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Journal of Experimental Biology 107,141-146 (1983)
Published by Company of Biologists 1983

Partitioning of Energy in Fish: can Reduction of Swimming Activity Compensate for the Cost of Production?

FRANZ KOCH ¹ and WOLFGANG WIESER ¹

¹ Institut für Zoophysiologie der Universität, Innsbruck, Austria

1. By using a new video activity monitoring processor (Kaufmann, 1983)in conjunction with a large respirometer, we have measured swimming activity, oxygen consumption and reproductive investment (in the form of gonadal growth) of roach (Rutilus rutilus L.) during a seasonal cycle.

2. If the effect of temperature on metabolism is taken into account it can be shown that swimming activity is drastically reduced during the period of gonadal synthesis (July-December).

3. On the basis of a calibration curve established for the preproductive phase (January-June), the reduction in locomotor activity is estimated torepresent a saving of 1485 kJ kg^-1 of metabolizable energy during a periodin which 364 kJ worth of gonadal tissue per kg of fish are being synthesized.

4. Our data provide the first evidence that even in a poikilothermicanimal reduction of locomotor activity may compensate for the costs ofproducing gonadal tissue.