Thermal Adaptation in Largemouth Bass Populations Inhabiting Power Plant Cooling Reservoirs

The objective of this study was to test for thermal adaptation in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) populations inhabiting two power plant cooling reservoirs in central Texas. The offspring of bass from the two test reservoirs and two control reservoirs were raised under near identical conditions and then tested for temperature tolerance with the critical thermal maximum (CTM) method. The results suggest that significant thermal adaptation may have occurred in one of the thermally-impacted reservoirs (Lake Bastrop) but not in the other (Lake Alcoa). Possible reasons for this disparity in the results are discussed. Both length and weight had significant effects upon CTM. Whether this was caused by too fast of a heating rate (0.4 C/minute), or that the age of juvenile bass has a significant affect upon CTM is discussed. The results also suggest that for temperature tolerance studies, an acclimation period longer than 2 weeks is needed in the winter time. Other findings of this study include: a strong seasonal pattern in the CTM for all bass groups studied, and that neither the time of the test nor the index of condition (relative weight) had a significant effect upon the CTM.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biology

Grantor

Southwest Texas State University

Year dc:date.issued

1984

Author dc:creator

• Kiefer, Russell Byron

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Whiteside, Bobby G.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Huffman, David G.
• Tomasso, Joseph R.

• largemouth bass
• fishes
• cooling reservoirs

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10877/19865

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digital.library.txst.edu:10877/19865