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Comparison of swimming ability among five freshwater fish species.

FU Xiang, FU Cheng, FU Shi-jian*   

  1. (Laboratory of Evolutionary Physiology and Behavior, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Animal Biology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China).
  • Published:2020-05-10

Abstract: To investigate the physiological mechanism underlying the maximum aerobic and anaerobic swimming ability and preferred swimming speed of fish in different habitats, we measured the critical swimming speed (Ucrit), maximum constant accelerated swimming speed (Ucat), preferred swimming speed (Upref), standard metabolic rate (SMR), maximum metabolic rate (MMR), and aerobic metabolic scope (MS) of the juvenile fish of five species at (25±1) ℃, including Spinibarbus sinensis, Carassius auratus gibelio, Procypris rabaudi, Mylopharyngodon piceusand Myxocryprinus asiaticus. Results showed that Spinibarbus sinensis showed the strongest swimming ability (both aerobic and anaerobic). Mylopharyngodon piceus and Myxocryprinus asiaticus were poor swimmers. The Upref of all the five species fell into the range from 10 to 24.5 cm·s-1, despite their significant variation in swimming ability. These results suggested that swimming ability of the selected fish species were mainly determined by cardiorespiratory capacity and morphology-induced swimming efficiency. Our results have certain reference value for designing fishways.

Key words: latitude, climatic factor, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, leaf trait, soil factor.