Abstract
Mysids Tenagomysis chiltoni and T. novaezealandiae are abundant in southern New Zealand estuaries. Size‐specific oxygen consumption rates of adult females of T. chiltoni and T. novaezealandiae were measured under salinities 0–1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 33–34 at 5 °C and 20 °C in relation to body size. We predicted that, irrespective of salinity variations, the larger individuals would show lower size‐specific oxygen consumption rates than smaller ones. Body size and the changes in salinity were not significantly related to the size‐specific oxygen consumption rates of T. chiltoni and T. novaezealandiae , probably because of the small size range of individuals measured. At 20 °C, size‐specific oxygen consumption rates were significantly higher than those at 5 °C for T. novaezealandiae , but not for T. chiltoni . Within the tolerable range of salinity variation, small differences in body size are possibly not important for energetics of adult Tenagomysis spp.