The role of osmorespiratory compromise in metabolism and hypoxia tolerance of a purportedly oxyconforming teleost

Timothy D Clark, Jake Mitchell Martin , Luis L Kuchenmüller, Elizabeth C Hoots, Maryane Gradito

Fish must manage the competing demands of ion balance and gas exchange across the gills – a physiological tension known as the osmorespiratory compromise. In dynamic estuarine environments, the osmorespiratory compromise may be exacerbated by variable salinity and periods of hypoxia that demand high respiratory work. This study examined whether exposure to isosmotic conditions (9 ppt) lowers aerobic metabolism and enhances hypoxia tolerance relative to freshwater (0 ppt) in the fish Galaxias maculatus, a species that purportedly lacks oxyregulatory capacity when faced with hypoxia. Analysis via Bayesian mixed models found no impact of salinity on routine or standard oxygen uptake rates (ṀO₂). The majority of fish maintained their ṀO₂ as oxygen declined to ~10% air saturation, with only 8 of 58 individuals displaying a measurable critical oxygen saturation (O2crit). Average O2crit values were similar across treatments (25.3% in 0 ppt versus 24.3% in 9 ppt), though the small number of fish showing a clear threshold limits further interpretation. Contrary to earlier claims, our findings show that G. maculatus has an oxyregulatory capacity that aligns with other teleosts. The marked inter-individual variability in ṀO₂ patterns with progressive hypoxia was a feature of this study when compared with other species, adding to a growing pattern of impressive physiological plasticity in G. maculatus. A clearer understanding of the consequences of the osmorespiratory compromise at the whole-animal level relies on further examinations of the interplay between salinity and oxygen across stenohaline and euryhaline species.