Behavioural and metabolic reactions of Crangon cranyon L. were studied at different activity levels in shrimp exposed to various degrees of hypoxia. At 20°C, the normally buried C. crangon emerges from the sand at a P,Oz of 40 to 50 % saturation (20 %O S); at 9°C the emersion response occurs at PwOz 20 %. A swimming reaction was always noted at P,Oz 30 to 40 O/O (20 %o S; 20°C). Regardless of salinity, survival was high down to P,Oz 30 %. LT,, was strongly dependent on P,02 and salinity; thus at 10 %. S, P,Oz 10 %: LTso = 4.5 h; at 20 %O S. PwO, 10 %: LTSo = 6 h; at 10 %.S, Pw02 20 %: LT5, = > 150 h. Circulating lactate was accumulated only at P,"02 10 % saturation or lower. Normoxic lactate levels were ca 10 mg 100 ml-' and increased in P . 0 2 less than 10 % to 80 to 100 mg 100 ml-' after 3 to 4 h. C. crangon will die quickly at this P,02, unless higher oxygen tensions prevail rapidly. Return to normoxic conditions caused circulating lactate to be re-oxidised to normoxic levels within 5 to 6 h. When C. crangon was forced to swim in different P , 0 2 for up to 2 h the circulating lactate remained, regardless of the P,02 (100 to 40 % sat.) at norrnoxic levels. Oxygen consumption (MO,) rose to varying degrees (5 to 70 % of routine MO,) when C. crangon was forced to swim for 2 h. No sign of oxygen debt was found after a swimming period Due to a higher MOz when exposed to Pw02 of 40 to 50 %, swimming MO2 under these conditions rose only 10 to 15 % . During escape reactions C. crangon used its abdominal muscle, but after ca 15 contractions that muscle showed signs of fatigue. No increase in circulating lactate was found after such escape reactions. MO2 under escape reactions increased up to 21 1 % of routine MO, at normoxic P,O,. Here also the MO2 returned quickly to routine levels w~thout any signs of oxygen debt.