Publication Date
2017
Document Type
Thesis
Committee Members
Lynn Hartzler, Ph.D. (Advisor); Yvonne Vadeboncoeur, Ph.D. (Committee Member); David Goldstein, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Abstract
Herbivorous fish living in Lake Tanganyika rely on algae as their main source of food and are constantly feeding on low quality (low energy) food. The lake is warming leading to fewer nutrient upwelling’s that are likely limiting the amount of energy available to fish. I calculated an energy budget to compare energy intake against energy expenditure of the African cichlid, Tropheus duboisi, by measuring metabolic rates at rest, while feeding, digesting and being aggressive as well as the caloric content of food, feces, and urine. Fish fed a low quality diet of algae contaminated with sediments had lower growth rates, but they had no significant differences in daily behaviors. As Lake Tanganyika warms I would expect fish living in the lake to have lower growth and reproduction rates. This could be detrimental to the fish populations, the ecosystems of which they are a crucial part, as well as for the many people depending on the lake for food.
Page Count
43
Department or Program
Department of Biological Sciences
Year Degree Awarded
2017
Copyright
Copyright 2017, all rights reserved. My ETD will be available under the "Fair Use" terms of copyright law.
