title: Responses of skilletfish Gobiesox strumosus to high temperature and low oxygen stress.
abstract: This study quantified physiological responses of skilletfish Gobiesox strumosus exposed to thermal and oxic stress. Fish acclimated at 12, 22 and 32 degrees C had low oxygen tolerance values (mean +/-s.d.) of 0.40 +/- 0.09, 0.40 +/- 0.08 and 0.35 +/- 0.03, and critical thermal maxima (mean +/-s.d.) of 33.2 +/- 0.5, 38.1 +/- 0.0 and 39.5 +/- 0.3 degrees C, respectively. Furthermore, G. strumosus were oxygen conformers at all acclimation temperatures, i.e. the fish allowed oxygen consumption rates to decrease with ambient oxygen concentration. High temperature tolerance, low oxygen tolerance and decreasing metabolic rates during hypoxic events allow the fish to survive harsh environmental conditions encountered in their natural environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of West Florida, Building 58, Pensacola, FL 32514, USA.
authors.forename: B N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Tiffany
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Enzor
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Bennett
mesh_terms: D000064:Acclimatization / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D006358:Hot Temperature; D000860:Hypoxia; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010473:Perciformes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological