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The maximum rate at which fish can take up oxygen from their environment to fuel aerobic metabolism is an important feature of their physiology and ecology. Methods to quantify maximum oxygen uptake rate (ṀO2), therefore, should reliably and reproducibly estimate the highest possible ṀO2 by an individual or species under a given set of conditions (peak ṀO2). This study determined peak ṀO2 and its repeatability in Gulf killifish, Fundulus grandis, subjected to three methods to elevate metabolism: swimming at increasing water speeds, during recovery after an exhaustive chase, and after ingestion of a large meal. Estimates of peak ṀO2 during swimming and after an exhaustive chase were repeatable across two trials, whereas peak ṀO2 after feeding was not. Peak ṀO2 determined by the three methods was significantly different from one another, being highest during swimming, lowest after an exhaustive chase, and intermediate after feeding. In addition, peak ṀO2 during recovery from an exhaustive chase depended on the length of time of recovery: in nearly 60% of the trials, values within the first hour of the chase were lower than those measured later. A novel and important finding was that an individual's peak ṀO2 was not repeatable when compared across methods. Therefore, the peak ṀO2 estimated for a group of fish, as well as the ranking of individual ṀO2 within that group, depends on the method used to elevate aerobic metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic rates are one of many measures that are used to explain species' response to environmental change. Static respirometry is used to calculate the standard metabolic rate (SMR) of fish, and when combined with exhaustive chase protocols it can be used to measure maximum metabolic rate (MMR) and aerobic scope (AS) as well. While these methods have been tested in comparison to swim tunnels and chambers with circular currents, they have not been tested in comparison with a no‐chase control. We used a repeated‐measures design to compare estimates of SMR, MMR and AS in European perch Perca fluviatilis following three protocols: (a) a no‐chase control; (b) a 3‐min exhaustive chase; and (c) a 3‐min exhaustive chase followed by 1‐min air exposure. We found that, contrary to expectations, exhaustive chase protocols underestimate MMR and AS at 18°C, compared to the no‐chase control. This suggests that metabolic rates of other species with similar locomotorty modes or lifestyles could be similarly underestimated using chase protocols. These underestimates have implications for studies examining metabolic performance and responses to climate change scenarios. To prevent underestimates, future experiments measuring metabolic rates should include a pilot with a no‐chase control or, when appropriate, an adjusted methodology in which trials end with the exhaustive chase instead of beginning with it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As intermittent-flow respirometry has become a common method for the determination of resting metabolism or standard metabolic rate ( SMR), this study investigated how much of the variability seen in the experiments was due to measurement error. Experiments simulated different constant oxygen consumption rates ( [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]