title: Oxygen uptake capacity of the amphibious fish - Amphipnous cuchia (Ham) (Symbranchiformes, Amphipnoidae).
abstract: The O2 uptake capacity of Amphipnous cuchia has been determined in relation to standard temperature of 25 degrees C. The measurement of O2 uptake indicates nearly 75% of the oxygen demand to be met through the air breathing organs and 25% by the skin and vestigeal gill through water in a normal habitat. The total VO2 during aerial-aquatic gas exchange is 60.5 ml/kg/hr. The prevention of surfacing resulted in a lower O2 uptake rate (38.29 ml/kg/hr). During submergence, the utilisation of air sacs for extracting O2 by regular pumping of water in and out is peculiar to the fish. Under normal respiratory conditions (air + water), the slope for O2 uptake through air is 0.72, 0.23 for water and 0.57 for both air + water. The average ratio borne by the fish for aquatic/air breathing (ml/kg/min) is higher in fishes below 60 g body weight, and aquatic respiration predominates in fishes weighing less than 6.0 g.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D005880:Gills / Q000378:metabolism; D007194:India; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D012119:Respiration; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000378:metabolism; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity