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Critical Swimming Speed and Metabolic Activity as Predictors of Ecologically Relevant Behaviour in Juvenile Rainbow Trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss)

  • Author / Creator
    Dehaan, Kyle Cameron
  • Swimming ability in fish is vital for survival since it relates to behaviours such as avoiding predators, capturing prey, migration, and reproduction. Critical swimming speed is the most commonly used measure to quantify swimming ability, and so it is often assumed to be a good indicator of behaviour. Due to the relationship between metabolic activity and swim performance, it is possible that aerobic and anaerobic metabolism influence behaviour in fish. This study sought to examine the potential link between critical swimming speed and ecologically relevant behaviour, and to determine the extent that aerobic and anaerobic metabolism play in determining behaviour. Our results suggest that critical swimming speed is not related to predator avoidance or prey capture behaviour in a lab setting, but that burst swimming speed may be related to these behaviours. Aerobic and anaerobic metabolic activity were related to predator avoidance and prey capture behaviour. Since metabolism influences swim performance by providing fuel and determining recovery capability, it is possible that metabolism is a more accurate predictor of predator avoidance and prey capture ability.

  • Subjects / Keywords
  • Graduation date
    Spring 2019
  • Type of Item
    Thesis
  • Degree
    Master of Science
  • DOI
    https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-2zsk-9p95
  • License
    Permission is hereby granted to the University of Alberta Libraries to reproduce single copies of this thesis and to lend or sell such copies for private, scholarly or scientific research purposes only. Where the thesis is converted to, or otherwise made available in digital form, the University of Alberta will advise potential users of the thesis of these terms. The author reserves all other publication and other rights in association with the copyright in the thesis and, except as herein before provided, neither the thesis nor any substantial portion thereof may be printed or otherwise reproduced in any material form whatsoever without the author's prior written permission.