title: The effects of temperature and salinity on the swimming ability of whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei.
abstract: Swimming endurance of whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei exposed to various temperatures (15, 20, and 25 degrees C) and salinities (15, 32, and 40 per thousand) was determined in a swimming channel against one of five flow velocities (5.41, 6.78, 8.21, 10.11, and 11.47 cm s(-1)) for up to 9000 s. No shrimp swam the full 9000 s throughout the experiment. The swimming endurance decreased as swimming speed was increased at any of the temperatures and salinities tested and was significantly affected by temperature and salinity (P<0.05). The power model (nu x t(b) = a) showed a better fit to the relationship between swimming endurance (t, in s) and swimming speed (nu, in cm s(-1)) at any of the temperatures and salinities tested. The swimming ability index (SAI), defined as SAI = integral(0)(9000) vdt x 10(-4) (cm), was found to be temperature- and salinity-dependent in L. vannamei. The optimum temperature and salinity and corresponding maximum SAI were Topt = 21.3 degrees C and SAI(max21.3) = 7.37 cm; Sopt = 27.6 per thousand and SAI(max27.6) = 7.47 cm, respectively. The range of temperatures and salinities within which SAI is >90% of the maximum was estimated between 17.6 and 24.9 degrees C and between 18.5 and 36.7 per thousand, respectively. The results suggest that the power model fits well to the observed endurance estimates and the SAI is a good index to quantitatively describe the overall swimming ability of L. vannamei. Furthermore, temperature and salinity can limit the swimming performance of L. vannamei.
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China.
authors.forename: Peidong
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiumei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Guoqiang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D033561:Penaeidae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology*; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D012965:Sodium Chloride