Theses and Dissertations

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Allen, Peter J.

Committee Member

Green, Christopher C.

Committee Member

Neal, J. Wesley

Date of Degree

5-9-2015

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture

Degree Name

Master of Science

College

College of Forest Resources

Department

Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture

Abstract

The Gulf killifish Fundulus grandis is a euryhaline baitfish species with commercial aquaculture potential. The low salinity and freshwater tolerance of early life-stages of F. grandis were evaluated to determine the potential for inland culture and guide production protocols. Egg fertilization and embryo survival decreased in fresh water, but freshwater incubation improved larval freshwater tolerance. In juveniles, survival and growth were reduced in fresh water from 2-6 weeks post-hatch but not from 7-11 or 12-16 weeks post-hatch. Na+/K+-ATPase activity and whole body Na+ content were elevated in low salinity treatments of the 7-11 weeks post-hatch age group, indicating substantial osmoregulatory ability at that age. RNA expression data from this age group indicated that freshwater acclimation is accompanied by an initial up-regulation of carbonic anhydrase followed by prolonged up-regulation of Na+/K+-ATPase. By 12-16 weeks post-hatch, F. grandis osmoregulatory ability is well developed with minimal differences among osmoregulatory data.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11668/16993

Comments

Fundulus||euryhaline||Osmoregulation

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