Thermal effects on fish ecology
By: Charles C. Coutant
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Abstract
Of all the environmental factors that influence aquatic organisms, temperature is the most all-pervasive. There is always an environmental temperature while other factors may or may not be present to exert their effects. Fish are, for all practical purposes, thermal conformers, or obligate poikilotherms. That is, they are able to exert little significant influence on maintaining a certain body temperature by specialized metabolic or behavioral means. Their body temperature thus fluctuates nearly in concert with the temperature of their aquatic medium (although particularly large, actively-moving fish such as tuna have deep muscle temperatures slightly higher than the water). Intimate contact at the gills of body fluids with the outside water and the high specific heat of water provide a very efficient heat exchanger that insures this near identity of internal and external temperatures.
Suggested Citation
Coutant, C.C., 1976, Thermal effects on fish ecology, chap. of Encyclopedia of Environmental Science and Engineering, p. 891-896.
| Publication type | Book chapter |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Book Chapter |
| Title | Thermal effects on fish ecology |
| Year Published | 1976 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Gordon and Breach Publishers |
| Publisher location | New York, NY |
| Description | 6 p. |
| Larger Work Type | Book |
| Larger Work Subtype | Other Government Series |
| Larger Work Title | Encyclopedia of Environmental Science and Engineering |
| First page | 891 |
| Last page | 896 |