TY - JOUR
T1 - The importance of upwelling conditions as drivers of feeding behavior and thermal tolerance in a prominent intertidal fish
AU - Fernández, Melissa
AU - Duarte, Cristian
AU - Aldana, Marcela
AU - Delgado-Rioseco, Joaquín
AU - Blanco-Herrera, Francisca
AU - Varas, Oscar
AU - Quijón, Pedro A.
AU - Quintanilla-Ahumada, Diego
AU - García-Huidobro, M. Roberto
AU - Pulgar, José
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2025/2
Y1 - 2025/2
N2 - Upwelling, as a large oceanographic phenomenon, increases coastal productivity and influences all levels of biological complexity. Despite decades of research on it, much remains to be understood about the impact of upwelling on the feeding behavior and thermal tolerance of important groups such as fish. Hence, our aim was to investigate how upwelling conditions modify the feeding behavior and thermal tolerance of a prominent intertidal fish, Girella laevifrons. We collected purple mussels (Perumytilus purpuratus) from upwelling (U) and downwelling sites (DU) in central Chile, and used them as prey in feeding trials and measuring the concentration of organic matter and proteins in their tissues. We assessed fish consumption rates and growth in fish collected from the same U and DU sites, feeding on either U or DU mussels. Lastly, we assessed the thermal tolerance of U and DU fish fed with the aforementioned U vs DU mussels. We found that U mussels held higher concentrations of organic matter and proteins compared to their DU counterparts. U mussels were also selected and consumed in larger amounts than DU mussels, although the origin of the fish also influenced consumption rates. Thermal tolerance assays revealed that U fish exhibited higher maximum performance (Max.pf) and critical thermal maxima (Ctmax) and lower sensitivity to temperature changes (as measured by Q10), compared to DU fish. Altogether, these results point to a strong influence of upwelling on the quality of organisms’ tissues, indirectly altering key aspects of fish feeding behavior and thermal tolerance. These findings also contribute to understanding the physiological adjustments organisms make in productive upwelling systems, and how they may change in the future with ongoing climate events.
AB - Upwelling, as a large oceanographic phenomenon, increases coastal productivity and influences all levels of biological complexity. Despite decades of research on it, much remains to be understood about the impact of upwelling on the feeding behavior and thermal tolerance of important groups such as fish. Hence, our aim was to investigate how upwelling conditions modify the feeding behavior and thermal tolerance of a prominent intertidal fish, Girella laevifrons. We collected purple mussels (Perumytilus purpuratus) from upwelling (U) and downwelling sites (DU) in central Chile, and used them as prey in feeding trials and measuring the concentration of organic matter and proteins in their tissues. We assessed fish consumption rates and growth in fish collected from the same U and DU sites, feeding on either U or DU mussels. Lastly, we assessed the thermal tolerance of U and DU fish fed with the aforementioned U vs DU mussels. We found that U mussels held higher concentrations of organic matter and proteins compared to their DU counterparts. U mussels were also selected and consumed in larger amounts than DU mussels, although the origin of the fish also influenced consumption rates. Thermal tolerance assays revealed that U fish exhibited higher maximum performance (Max.pf) and critical thermal maxima (Ctmax) and lower sensitivity to temperature changes (as measured by Q10), compared to DU fish. Altogether, these results point to a strong influence of upwelling on the quality of organisms’ tissues, indirectly altering key aspects of fish feeding behavior and thermal tolerance. These findings also contribute to understanding the physiological adjustments organisms make in productive upwelling systems, and how they may change in the future with ongoing climate events.
KW - Feeding behavior
KW - Intertidal fish
KW - Thermal tolerance
KW - Upwelling
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85211037475&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106896
DO - 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106896
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85211037475
SN - 0141-1136
VL - 204
JO - Marine Environmental Research
JF - Marine Environmental Research
M1 - 106896
ER -