Gas exchange and heart rate in the harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoena

The respiratory physiology, heart rates and metabolic rates of two captive juvenile male harbour porpoises (both 28 kg) were measured using a rapid-re sponse respiratory gas analysis system in the laboratory. Breath-hold durat ions in the laboratory (12 +/- 0.3 s, mean +/- SEM) were shorter than field observations. although a few breath-holds of over 40 s were recorded. The mean percentage time spent submerged was 89 +/- 0.4%. Relative to similarly -sized terrestrial mammals, the respiratory frequency was low (4.9 +/- 0.19 breaths min(-1)) but with high tidal volumes (1.1 +/- 0.01 l), enabling a comparatively high minute rate of gas exchange. Oxygen consumption under th ese experimental conditions (247 +/- 13.8 ml O-2. min(-1)) was 1.9-fold hig her than predicted by standard scaling relations. These data together with an estimate of the total oxygen stores predicted an aerobic dive limit of 5 .4 min. The peak end-tidal O-2 values were related to the length of the pre vious breath-hold, demonstrating the increased oxygen uptake from the lung for the longer dives. Blood oxygen capacity was 23.5 +/- 1.0 ml.100 ml(-1), and the oxygen affinity was high, enabling rapid oxygen loading during ven tilation.