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The influence of dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide on fish schooling behavior

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Abstract

Slow reduction of dissolved oxygen concentrations or slowly increased carbon dioxide (reduced pH) did not cause measurable changes in the density, nearest neighbor orientation, or the swimming speed of experimental schools of the northern anchovy Engraulis mordax, until near-lethal levels were reached. Rapid reductions of oxygen or pH, however, caused significant increases in average swimming velocity. Positive reactions were correlated to rapid reductions of no more than 0.55 mg O2/l or 0.25 pH units. These responses are related to the hypothesis that metabolic reductions of environmental dissolved oxygen and/or pH may influence the internal structure and behavior of fish schools.

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Author notes

  1. S. A. Moss

    Present address: Biology Department, Southeastern Massachusetts University, Massachusetts, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Ecology and Systematics, Division of Biological Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA

    W. N. McFarland

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  1. S. A. Moss
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  2. W. N. McFarland
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Communicated by G. L. Voss, Miami

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Moss, S.A., McFarland, W.N. The influence of dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide on fish schooling behavior. Marine Biology 5, 100–107 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00352592

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00352592

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