Integrating water flow, locomotor performance and respiration of Chinese sturgeon during multiple fatigue-recovery cycles

Lu Cai; Lei Chen; David Johnson; Yong Gao; Prashant Mandal; Min Fang; Zhiying Tu; Yingping Huang

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0094345

Integrating water flow, locomotor performance and respiration of Chinese sturgeon during multiple fatigue-recovery cycles

PLoS One. 2014 Apr 8;9(4):e94345. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094345. eCollection 2014.

Authors

Lu Cai¹, Lei Chen², David Johnson³, Yong Gao², Prashant Mandal⁴, Min Fang⁵, Zhiying Tu⁵, Yingping Huang⁵

Affiliations

¹ Collaborative Innovation Center for Geo-Hazards and Eco-Environment in Three Gorges Area, Hubei Province, Yichang, PR China.
² Institute of Chinese Sturgeon Research, China Three Gorges Project Corporation, Yichang, PR China.
³ Engineering Research Center of Eco-environment in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, PR China; School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Ferrum College, Ferrum, Virginia, United States of America.
⁴ Engineering Research Center of Eco-environment in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, PR China.
⁵ Collaborative Innovation Center for Geo-Hazards and Eco-Environment in Three Gorges Area, Hubei Province, Yichang, PR China; Engineering Research Center of Eco-environment in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, PR China.

Abstract

The objective of this study is to provide information on metabolic changes occurring in Chinese sturgeon (an ecologically important endangered fish) subjected to repeated cycles of fatigue and recovery and the effect on swimming capability. Fatigue-recovery cycles likely occur when fish are moving through the fishways of large dams and the results of this investigation are important for fishway design and conservation of wild Chinese sturgeon populations. A series of four stepped velocity tests were carried out successively in a Steffensen-type swimming respirometer and the effects of repeated fatigue-recovery on swimming capability and metabolism were measured. Significant results include: (1) critical swimming speed decreased from 4.34 bl/s to 2.98 bl/s; (2) active oxygen consumption (i.e. the difference between total oxygen consumption and routine oxygen consumption) decreased from 1175 mgO2/kg to 341 mgO2/kg and was the primary reason for the decrease in Ucrit; (3) excess post-exercise oxygen consumption decreased from 36 mgO2/kg to 22 mgO2/kg; (4) with repeated step tests, white muscle (anaerobic metabolism) began contributing to propulsion at lower swimming speeds. Therefore, Chinese sturgeon conserve energy by swimming efficiently and have high fatigue recovery capability. These results contribute to our understanding of the physiology of the Chinese sturgeon and support the conservation efforts of wild populations of this important species.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Fatigue*
Fishes / physiology*
Oxygen Consumption*
Physical Conditioning, Animal
Physical Exertion*
Swimming*

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Major Science and Technology Program for Water Pollution Control and Treatment in the National Twelfth Five-Year Plan of China (Grant number: 2012ZX07104-002-04) and the National Nature Science Foundation of China (Grant number: 50979049, 51309140). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.