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Oxygen consumption and respiratory behaviour of three Nile fishes

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Abstract

  1. 1.

    The respiratory behaviour and patterns of oxygen consumption of three Nile species have been investigated.

  2. 2.

    Tilapia nilotica showed a typical pattern of oxygen consumption with an ambient region, adaptive plateau and lethal region (Fig. 2).

  3. 3.

    Specimens of Polypterus senegalus and Clarias lazera (body weights 20–30 and 30–45 g respectively) showed patterns of consumption comparable to that of Tilapia (Fig. 3a and 4a). In larger specimens of the two species the adaptive plateau was either insignificant or completely absent.

  4. 4.

    Specimens of Polypterus and Clarias (20–30 g and 30–45 g respectively) could survive in waters saturated with oxygen (7.4 mg/l) but their tolerance to lower oxygen concentrations was limited. Larger specimens of Polypterus and Clarias failed to survive in oxygen saturated waters.

  5. 5.

    The tolerance of Tilapia nilotica to extremely low oxygen concentration is an adaptation of a tropical and completely aquatic species. Polypterus and Clarias resort to their compensatory mechanisms only when the aquatic respiratory surface fails to satisfy their oxygen requirements.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, University of Khartoum, Sudan

    A. M. Abdel Magid & M. M. Babiker

Authors
  1. A. M. Abdel Magid
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  2. M. M. Babiker
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Abdel Magid, A.M., Babiker, M.M. Oxygen consumption and respiratory behaviour of three Nile fishes. Hydrobiologia 46, 359–367 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00028279

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00028279

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