Summary
Unexplained high mortality ofTilapia mossambica (Peters) has at times been noted during winter in dams on the South African Highveld and prompted an investigation into the temperature tolerance and temperature preference of this species.
This work deals with the temperature selected by the fish.
The history of temperature selection experiments is outlined and a relatively simple technique of establishing a temperature gradient in a horizontal test tank is described.
Results obtained with juvenile fish previously acclimated to various controlled temperatures showed that these fish selected a range of temperatures of 27.0°C to 33.5°C, with a theoretical median selection temperature of 28.5°C.
The findings are discussed with reference to previous relevant literature.
It is concluded thatT. mossambica was a thermophilic species which could succumb during cold spells in the Highveld dams.
Zusammenfassung
Unerklärtes Massensterben vonTilapia mossambica (Peters), das ab und zu im Winter in Stauweihern des südafrikanischen Hochvelds auftritt, war Anlass zu einer Untersuchung nach Temperaturtoleranz und Temperaturvorzug bei dieser Fischart.
Die vorliegende Arbeit befasst sich mit der von diesen Fischen bevorzugten Temperatur.
Über den Varlauf von Temperaturauswahlversuchen wird rapportiert und eine verhältnismässig einfache Technik zur Herstellung eines Temperaturgefälles in einem horizontalen Versuchsbecken wird beschrieben.
Die Ergebnisse mit Jungfischen, die im voraus verschiedenen kontrollierten Temperaturen ausgesetzt waren, zeigten, dass diese Fische einen Temperaturbereich von 27.0°C bis 33.5°C bevorzugten, mit einer theoretischen mittleren Vorzugstemperatur von 28.5°C.
Es wird gefolgert, dassT. mossambica eine thermophile Art ist, die Kälteeinbrüchen in den Stauweihern des Hochvelds erliegen kann.
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Badenhuizen, T.R. Temperatures selected by Tilapia mossambica (Peters) in a test tank with a horizontal temperature gradient. Hydrobiologia 30, 541–554 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00964032
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00964032