Energy Metabolism During Exercise in Hagfish When Exposed to a Hypoxic Environment
Every animal relies on some form of energy to meet the metabolic demands of its life. For most animals, oxygen is an essential component of energy production. However, many species persist in environments where oxygen is limited. For example, oxygen decreases in concentration as you go deeper in the water leading to hypoxic environmental conditions for fish on or near the bottom. Thus, the question arises, how do species that constitutively live in hypoxia navigate their energetic needs. Hagfish have a very low metabolic rate, likely owing to their mostly sedentary life resting on the bottom or burrowed in sediment. However, when hagfish feed (normally on deadfall, such as whales or fish), they must swim from their refuge, find the food, then ingest it, often burrowing into carcasses or (literally) tying themselves in knots to gain purchase on their food. These are highly energetic activities that require elevated production of ATP. My research focuses on how the metabolism of hagfish supports exertion during activities like swimming and burrowing in a hypoxic environment, comparing between species of hagfish to investigate taxonomic differences. This work combines molecular tools, biologging technologies, and whole animal measures to understand energy use in a sedentary fish in hypoxia