Comparisons of Critical Thermal Maxima and Minima of Juvenile Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) from Texas and North Carolina

• Published in: Northeast Gulf Science
• Main Authors: Ward, Rocky, Blandon, Ivonne R., King, Tim L., Beitinger, Thomas L.
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: The Aquila Digital Community 1993
• Subjects: Red drum; Sciaenops ocellatus
• Online Access: https://aquila.usm.edu/goms/vol13/iss1/3; https://doi.org/10.18785/negs.1301.03; https://aquila.usm.edu/context/goms/article/1249/viewcontent/Vol13No1P23_28.pdf

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department was Interested In Identifying cold-tolerant red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) for a supplemental bay stocking program to help prevent massive fish kills when winter temperatures drop to potentially dangerous levels. Critical thermal maxima (CTMax) and minima (CTMin) of Juvenile red drum from Texas and North Carolina were determined to test for possible geographically based differences In thermal tolerance limits. Juvenile red drum from the two regions acclimated to either 12°C or 20°C exhibited similar thermal tolerance limits while Texas red drum acclimated to 12°C exhibited a statistically higher CTMax, however the observed difference Is not Interpreted as biologically significant. The adjusted mean CTMin for the combined Texas and North Carolina red drum acclimated to 12°C was 1.6°C and adjusted mean CTMax for combined Texas and North Carolina red drum acclimated to 12°C was 29.5°C, and the adjusted mean CTMax for Individuals acclimated to 20°C was 34.8°C. These results suggest red drum from northern and southern parts of the species range have similar temperature tolerances.