habitat temperature such that smaller organisms are more affected than large ones.
Predicted shift in respiration rate between tropical and boreal habitats is three-fold for
1 mg animals but only 1.1-fold for 100 mg animals. Huntley and Boyd (1984)
provided major-axis regressions for these data, and the relative slopes and positions
were unchanged. A substantial literature and polite (if heated) controversy on the
explanation (e.g. West et al. 1997) and variation (e.g. Glazier 2005) of allometric
scaling of metabolism have appeared in recent years.
(^) A very large part of the available data are for copepods (as in everything else about
mesozooplankton). Ikeda et al. (2007) summarized the effects of temperature, body
mass, and oxygen availability in three graphs (Fig. 7.17). For epipelagic copepods, the
temperature range from −2 to 28°C corresponds to an increase in mean, weight-
specific respiration a little greater than three-fold – not really very great. Again, this
reflects the adaptation of metabolism to provide maximum potential for movement
and growth at all temperatures. Total respiration “corrected” (by a Q 10 function) to
10°C varies with the three-quarter power of the dry mass. Mesopelagic and deeper
copepods respire less, which appears to be partly a function of relatively low oxygen
availability (but, compare Childress et al. 2008). Similar data and conclusions exist
for euphausiids, and a few other groups.
Fig. 7.17 Results for diverse (•) epipelagic and ( ) mesopelagic or deeper copepods
collected from the ocean and incubated at the temperature of collection. (a) Oxygen
consumption rates vs. the Arrhenius function of temperature (translated also to
Centigrade). (b) The same data standardized with a Q 10 estimate to 10°C plotted vs.
body dry weight. Slopes, 0.75 of the log–log regressions, are typical of metabolic
rates relative to individual biomass. (c) Grouped means relative to habitat oxygen
saturation (both greater in epipelagic habitats (•) than in meso- [M], upper [UB] and
lower [LB] bathypelagic and abyssopelagic [AB] zones).
(^) (From Ikeda et al. 2007.)
(^) Thus, in a general way, respiration is well described. On the other hand, in order to