OXYGEN-CONSUMPTION RATES OF WHITE STURGEON UNDER COMMERCIAL CULTURE CONDITIONS

Oxygen consumption rates of white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) w ere measured under commercial culture conditions. Mean fish size range d from 0.09 to 3.8 kg (0.2-8.4 lbs). Mean daily values of oxygen consu mption rates ranged from 70-330 mg kg fish(-1) h(-1). Peak oxygen cons umption rates were measured to be as much as twice the mean daily valu es and were seen to occur in response to feeding for fish fed a ration of less than 2.6% body mass per day. With higher feed rations, peak o xygen consumption rates were a smaller percentage of the mean daily va lue. Multiple regression analysis showed that 93% of the variations in measured oxygen consumption rate values could be attributed to variat ions in feed ration. (C) 1997 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.