Physiological correlates of surfacing behaviour--effect of aquarium depth on surfacing, growth and metamorphosis in Rana tigrina.
Rana tigrina were reared from hatching to metamorphosis in aquaria containing different depths but equal volume of water. To exchange atmospheric air, tadpoles in the shallow aquarium surfaced less frequently, travelled shorter distance at less metabolic energy cost and hence grew larger (3.1 g) at a higher (25%) efficiency than those (2.5 g; 19% efficiency) reared in the deepest aquarium. Aquarium depth is a more potent factor than pO2 in the regulation of surfacing behaviour. The significant and positive correlations observed between feeding, metabolism and growth, on one hand, and surfacing behaviour, on the other, can serve as an index of metabolism of the tadpole.
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D001835:Body Weight; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D006128:Growth; D008675:Metamorphosis, Biological; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D011898:Ranidae