Comparative life history of female mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis, in tidal freshwater and oligohaline habitats

Female Gambusia affinis were collected from low salinity/near-neutral pH and tidal freshwater/low pH localities to document life history variation between these two habitats. Mosquitofish were 2.7 times more abundant in low salinity/near-neutral pH (2.37 plus or minus 0.72 ppt; pH = 5.73 plus or min...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental biology of fishes 1990, Vol.27 (1), p.33-41
Main Authors: Brown-Peterson, N. (Florida Dept. of Natural Resources, Fort Pierce, FL (USA). Bureau of Aquatic Preserves), Peterson, M.S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agnatha. Pisces
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Brackish
CICLO VITAL
CYCLE DE DEVELOPPEMENT
Demecology
Freshwater
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
GAMBUSIA
Gambusia affinis
LIFE CYCLE
Marine
SALINIDAD
SALINITE
SALINITY
Vertebrata
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Summary:Female Gambusia affinis were collected from low salinity/near-neutral pH and tidal freshwater/low pH localities to document life history variation between these two habitats. Mosquitofish were 2.7 times more abundant in low salinity/near-neutral pH (2.37 plus or minus 0.72 ppt; pH = 5.73 plus or minus 0.11) than in tidal freshwater/low pH (0.27 plus or minus 0.19 ppt; pH = 4.46 plus or minus 0.18) habitats in Old Fort Bayou, a black-water tidal river of the Biloxi Bay estuary, Mississippi. Fish were common in both areas from June 1985 through February 1986. There were no significant differences between habitats in the length-weight relationships during the reproductive season with the exception of February. However, there were significant differences in life histories, although the areas were only 4 km apart. Ovarian recrudescence was observed in fish from both areas in February, but ovaries of low salinity fish were more developed than ovaries of freshwater fish. All fish from both areas had regressed ovaries by late September.
ISSN:0378-1909
1573-5133