Frank G. Nordlie

Physiological refugia: swamps, hypoxia tolerance and maintenance of fish diversity in the Lake Victoria region

In Lake Nabugabo, Uganda, a satellite of Lake Victoria, approximately 50% of the indigenous fishes disappeared from the open waters subsequent to the establishment of the introduced predatory Nile perch, Lates niloticus. This pattern is similar to the faunal loss experienced in the much larger Lake Victoria. Several of these species persisted in wetland refugia (e.g. ecotonal wetlands, swamp lagoons); however, deep swamp refugia (habitats lying well within the dense interior of fringing wetlands), are available only to a subset of the basin fauna with extreme tolerance to hypoxia. Although air-breathers are common in deep swamp refugia; we also documented a surprisingly high richness and abundance of non-air-breathing fishes. We describe several mechanisms that may facilitate survival in deep swamp refugia including high hemoglobin concentration, high hematocrit, large gill surface area and a low critical oxygen tension (P(c)). In addition, swamp-dwelling fishes showed lower PO(2) thresholds for onset of aquatic surface respiration than the lake-dwelling fishes. This suggests higher tolerance to hypoxia in the swamp fishes because they are able to withstand a lower oxygen tension before approaching the surface. We suggest that physiological refugia may be important in modulating the impact of Nile perch and indigenous fishes in the Lake Nabugabo region; this highlights the need to evaluate relative tolerance of introduced predators and indigenous prey to environmental stressors.

The influence of environmental salinity on respiratory oxygen demands in the euryhaline teleost, ambassis interrupta bleeker

1. 1. The rates of oxygen consumption of large Ambassis interrupta are not significantly altered by salinity variations in the range from 10% to 100% sea water, while oxygen consumption of small individuals is increased in 70% sea water. 2. 2. It is suggested that there are 4 basic patterns of response in oxygen consumption of teleost fishes to altered salinity and adult Ambassis demonstrate the pattern most adaptive to a euryhaline existence. 3. 3. Adult Ambassis and other forms whose rates of oxygen consumption are little influenced by salinity variations show the least variation in plasma concentrations with varying salinities.

Fish communities of estuarine salt marshes of eastern North America, and comparisons with temperate estuaries of other continents

Twenty eastern North American estuarine/saltmarsh locations, for which publishedinventories of inhabiting fishes wereavailable, were selected for study. Thegeographic range of systems extended from southTexas on the west; North River, FL. on thesouth; to Prince Edward Island, Canada on theeast; and James and Hudson Bays, Canada at thenorth. A total of 237(±) species offishes were associated with these systems. Lifehistory groupings included: permanent residents(9.3%); marine nursery species (17.7%);diadromous fishes (5.5%); marine transients(52.3%); and freshwater transients (15.2%).The most widely distributed species wereprimarily permanent residents and marinenursery species. The fraction of residentspecies did not vary significantly over thelatitudinal range, but the fraction of marinemigratory (MN + MT) species decreased withlatitude. An increasing fraction of diadromous(anadromous) species may compensate for thedecreasing fraction of marine migratoryspecies. Permanent residents, marine nurseryspecies, and marine transients all showedextended periods of spawning. Permanentresident species showed the widest ranges ofambient salinity tolerances or of ambientsalinity ranges of occupied habitats, withmarine nursery species second. Patterns withrespect to ambient temperature tolerances wereassociated with geographic ranges rather thanlife history groups. A general profile wasproduced of characteristics of species thatlive as permanent residents in salt marshestuaries of eastern North America.Species and family relationships of fishes froma group of 17 and another of 25 estuarieslocated along the west coast of Europe werecompared with the eastern North American group.European estuaries showed higher speciesrichness per system than did those of easternNorth America. Family representations ofeastern North American and western Europeanestuaries were compared with a series ofestuaries located in southwestern Australia andSouth Africa. This showed significant overlapin family representation, with two speciesbeing common among the four continents.

Ionic regulation and the energetics of osmoregulation in Mugil cephalus Lin.

Abstract The regulation of Na+, K+ and Cl− were evaluated in Mugil cephalus Lin. over a range of ambient concentrations from 20 to 1570 mOs/l. 1. 1. Na+ and Cl− concentrations decrease only slightly with decreased ambient concentration below 600 mOs/l. 2. 2. K+ showed no significant alteration over the experimental range. The energetic cost of the osmotic regulatory process was evaluated. 1. 1. The cost of osmotic regulation is high when the environment is distinctly hyperosmotic with respect to the blood. 2. 2. The cost is negligible when the environmental concentration is less than that of the blood. 3. 3. Problems of homeostatic maintenance in this form are discussed.

Influence of Environmental Salinity on Routine Metabolic Rate and Critical Oxygen Tension of Cyprinodon variegatus

We examined the influence of a wide range of environmental salinities on routine metabolic rate and critical oxygen tension in Cyprinodon variegatus, a common coastal resident of the western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. C. variegatus lives in ambient salinities ranging from freshwater to 142%, with fish used in this study obtained from a Gulf of Mexico salt marsh near Cedar Key, Florida. In a steady state experiment, routine metabolic rate and critical oxygen tension were determined at salinities ranging from 0% to 100%. Measures of routine metabolic rate and critical oxygen tension were unaffected by changes in salinity between 0% and 40%. However, routine metabolic rate declined and critical oxygen tension increased progressively at salinities above 40%. The reduction in routine metabolic rate and rise in critical oxygen tension correlates with a reduced ability of C. variegatus to osmoregu‐late effectively at high salinities. The variations in routine metabolic rate and critical oxygen tension at high salinities suggest that C. variegatus responds to high salinities by reducing energy expenditures, effectively increasing the time that individuals can tolerate hypersaline conditions.

Comparisons of Salinity Tolerances and Osmotic Regulatory Capabilities in Populations of Sailfin Molly (Poecilia latipinna) from Brackish and Fresh Waters

Sailfin mollies, Poecilia latipinna, inhabit both fresh and brackish waters throughout their native range. In laboratory analyses, following extensive acclimation, individuals taken from freshwater populations tolerated a range of ambient salinities from fresh water through 70%o (parts per thousand), whereas individuals from brackish water tolerated salinities ranging from fresh water through 80%0o. Plasma osmotic concentrations of the two groups were not significantly different at common ambient salinities over the range from fresh water through 75%0o. Isolation in nature of populations in fresh and brackish waters has not greatly altered their physiological capabilities with respect to ambient salinity.

Dissolved oxygen and thermal regimes of a Ugandan crater lake

This paper quantifies the temporal pattern of thermal stratification and deoxygenation in Lake Nkuruba, a small (3 ha), deep (maximum depth = 38 m) crater lake in western Uganda. Dissolved oxygen penetrated to an average depth of 9 m and a maximum depth of 15 m below which the lake was permanently anoxic over the 2 years of study. Although surface oxygen levels were correlated with both surface water temperature and rainfall, seasonal cycles of dissolved oxygen were not well-defined and may have been obscured by the high frequency of short-term fluctuations and by inter-annual variations caused by shifts in rainfall.Surface water temperature averaged 23.3±0.7 °C (S.D.) and varied directly with air temperature. Both diurnal changes and top-bottom temperature differentials were small averaging 1.7±0.7 °C and 1.6±0.8 °C, respectively. Thermal stability ranged from 101.3 to 499.9 g-cm cm-2 and was positively related to surface water temperature suggesting that this small protected lake responds rapidly to short-term meteorological changes. Because contribution to the annual heat exchange cycle was confined to upper waters, the lakes annual heat budget was low, 1,073.8 cal cm-2 yr-1. However, net primary productivity was relatively high averaging 1.3 g C m-2d-1.The region where Lake Nkuruba is situated experienced a very strong earthquake (6.2 on the Richter scale) on 4 February, 1994. Subsequently, water levels dropped markedly in the lake, falling 3.14 m over a 5-month period.

Environmental influences on regulation of blood plasma/serum components in teleost fishes: a review

Concentrations of both inorganic and organic blood plasma/serum components of teleost fishes were reviewed in seven habitat/life-history categories. These were: freshwater; inland saline; estuarine and nearshore marine; pelagic and deep-sea; diadromous; southern cold-water; and northern cold-water. Plasma/serum osmolalities were compared among groups acclimated to/living in fresh and in salt water. Contributions of inorganic ions and colligative and non-colligative organic molecules were evaluated including with respect to melting and freezing points, and “antifreeze activity” of plasma/serum in species from cold marine waters. Possible roles of TMAO in deep-water fishes were reviewed. Discussion also included influences of ambient salinity and temperature on concentrations of plasma/serum components. Seasonal cycles of blood plasma/serum components were discussed, along with antifreeze concentrations in other body fluids and tissues of cold-water fishes. Regulatory patterns of plasma/serum osmolalities were compared among the most euryhaline of teleosts evaluated here. Highest mean values of plasma/serum osmolalities in sea water were seen in southern cold-water and in pelagic and deep-sea fishes. The southern cold-water group also had the lowest plasma/serum freezing points among these groups. Comparisons of mean plasma/serum Na+ and Cl− concentrations among fishes from fresh waters did not differ significantly among groups, but species from cold marine waters showed higher levels than did other groups in marine waters. Plasma/serum osmotic, Na+ and Cl− concentrations of these seven groups of teleosts were compared with those of other fish-like vertebrate groups. Possible impacts of global warming on regulatory responses of plasma/serum components were discussed.

Plankton communities of three Central Florida lakes

A study of planktonic primary productivity and community structure was carried out on three lakes of varying morphometric and chemical features, but which were within a single watershed in Central Florida. Primary productivity in these lakes was evaluated by means of in situ light and dark bottle determinations as well as by calculations based upon chlorophyll and light data. Lake Mize, a deep sinkhole lake containing highly colored waters of low pH, proved to be a very unproductive lake, while Bivens Arm, a shallow-basin lake with alkaline waters and Newnans lake, a shallow-basin like with highly colored waters both showed relatively high productivities. Phytoplankton components of the two productive lakes were quite similar to one another in being composed of bloom-forming blue-green and green algae, while the predominant forms in Lake Mize were chrysophytes, dinoflagellates and a diatom. Zooplanktonic forms were more uniform among the lakes than were the phytoplankton, though population levels reflected relative productivities among the lakes. Rotifers predominated in the Lake Mize plankton while cladocerans were relatively inabundant. This was opposite to the condition in Bivens Arm and Newnans Lake. It is suggested that the constant presence of larval Chaoborus in the water column in Lake Mize may be partially responsible for the paucity of cladocera.

Patterns of reproduction and development of selected resident teleosts of Florida salt marshes

A wide variety of teleost fishes occur in tidal marshes of Atlantic and Gulf coasts of Florida, few of which breed in these habitats or remain there for extended periods of time. A significant fraction of teleosts that do so are members of one of five families. Eleven representative species belonging to these families, whose reproduction and development are considered here, include: Adinia xenica, Fundulus confluentus, F. grandis and F. similis (Fundulidae); Cyprinodon variegatus, Floridichthys carpio and Jordanella floridae (Cyprinodontidae); Gambusia holbrooki and Poecilia latipinna (Poeciliidae); Mugil cephalus (Mugilidae); and Dormitator maculatus (Eleotridae). Spawning or birth locations, patterns of growth and development, times of use of the salt marsh as a nursery area, and development of salinity tolerances/osmotic regulatory capabilities were evaluated for each, considering these in the context of variability of environmental conditions, especially of salinity. Five different patterns of reproduction are shown by these 11 species, and only A. xenica appears to be limited to reproducing in the salt marsh environment. Some of these species are capable of reproducing throughout the year. Several of the species are annuals, most others live only 2 or 3 years. Eight species (those other than M. cephalus, A. xenica and G. holbrooki) were found to show no size relationship, large juvenile to adult sizes, in osmotic regulatory capabilities.