title: Thermal requirements for growth, survival and aerobic performance of weatherfish larvae Misgurnus fossilis.
abstract: Thermal requirements of larval weatherfish Misgurnus fossilis were investigated in terms of growth, survival and aerobic performance. Growth and survival of M. fossilis larvae acclimated to five temperatures (11, 15, 19, 23 and 27° C) were measured over 25 days. In the upper temperature treatments (19, 23 and 27° C), survival of larvae was stable throughout the entire rearing period (>75%), whereas 11 and 15° C resulted in severe declines in survival (to <10%). Growth of larvae (expressed as dry mass and total length) was highest at 19 and 23° C, but significantly decreased at 27° C. Routine metabolic rate of 3 days post-hatch larvae was estimated as oxygen consumption rate (ṀO2) during acute exposure (30 min to 1 h) to seven temperatures (11, 15, 19, 23, 27, 31 and 35° C). Larval oxygen uptake increased with each consecutive temperature step from 11 to 27° C, until a plateau was reached at temperatures >27° C. All larvae of the 35° C regime, however, died within the ṀO2measurement period. M. fossilis larvae show greater than expected tolerance of high temperatures. On the other hand, low temperatures that are within the range of likely habitat conditions are critical because they might lead to high mortality rates when larvae are exposed over periods >10 days. These findings help to improve rearing conditions and to identify suitable waters for stocking and thus support the management of re-introduction activities for endangered M. fossilis.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstrasse 7, 76829, Landau, Germany.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schreiber
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstrasse 7, 76829, Landau, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Monka
authors.affiliation: University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, FFPW USB, CENAKVA, IAPW, Husova tř. 458/102, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Drozd
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstrasse 7, 76829, Landau, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hundt
authors.affiliation: Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), Am Handelshafen 12, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.affiliation: Struktur und Genehmigungsdirektion Süd (Rheinland-Pfalz), Friedrich-Ebert-Str. 14, 67433, Neustadt, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oswald
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstrasse 7, 76829, Landau, Germany.|Federal Environment Agency, Schichauweg 58, 12307, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gergs
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstrasse 7, 76829, Landau, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schulz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003531:Cypriniformes / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D013696:Temperature
keywords: endangered species; ontogeny; oxygen consumption; respiration; routine metabolic rate; water temperature