conditions. Metabolic rates are sensitive to changes in temperature and oxygen availability, but effects of food availability, particularly on maximum metabolic rates, are not well understood. Here, we show in brown trout (Salmo trutta) that maximum metabolic rates are immutable but minimum metabolic rates increase as a positive function of food availability. As a result, aerobic scope (i.e. the capacity to elevate metabolism above baseline requirements) declines as food availability increases. These differential changes in metabolic rates likely have important consequences for how organisms partition available metabolic power to different functions under the constraints imposed by food availability.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Anderson, Mr Graeme and Auer, Dr Sonya and Rudolf, Ms Agata Marta and Metcalfe, Professor Neil and Salin, Dr Karine
Authors: Auer, S. K., Salin, K., Rudolf, A. M., Anderson, G. J., and Metcalfe, N. B.
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
Journal Name:Biology Letters
Publisher:The Royal Society
ISSN:1744-9561
ISSN (Online):1744-957X
Published Online:18 October 2016
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2016 The Authors
First Published:First published in Biology Letters 12(10):20160586
Publisher Policy:Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

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