Pressure resistance of aerobic metabolism in eels from different water environments.

Eels from different locations were tested comparing their energetic capacities to migrate by studying muscle (red and white) aerobic metabolism. As the migratory activity corresponds to a lengthy swimming activity at depth, their pressure resistance was evaluated by considering fish response to compression, mitochondrial respiration measured under pressure (101 ATA) and cytochrome c oxidase after 3 days under pressure. The results show that only fish from two of the sites have the metabolic capacities to cope with the high pressure encountered during migration.