Oxygen demand by all animals is driven primarily by their needs for sustaining metabolism. Typically, larger animals require more oxygen and cellular fuel to carry out respiration than smaller animals. This relationship in most cases is not linear and is usually described by a coefficient and exponent (e.g. axb): the exponent b showing the relationship between live-weight and energy/oxygen demand and is often termed the metabolic body weight (MBW) exponent, while the coefficient (a) tends to be temperature specific and describes the relationship between MBW and maintenance metabolic energy and oxygen demand at that specific temperature. Across all temperatures (range 26.0–32.0°C), the relationship between barramundi (Lates calcarifer) live-weight (x; g) and relative oxygen consumption as standard metabolic rate (y; mg O2 kg−1 h−1) at 29.4±1.5°C (mean±SD) was described by the exponential curve: y=710.19 x−0.3268, R2=0.6875 (n=222 assessments). Examination of the same data but on a gross oxygen consumption (mg O2 h−1) basis showed a relationship between live-weight (x; g) and gross oxygen consumption (y; mg O2 h−1) that was described by the exponential curve: y=0.710 x0.6732, R2=0.9033. Evaluation of the combined relationship between fish live-weight (y; g) and water temperature (x; °C) on gross oxygen consumption rate (z; mg O2 h−1) was described by the equation: z=(−20.7818+1.4017x−0.0227x2) ×y0.673.
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Glencross et al. (2006) studied this question.
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