RESPIRATORY RESPONSES TO PROGRESSIVE AMBIENT HYPOXIA IN THE STURGEON, ACIPENSER-BAERI

Changes in respiratory and acid-base variables were studied in siberian sturgeon, Acipenser baeri, during progressive deep hypoxia followed by recovery under normoxic conditions. During hypoxia, both ventilatory frequency and amplitude increased and this sturgeon was able to maintain standard oxygen consumption down to a low critical level of ambient P(O2) (PW(O2) < 40 mmHg). During the posthypoxic period, an O2 debt was repaid by an elevated oxygen consumption (nearly double control value at 1 h), indicating that a shift to anaerobic metabolism had occurred during exposure to severe hypoxia. Gradually increasing ambient hypoxia initially induced a respiratory alkalosis. Below the critical PW(O2) level and during normoxic recovery, a sudden flush of lactate into the blood was associated with a typical metabolic acidosis which was almost totally compensated 3.5 h after return to normoxia. Thus, as for most other fish, respiratory responses of the sturgeon to progressive hypoxia reveal a typical O2 regulatory behavior.