Ontogeny of the Respiratory Area in Relation to Body Mass with Reference to Resting Metabolism in the Japanese Flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1846)

Abstract

Metabolism is the fundamental process dictating material and energy fluxes through organisms. Several studies have suggested that resting metabolic scaling in various aquatic invertebrates is positively correlated with changes in body shape and the scaling of body surface area, which agrees with the surface area theory, but contradicts the negative correlations predicted by the resource–transport network theory. However, the relationship between resting metabolic scaling and respiration area, particularly in asymmetric fish that have undergone dramatically rapid metamorphosis, remains unclear. In this morphometric study in an asymmetric fish species (Paralichthys olivaceus), I compared my results with previous reports on resting metabolic scaling. I measured the respiratory area of P. olivaceus specimens aged 11–94 days (body weight, 0.00095–1.30000 g, respectively) to determine whether and how the resting metabolic scaling is associated with changes in body shape and respiratory area. Resting metabolic scaling might be more closely related to body surface area, because their slopes exactly corresponded with each other, than to respiratory area. Furthermore, confirming the surface area theory, it was linked to changes in body shape, but not from the resource–transport network theory. These findings provide new insights into the scaling mechanisms of area in relation to metabolism in asymmetric fish.

Metabolic Rates of Japanese Anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) during Early Development Using a Novel Modified Respirometry Method

“…This relatively simple allometric equation has a limited ability to explain metabolic rate since it often cannot explain non-linear or curved log–log metabolic scaling relations [ 14 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Furthermore, the change in metabolic rate as an individual grows within a species is considered highly complex due to the many stages into which it can be broken down in an individual’s life [ 14 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ]. This complexity further limits the ability of the simple allometric equation to explain the metabolic rate [ 2 , 14 , 19 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ].…”

“…Furthermore, the change in metabolic rate as an individual grows within a species is considered highly complex due to the many stages into which it can be broken down in an individual’s life [ 14 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ]. This complexity further limits the ability of the simple allometric equation to explain the metabolic rate [ 2 , 14 , 19 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ].…”

“…Intraspecies metabolism research is generally more advantageous than interspecies research when considering the complex changes in metabolism associated with body weight and size increases since many species display a large increase in these parameters during development [ 2 , 7 , 14 , 19 , 21 , 22 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 ]. The faster the increase, the easier it is to understand complex metabolic changes.…”

“…Thus far, such intraspecies metabolism research has focused on invertebrates. Fish have been of particular interest because unlike mammals, birds, and reptiles, they develop from extremely small organisms during the larval stage (e.g., a weight of less than a few mg) and undergo a period of rapid growth, wherein their bodyweight and size significantly increase and can grow up to several hundred kilograms in their adult stage [ 21 , 22 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 31 , 32 , 33 ]. Therefore, fish are extremely suitable for studying intraspecies metabolism.…”

“…The scaling exponent has recently been found to be quite variable, with a range of 0.4 to 1.3, according to a meta-analysis of 138 studies of resting metabolism in 69 teleost species (representing 28 families and 12 orders) [ 34 , 35 ]. In fact, it has been reported that the early development stage (i.e., the larval period) tends to have an isometric or near isometric scaling exponent of ≒ 1 [ 14 , 21 , 22 , 25 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ]. In contrast, the allometric relationship between metabolic rate and body weight has been reported to become negatively allometric, with a simple regression of metabolic rate over body weight tending to be < 1 [ 21 , 22 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ].…”