Effects of temperature and salinity on survival of young-of-the-year Hudson River striped bass (Morone saxatilis): implications for optimal overwintering habitats

We examined the role of salinity, body size, and energetic state in determining low temperature tolerance of young-of-the-year (YOY) striped bass (Morone saxatilis) and used this information to map optimal overwintering habitat in the Hudson River estuary. A long-term experiment compared survival at...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian journal of fisheries and aquatic sciences 2002-05, Vol.59 (5), p.787-795
Main Authors: Hurst, Thomas P, Conover, David O
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agnatha. Pisces
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Autoecology
Bass
Biological and medical sciences
Body size
Brackish
Estuaries
Fish
Freshwater
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Habitats
Low temperature
Marine
Morone saxatilis
Overwintering
Rivers
Salinity
Salt
Temperature
Vertebrata
Water
Winter
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Summary:We examined the role of salinity, body size, and energetic state in determining low temperature tolerance of young-of-the-year (YOY) striped bass (Morone saxatilis) and used this information to map optimal overwintering habitat in the Hudson River estuary. A long-term experiment compared survival at 15 ppt and 30 ppt. In additional experiments, winter-acclimated fish were exposed to temperature declines (2.3°C·day –1 to 1°C·week –1 ) at salinities from 0 ppt to 35 ppt. Highest survival at low temperatures was consistently observed at intermediate salinities. These results suggest that the observed distribution of overwintering striped bass is related to physiological constraints on osmo regulatory ability at low temperatures. Low temperature tolerance appeared unrelated to body size and energetic state. Salinity profiles were used to describe the location and extent of optimal wintering habitats under various hydrographic regimes. The location of optimal habitats was displaced by over 27 km along the river axis because of variation in salinity regime. Changes in the availability of optimal habitat may be responsible for variation in recruitment to the Hudson River population. These results demonstrate the need to consider a holistic approach encompassing all seasons of the year in assessing habitat requirements of fishes.
ISSN:0706-652X
1205-7533
DOI:10.1139/f02-051