A falsification of the thermal specialization paradigm: compensation for elevated temperatures in Antarctic fishes

• Published in: Biology Letters
• Main Authors: Seebacher, Frank, Davison, William, Lowe, Cara J., Franklin, Craig E.
• Other Authors: Brian Charlesworth
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: The Royal Society 2005
• Subjects: Biology; Multidisciplinary Sciences; cardiac scope; climate change; critical swimming speed; metabolism; plasticity; Trout Oncorhynchus-mykiss; Rainbow-trout; Seasonal Acclimatization; Evolutionary Physiology; Enzyme Expression; Muscle; Responses; Mitochondria; 270700 Ecology and Evolution; 780105 Biological sciences; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:75433

Specialization to a particular environment is one of the main factors used to explain species distributions. Antarctic fishes are often cited as a classic example to illustrate the specialization process and are regarded as the archetypal stenotherms. Here we show that the Antarctic fish Pagothenia borchgrevinki has retained the capacity to compensate for chronic temperature change. By displaying astounding plasticity in cardiovascular response and metabolic control, the fishes maintained locomotory performance at elevated temperatures. Our falsification of the specialization paradigm indicates that the effect of climate change on species distribution and extinction may be overestimated by current models of global warming.