Oxygen consumption of the ascidian Styela clava in relation to body mass, temperature and salinity

The metabolic physiological response to body mass, temperature (12-28 degrees C) and salinity (20-36 g L-1) was examined in this paper. Oxygen consumption rate, which is dependent on environmental conditions, was exponentially related to body mass and varied from 0.045 to 1.11 mg h(-1) g(-1). Oxygen consumption rate increased as salinity increased from 20 to 36 g L-1, and increased with increasing temperature. The effect of temperature gradient between experimental treatments on oxygen consumption rate was evaluated by calculating Q(10) (the Arrehenius relationship for increase with temperature). The Q(10) value within the temperature range from 12 to 16 degrees C was much higher than the value within the temperature range from 16 to 20 degrees C, 20 to 24 degrees C and 24 to 28 degrees C, indicating a reduced temperature dependence of ascidian metabolism at a high temperature.