The effect of progressive hypoxia on swimming mode and oxygen consumption in the pile perch, Phanerodon vacca

Hypoxia, an increasingly common stressor in coastal environments, lowers the scope for aerobic activity such as sustained swimming. This study examines the effect of self-depleting progressive hypoxia on swimming performance and oxygen consumption of the pile perch, Phanerodon vacca, at their optimal speed (Uopt =29 cm·s−1). P. vacca is a labriform, median-paired fin (MPF) swimmer that exhibits a clear gait transition from primarily oxidative muscle-powered, pectoral fin swimming to primarily anaerobic-powered muscle burst swimming using the caudal fin (BCF) when facing high speeds or low oxygen.