Document Type
Article
Abstract
Digestion elevates metabolism through the heat increment of feeding (HIF) – the energy expended on mechanical and biochemical processes after eating. Quantifying this cost is essential for bioenergetic models that predict energy flow and prey requirements in populations. Using breath-by-breath respirometry, we measured oxygen consumption (V̇ O2 ) in eight common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) before and after feeding standardized meals (1659–2658 kcal of capelin and herring). Metabolic rate rose by ∼37% above resting levels, peaking 60 min after feeding before returning to baseline within 2 h. When scaled across the day, digestion increased daily metabolic needs by ∼8.2% of basal metabolism, similar to values reported for Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) and harbour seals (Phoca vitulina), where HIF contributes 4–10% of daily energy expenditure. This study provides the first multi-individual estimate of HIF in dolphins and suggests that the energetic cost of digestion is a moderate contribution to overall daily metabolism, refining energetic models and improving prey requirement estimates for cetaceans in the wild.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.251474
Publication Date
12-12-2025
Recommended Citation
Koliopoulou, Ioulia; De Ruiter, Stacy L.; Altimiras, Jordi; Larsson, Josefin; Arenarez, Julietta; Rosen, David; and Fahlman, Andreas, "Heat increment of feeding in the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) contributes moderately to field metabolic rate estimates" (2025). University Faculty Publications and Creative Works. 1078.
https://digitalcommons.calvin.edu/calvin_facultypubs/1078