The Effect of Water Temperature on Standard and Routine Metabolic Rate in Two Different Sizes of Nile Tilapia (1)

Summary The metabolic rate of fish is indirectly measured by their rate of respiration (oxygen consumption). Respiration provides oxygen for aerobic conversion of the energy contained in food. Respiratory data are important in the construction of bioenergetic models, indication of altered environment and estimation of carrying capacity in a rearing unit. In this study, standard and routine metabolic rates of 52.1±0.3 and 205.4±0.5 g Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, were determined with computerized intermittent flow-through respirometry at 19, 22, 25, 28 and 31°C water temperatures. The relationship between water temperature and oxygen consumption rate of Nile tilapia at two different body weights was found to best fit the exponential model.