We measured oxygen consumption rates of adult spring Chinook salmon and compared these values to other species of Pacific salmon. Our results indicated that adult salmon achieve their maximum level of oxygen consumption at about their upper critical swim speed. It is also at this speed that the majority of the energy supplied to the swimming fish switches from red muscle (powered by aerobic metabolism) to white muscle (powered by anaerobic metabolism). Determining the swimming performance of adult salmon will assist managers in developing fishways and other means to safely pass fish over hydroelectric dams and other man-made structures.
Revised: November 21, 2003 |
Published: October 1, 2003
Citation
Geist D.R., R.S. Brown, V.I. Cullinan, M.G. Mesa, S.P. VanderKooi, and C.A. McKinstry. 2003.Relationships between metabolic rate, muscle electromyograms, and swim performance of adult chinook salmon.Journal of Fish Biology 63, no. 4:970-989.PNNL-SA-39189.