This study investigated oxygen consumption rate (OCR), $Q_{10}$ coefficient and ammonia excretion rate of the greenling, Hexagrammos otakii Jordan et Starks with the average body weight of 250 g in a semi-recirculated respiratory measuring system. The experiment was done under three different water temperatures (10, 15, $20^{circ}C$) and five different ambient ammonia concentrations (0, 2.5, 5, 10, 20 mg/L). As the water temperature and ambient ammonia concentration increased the OCR has significantly increased (P<0.05). Given experimental conditions, the OCR of greenling were $50.8{sim}159.4;mg;O_2;kg^{-1};hr^{-1}$ and the relationship of water temperature (T) and ambient ammonia concentration (C) on the OCR were following: OCR = 41.3 - 1.87T - 7.38C + $0.463T^2$ + $0.66lC^2$ + 0.642TC - $0.011T^3$ - $0.010C^2$ - $0.031TC^2$ - $0.001T^2$C ($r^2$= 0.9226). $Q_{10}$ coefficients were $1.88{sim}3.50$ for $10^{circ}C$ to $15^{circ}C$, $1.03{sim}2.73$ for $15^{circ}C$ to $20^{circ}C$ and $1.40{sim}1.90$ for $10^{circ}C$ to $20^{circ}C$, respectively. In general, the ammonia excretion rate tended to increase with increasing of the water temperature within normal ambient ammonia concentration. However, interestingly, it was observed that ammonia was absorbed rather than excreted above the ambient ammonia concentration of $2.5;mg;L^{-1}$, regardless of the water temperature. Thus, the largest ammonia absorption rate (AAR) was obserbed at the level of $98.4;mg;TAN;kg^{-1};hr^{-1}$. The relationship ambient ammonia concentration (C) on AAR was following: Y = 1.61 + $10.9X^{0.7}$ ($r^2$ = 0.889).