Air-breathing fish are common in the tropics, and their importance in Asian aquaculture is increasing, but the
respiratory physiology of some of the key species such as the striped catfish, Pangasianodon hypophthalmus
Sauvage 1878 is unstudied. P. hypophthalmus is an interesting species as it appears to possess both
well-developed gills and a modified swim bladder that functions as an air-breathing organ indicating a high
capacity for both aquatic and aerial respiration. Using newly developed bimodal intermittent-closed
respirometry, the partitioning of oxygen consumption in normoxia and hypoxia was investigated in
P. hypophthalmus. In addition the capacity for aquatic breathing was studied through measurements of oxygen
consumption when access to air was denied, both in normoxia and hypoxia, and the critical oxygen tension,
Pcrit, was also determined during these experiments. Finally, gill ventilation and air-breathing frequency were
measured in a separate experiment with pressure measurements from the buccal cavity. The data showed
that P. hypophthalmus is able to maintain standard metabolic rate (SMR) through aquatic breathing alone in
normoxia, but that air-breathing is important during hypoxia. Gill ventilation was reduced during
air-breathing, which occurred at oxygen levels below 8 kPa, coinciding with the measured Pcrit of 7.7 kPa.
The findings in this study indicate that the introduction of aeration into the aquaculture of P. hypophthalmus
could potentially reduce the need to air-breathe. The possibility of reducing air-breathing frequency may be
energetically beneficial for the fish, leaving more of the aerobic scope for growth and other activities, due to
the proposed energetic costs of surfacing behavior.
Air-breathing fish are common in the tropics, and their importance in Asian aquaculture is increasing, but therespiratory physiology of some of the key species such as the striped catfish, Pangasianodon hypophthalmusSauvage 1878 is unstudied. P. hypophthalmus is an interesting species as it appears to possess bothwell-developed gills and a modified swim bladder that functions as an air-breathing organ indicating a highcapacity for both aquatic and aerial respiration. Using newly developed bimodal intermittent-closedrespirometry, the partitioning of oxygen consumption in normoxia and hypoxia was investigated inP. hypophthalmus. In addition the capacity for aquatic breathing was studied through measurements of oxygenconsumption when access to air was denied, both in normoxia and hypoxia, and the critical oxygen tension,Pcrit, was also determined during these experiments. Finally, gill ventilation and air-breathing frequency weremeasured in a separate experiment with pressure measurements from the buccal cavity. The data showedthat P. hypophthalmus is able to maintain standard metabolic rate (SMR) through aquatic breathing alone innormoxia, but that air-breathing is important during hypoxia. Gill ventilation was reduced duringair-breathing, which occurred at oxygen levels below 8 kPa, coinciding with the measured Pcrit of 7.7 kPa.The findings in this study indicate that the introduction of aeration into the aquaculture of P. hypophthalmuscould potentially reduce the need to air-breathe. The possibility of reducing air-breathing frequency may beenergetically beneficial for the fish, leaving more of the aerobic scope for growth and other activities, due tothe proposed energetic costs of surfacing behavior.
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