Laserfiche WebLink
<br />398 <br /> <br />BERRY AND PIMENTEL <br /> <br />TABLE i.-Swimming performance of three Colorado River fishes. Swimming velocity at 2 and 120 min is <br />expressed as body lengths (BL) per second at which 50% of the fish were fatigued (FV50) and its equivalent <br />absolute swimming speed; the 95% confidence interval is in parentheses. <br /> <br /> Number 2min 120min <br />Temper- Total length of . <br />ature (mm) velocities Number FV50 Absolute speed FV50 Absolute speed <br />("C) (mean :!: SD) tested offish (BL/s) (cm/s) (BL/s) (cm/s) <br /> Bonytait chub <br />14 100 :!: 7 5 44 4.9 (4.7-5.3) 49 (47-53) 4.7 (4.3-5.0) 47 (43-50) <br />20 97 :!: 7 6 59 6.4 (6.0-6.9) 62 (58-67) 5.4 (4.8-6.1) 52 (47-59) <br />26 99:t 8 7 65 6.3 (6.0-6.7) 62 (58-65) 5.8 (5.3-6.4) 57 (52-63) <br /> Humpback chub <br />14 92:t 5 9 90 a 4.4 (4.1-4.7) 40 (38-43) <br />20 93 :!: 5 7 71 6.8 (6.2-7.5) 63 (58-70) 5.5 (5.0-6.1) 51 (47-57) <br />26 99:t 8 8 85 7.1 (6.1-8.4) 70 (60-83) 5.7 (5.1-6.3) 56 (50-62) <br /> Colorado squaw fish (large) <br />14 411 :!: 31 4 19 2.6 (2.1-3.2) 107 (86-132) 2.3 (2.2-2.5) 95 (90-103) <br />20 451 :!: 28 4 15 2.4 (1.7-3.4) 108 (76-153) 2.lb 95b <br />26 433 :!: 19 4 14 2.4 (1.9-2.9) 104 (82-126) 2.0 (1.5-2.7) 87 (65-117) <br /> Colorado squaw fish (small) <br />14 88:t 10 10 76 4.4 (4.2-4.7) 39 (37-41) 4.0 (3.6-4.4) 35 (32-39) <br />20 121 :!: 17 6 60 4.1 (3.9-4.3) 50 (47-52) 3.9 (3.7-4.0) 47 (45-48) <br />26 104:!: 13 7 67 5.0 (4.7-5.3) 52 (49-55) 4.5 (4.3-4.7) 47 (45-49) <br />a Only 40% of the fish were fatigued in 2 min at the highest velocity tested (5.7 BL/s). <br />b No fatigue data between 0 and 100% were obtained. <br /> <br />Thomas et al. (1964). The apparatus consisted <br />of two 500-L reservoirs connected by two pipes, <br />a return-flow pipe, and the swimming chamber, <br />a plexiglas tube 2 m long and 20 cm in diameter. <br />Blocking forces (Webb 1975) were probably in- <br />significant because the largest Colorado squaw- <br />fish's cross-sectional diameter was 9.9% of the <br />diameter of the tunnel. An electromagnetic cur- <br />rent meter recorded flow velocities, and a down- <br />stream barrier was electrified with 5-1O-V alter- <br />nating current to encourage tiring individuals to <br />swim. The tunnel was wrapped with black plastic <br />at the upstream end to isolate the fish but to allow <br />the entrance of light from above. <br />A standard testing protocol was used. The ap- <br />paratus was filled with water at the acclimation <br />temperature of the fish. One large or two small <br />fish were acclimated to the tunnel for 5 min at <br />a water velocity of 15 cm/s. Preliminary tests <br />indicated no difference in prolonged swimming <br />performance between fish acclimated for 5 and <br />20 min. Fish that did not swim in the tunnel <br />during the acclimation period were excluded from <br />the tests. After the acclimation period, fish were <br />rapidly subjected to a selected test velocity when <br />a stop-door was removed at the rear of the tun- <br />nel. An observer shocked tiring fish as needed <br /> <br />and recorded the time when fish became im- <br />pinged on the electrified screen as the fatigue <br />time. Tests continued for a chosen period of 120 <br />min or until fish fatigued. <br />Tests with two to four fish were first conducted <br />at selected velocities to find a range over which <br />the percent of fish fatigued at 2 and 120 min <br />varied from 100% to 0%, respectively. Then, at <br />selected fixed velocities within the range, sample <br />size was increased to 9-14 small fish or 4-6 large <br />fish, depending on the number available. Tested <br />fish were measured, returned to holding tanks, <br />and monitored for mortality. Tested fish were <br />not reused. <br />The method used for estimating swimming <br />ability was basically that used by Brett (1967): <br />the fatigue times of individuals in a group were <br />determined at a constant water velocity. Analysis <br />of covariance (covariate equals fish length) was <br />used to evaluate the effects of water temperature <br />and velocity on fatigue times. We used a "dose- <br />response" curve to characterize the relation be- <br />tween velocity and percent fatigued. The curve <br />was plotted as straight-line connections of three- <br />point moving averages. The FV50 (velocity at <br />which half the fish fatigued) at 2 and 120 min <br />was determined algebraically by linear interpo- <br /> <br />l' <br />