Diel Rhythm and Thermal Independence of Metabolic Rate in a Benthic Shark

Biological rhythms that are mediated by exogenous factors, such as light and temperature, drive the physiology of organisms and affect processes ranging from cellular to population levels. For elasmobranchs (i.e. sharks, rays, and skates), studies documenting diel activity and movement patterns indi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of biological rhythms 2022-10, Vol.37 (5), p.484-497
Main Authors: Wheeler, Carolyn R., Kneebone, Jeff, Heinrich, Dennis, Strugnell, Jan M., Mandelman, John W., Rummer, Jodie L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Circadian Rhythm
Coastal environments
Diel activity
Hemiscyllium ocellatum
Metabolic rate
Metabolism
Photoperiod
Physiology
Population levels
Seasons
Sharks
Sharks - physiology
Species
Temperature
Time of use
Water temperature
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Biological rhythms that are mediated by exogenous factors, such as light and temperature, drive the physiology of organisms and affect processes ranging from cellular to population levels. For elasmobranchs (i.e. sharks, rays, and skates), studies documenting diel activity and movement patterns indicate that many species are crepuscular or nocturnal in nature. However, few studies have investigated the rhythmicity of elasmobranch physiology to understand the mechanisms underpinning these distinct patterns. Here, we assess diel patterns of metabolic rates in a small meso-predator, the epaulette shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum), across ecologically relevant temperatures and upon acutely removing photoperiod cues. This species possibly demonstrates behavioral sleep during daytime hours, which is supported herein by low metabolic rates during the day and a 1.7-fold increase in metabolic rates at night. From spring to summer seasons, where average average water temperature temperatures for this species range 24.5 to 28.5 °C, time of day, and not temperature, had the strongest influence on metabolic rate. These results indicate that this species, and perhaps other similar species from tropical and coastal environments, may have physiological mechanisms in place to maintain metabolic rate on a seasonal time scale regardless of temperature fluctuations that are relevant to their native habitats.
ISSN:0748-7304
1552-4531
DOI:10.1177/07487304221107843