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The common sole, Solea solea, a benthic flatfish, is frequently exposed to environmental hypoxic conditions. A succession of behavioural responses to oxygen depletion can be observed. Under moderate hypoxia (80-20% air saturation) the fish reduce spontaneous activity and the scope for activity is lowered. At the onset of anaerobic metabolism (at 20% air saturation) the fish lie still on the bottom, but with increasing severity of hypoxia they start bending the body so as to lift the mouth above the bottom and to reach water layers with higher oxygen concentrations. Between 20 and 6% air saturation, the sole applies two different metabolic strategies: (i) it activates anaerobic metabolism and (ii) it depresses its metabolism below standard metabolic rate. At 5% air saturation or lower the fish swim up with burst- and panic-like movements and lose balance and swim in an uncoordinated manner (below 3%), finally remaining paralysed at the bottom. The correlation of behavioural and metabolic responses clearly shows that under unfavourable oxygen conditions, escape behaviour and burst activity are induced as a last response when other energy-saving alternatives (anaerobic metabolism and metabolic depression) seem to become insufficient.