Fig. 4

Final path model describing how the compensation of the thermal response under ecologically relevant conditions (i.e., oxygen level, ΔLT50) is shaped by the Thermal Safety Margins that in turn are controlled by the fluctuations and predictability of oxygen and temperature. Temperature and oxygen fluctuations are correlated among themselves and with temperature predictability and oxygen predictability, respectively. Temperature and Oxygen predictability are significantly correlated. Thermal safety margins are significantly and negatively determined by the predictability of oxygen and temperature which means that lower predictability is related to higher safety margins, principally because species living in colder environments have higher thermal safety margins and lower oxygen and temperature predictability. In turn, thermal safety margins inversely affect the species ΔLT50. This means that higher thermal safety margins determine lower ΔLT50 in the thermal response when exposed to supersaturation and lower thermal safety margin determines a higher ΔLT50 when the species is exposed to supersaturation. Path diagram with standardized path coefficients reported next to the black solid arrows with a significant p value (p < 0.05). Significant positive correlations are reported with dotted lines. Non-significant pathways are given in dashed grey shafts.