The Biological Bulletin, Vol 192, Issue 2 262-278, Copyright © 1997 by Marine Biological Laboratory

ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION

Decline in Pelagic Cephalopod Metabolism With Habitat Depth Reflects Differences in Locomotory Efficiency

B. A. Seibel, E. V. Thuesen, J. J. Childress and L. A. Gorodezky
Oceanic Biology Group, Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106

The metabolic rates of 33 species of pelagic cephalopods from California and Hawaii were measured and correlated with minimum depth of occurrence. Mean metabolic rates ranged from 0.07 {mu}mol O2g-1 h-1 for the deep-living vampire squid, Vampyroteuthis infernalis, to 8.79 {mu}mol O2 g-1 h-1 for Gonatus onyx, a vertically migrating squid. An individual of V. infernalis, which lives within the oxygen minimum layer off California, had the lowest mass-specific metabolic rate ever measured for a cephalopod (0.02 {mu}mol O2g-1 h-1, 1050 g wet weight). For species collected in sufficient quantity and size range, metabolism was related to body size. Critical partial pressures of oxygen (Pc) were determined for Hawaiian and Californian cephalopods. Pc values for Hawaiian animals were considerably higher than for those taken off California, a trend that corresponds to the higher levels of environmental oxygen in the Hawaiian waters. Buffering capacity ({beta}) of mantle muscle, assayed in eight cephalopod species, was used to estimate the capacity for glycolytic energy production. Mean {beta} ranged from 1.43 slykes for a bathypelagic octopod, Japetella heathi, to 77.08 slykes for an epipelagic squid. Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis. Significant declines with increasing depth of occurrence were observed for both metabolism and {beta}. The decline in metabolic parameters with depth is interpreted as a decreased reliance on locomotory abilities for predator/prey interactions in the light-limited deep sea. The decline in metabolism with depth observed for pelagic cephalopods was significantly steeper than that previously observed for either pelagic fishes or crustaceans. We suggest that since strong locomotory abilities are not a priority in the deep sea, deeper-living cephalopods may rely more heavily on means of locomotion that are more efficient than jet propulsion via mantle contractions--means such as fin swimming or medusoid swimming utilizing the arms and extensive webbing present in many deep-living species. The greater efficiency of deeper-living cephalopods may be responsible for the observation that the decline in metabolic rates with depth is more pronounced for pelagic cephalopods than for fishes or crustaceans.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				V. J. Fabry, B. A. Seibel, R. A. Feely, and J. C. Orr Impacts of ocean acidification on marine fauna and ecosystem processes ICES J. Mar. Sci., April 1, 2008; 65(3): 414 - 432. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. A. Seibel, A. Dymowska, and J. Rosenthal Metabolic temperature compensation and coevolution of locomotory performance in pteropod molluscs Integr. Comp. Biol., December 1, 2007; 47(6): 880 - 891. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. M. Sweeney, S. H. D. Haddock, and S. Johnsen Comparative visual acuity of coleoid cephalopods Integr. Comp. Biol., December 1, 2007; 47(6): 808 - 814. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. A Seibel and J. C Drazen The rate of metabolism in marine animals: environmental constraints, ecological demands and energetic opportunities Phil Trans R Soc B, November 29, 2007; 362(1487): 2061 - 2078. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. A. Seibel On the depth and scale of metabolic rate variation: scaling of oxygen consumption rates and enzymatic activity in the Class Cephalopoda (Mollusca) J. Exp. Biol., January 1, 2007; 210(1): 1 - 11. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. V. Thuesen, L. D. Rutherford Jr, P. L. Brommer, K. Garrison, M. A. Gutowska, and T. Towanda Intragel oxygen promotes hypoxia tolerance of scyphomedusae J. Exp. Biol., July 1, 2005; 208(13): 2475 - 2482. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. A. Seibel and H. M. Dierssen Cascading Trophic Impacts of Reduced Biomass in the Ross Sea, Antarctica: Just the Tip of the Iceberg? Biol. Bull., October 1, 2003; 205(2): 93 - 97. [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. H. Robison, K. R. Reisenbichler, J. C. Hunt, and S. H. D. Haddock Light Production by the Arm Tips of the Deep-Sea Cephalopod Vampyroteuthis infernalis Biol. Bull., October 1, 2003; 205(2): 102 - 109. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. A. Seibel and P. J. Walsh Biological impacts of deep-sea carbon dioxide injection inferred from indices of physiological performance J. Exp. Biol., February 15, 2003; 206(4): 641 - 650. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. O'Dor Telemetered Cephalopod Energetics: Swimming, Soaring, and Blimping Integr. Comp. Biol., November 1, 2002; 42(5): 1065 - 1070. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. A. Seibel and D. B. Carlini Metabolism of Pelagic Cephalopods as a Function of Habitat Depth: A Reanalysis Using Phylogenetically Independent Contrasts Biol. Bull., August 1, 2001; 201(1): 1 - 5. [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Zielinski, F. J. Sartoris, and H. O. Portner Temperature Effects on Hemocyanin Oxygen Binding in an Antarctic Cephalopod Biol. Bull., February 1, 2001; 200(1): 67 - 76. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. K. Bartol, R. Mann, and M. R. Patterson Aerobic respiratory costs of swimming in the negatively buoyant brief squid Lolliguncula brevis J. Exp. Biol., January 11, 2001; 204(21): 3639 - 3653. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Janssens, J. Childress, F Baguet, and J. Rees Reduced enzymatic antioxidative defense in deep-sea fish J. Exp. Biol., January 12, 2000; 203(24): 3717 - 3725. [Abstract] [PDF]