ORIGINAL PAPER

• Main Authors: F. A. Vanella, Æ I. A. Johnston
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2002
• Subjects: Antarctic; Argentina; Noto; Piner; Antarc*; Tierra del Fuego
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.527.4487; http://www.rvc.ac.uk/sml/documents/jw24.pdf

Abstract Fast-start performance associated with escape behaviour was investigated in the sub-Antarctic noto-thenioid Eleginops maclovinus from the Beagle Channel, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina (mean winter water temper-ature 4C, mean summer water temperature 10C). Fish acclimated to 8.5C for 2 months were filmed at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10C. Escape responses were temperature dependent over the range of temperatures tested. Maximum length-specific velocity ðV̂maxÞ, maximum length-specific accel-eration (Âmax) and inertial power output (Piner) increased significantly with temperature. Q10 values for V̂max, Âmax and Piner were 1.90, 3.27 and 8.90, respectively. Non-dimensional curvature of the spine ðĉÞ also varied significantly with temperature, but was higher at low temperatures. The values of c ̂ were threefold lower than previously reported for Antarctic notothenioids and similar to the values for temperate species. The results indicate that the high values of c ̂ observed during escape behaviour in Antarctic notothenioids are not a universal feature of the suborder. A greater flexion of the body during fast starts is therefore a promising candidate for a specialised feature of behaviour linked to low-tempera-ture performance.