Upper lethal temperatures of threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus (L.), in relation to thermal and osmotic acclimation, ambient salinity, and size

Abstract

Samples of threespine sticklebacks, Gasterosteus aculeatus (L.), collected in seawater at Halifax, Nova Scotia, were acclimated to six combinations of conditions at 10 and 20C and in 0, 12, and 30‰ salinity (S). Bioassays of 10 000 min were performed at various constant temperatures from 20 to 30C in the diallel combinations of acclimation and salinities of 0, 12, and 30‰. Highest upper lethal temperatures, corresponding to combinations of acclimation, occurred in isosmotic test salinity of 12‰. Upper lethal temperatures ranged in all tests from 28.76 to 21.63C. A 10-degree increase in thermal acclimation resulted in increases in upper lethal temperature ranging from −0.27 to 0.77 degrees in tests conducted at 12‰ S and increases ranging variously from 1.45 to 3.56 degrees in tests conducted at 0 and 30‰ S. Upper lethal temperatures were shifted significantly by the ambient salinity but not by salinity of acclimation. Within the range of total lengths, 30–80 mm, there were no significant differences in mean lengths of dead and surviving fish in relation to acclimation temperatures and test salinities. There was no rank-correlation between order of death and total length in 15 of 18 test combinations.

Life history adaptations of Gasterosteus aculeatus in a Mediterranean wetland

“…Every summer mortality of young of the year sticklebacks is recorded in shallow freshwater marshes and ditches, coinciding with water temperatures in excess of 25" C. The saline lagoons, being larger and deeper, are not subject to such high temperatures as the shallow freshwater bodies. Trachurus type Gasterosteus aculeatus are reported to have a higher upper lethal temperature in brackish water than in either fresh or sea water (Jordan & Garside 1972) but it is not known whether this is also true for leiurus fish. During the hottest months (July to September) surviving sticklebacks show reduced growth rates, which are probably at least in part attributable to unfavourably high temperatures.…”

The role of selected environmental factors and sex ratio upon egg production in three-spine sticklebacks, Gasterosteus aculeatus

“…The number of hours that water temperature was above 25°C and dissolved oxygen was below 2 ppm was included in our multiple regression analysis, since these conditions represent potentially stressful conditions for the fish. For example, Jordon and Garside (1972) observed that the upper lethal temperatures for threespine sticklebacks were between 21.63 and 28.76"C and averaged 26.2"C. The physicochemical conditions in the tide pools for the periods between clutches and for the total time females remained in the pools are presented in Tables 2 and 3, respectively. No data are available for May 1986, since none of the females completed two reproductive cycles (Table 2).…”

Impact of thermal stress on evolutionary trajectories of pathogen resistance in three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

“…These fish occur in shallow freshwater and marine habitats with a temperature range from 4 to 20°C [[31]], but show preferences for intermediate temperatures (15-18°C [[32],[33]]). Our experimental temperature environments were set to simulate the average summer temperature of coastal North Sea areas (i.e.…”