代谢率与体型大小的异速尺度的形成机制是动物生理生态学的一个重要科学问题，迄今仍待阐释。本项目从交换面积-代谢需求的角度重新探究代谢异速的成因，提出：“表面积/体积”的交换限制及代谢水平的需求限制共同决定代谢异速指数；“代谢能/生长能”的个体间差异可造成种内的“统计”代谢异速。为此，我们以鱼类为对象，将代谢异速问题溯源至个体生长，研究个体间“代谢能/生长能”的差异对种内代谢异速指数的负效应，以弥补传统理论的统计缺陷；研究生长进程中，线粒体、细胞、鳃及身体等各层次的交换面积和代谢水平的相对变化及其与代谢异速指数的关系，分别在个体、种内和种间层次检验“交换面积-代谢需求限制”假说；并通过温度、溶氧、摄食和运动等因子调变交换面积和代谢水平的相对高低，从多维度进行验证，以构建揭示代谢异速机制的整合理论。

Metabolic allometric scaling is an important theoretic question in eco-physiological area. However, the mechanism of metabolic scaling remains unclear by now. Our new ideas focus to explain the metabolic scaling mechanism by uniting both exchange surface area and metabolic demand. We propose a new hypothesis: Both the exchange constraints of the ratio of surface area to volume, along with the demand constraints of metabolic level, contribute to metabolic scaling and their relative importance determines the value of metabolic scaling exponent; Metabolic allometric scaling may also be interfered by the intra-specific variation in the ratio of metabolic energy to growth energy for statistical problems. Several species of fish will be used as experimental animals and a new view of individual ontogenetic scaling will be considered. The negative effects of intra-specific varation in the energy ratio of metabolism to growth will be tested to eliminate the potential error in traditional scaling theories. The changes of exchange surface area and metabolic demand will be examed at the levels of mitochondria, cell, gill, and body during individual growth, respectively. The relationship between exchange surface areas and metabolic levels and intraspecific scaling exponents will be studied. The ‘exchange surface area-metabolic demand constraints’ hypothesis will be tested at individual, intra-specific, and inter-specific levels, respectively under conditions different in temperature, oxygen, feeding, and exercise. We will finally construct a new integrative theory of metabolic allometric scaling.