Temperature induced variation in oxygen consumption of juvenile and adult stages of the northern shrimp, Pandalus borealis

The impact of temperature on oxygen consumption (MO2) of Pandalus borealis was measured in the laboratory for juvenile, male and female shrimp at 2, 5 and 8 °C, the temperature range where P. borealis is generally found in the Northwest Atlantic. Measurements of MO2 were taken every 60 min over 7–10 days on 0.22 to 13.80 g shrimp. These long-term measurement periods insured acclimation to the respirometers and allowed calculation of standard metabolic rate of individuals (SMRind). SMRind was linearly related to body mass (log transformed data) and the mass-exponent for the species was 0.56. The effects of wet body mass (Ww) and temperature (T) on SMRind were described by: SMRind = 10(0.57 log (Ww)+0.04 T−1.21), with SMRind expressed in mg O2 h− 1, Ww in g and T in °C. This model explained 92% of the variability in SMRind. Mass-specific MO2 adjusted for a 5 g shrimp (SMR5g) was not influenced by developmental stage indicating that the regression model for SMRind was valid regardless of variations in size at maturity and sex transition. Routine and active metabolic rates followed the same variation pattern in relation to temperature and developmental stage than SMR. Finally, thermal coefficients (Q10) were in the normal range found for crustaceans, Q10 values varying from 1.73 to 4.97.