Surfacing behavior and gas release of the physostome sprat (Sprattus sprattus) in ice-free and ice-covered waters
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ArticleAuthors
Solberg, IngridKaartvedt, Stein

KAUST Department
Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) DivisionMarine Science Program
Red Sea Research Center (RSRC)
Date
2013-10-04Online Publication Date
2013-10-04Print Publication Date
2014-02Permanent link to this record
http://hdl.handle.net/10754/325236
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Upward-facing echosounders that provided continuous, long-term measurements were applied to address the surfacing behavior and gas release of the physostome sprat (Sprattus sprattus) throughout an entire winter in a 150-m-deep Norwegian fjord. During ice-free conditions, the sprat surfaced and released gas bubbles at night with an estimated surfacing rate of 3.5 times per fish day-1. The vertical swimming speeds during surfacing were considerably higher (~10 times) than during diel vertical migrations, especially when returning from the surface, and particularly when the fjord was not ice covered. The sprat released gas a few hours after surfacing, suggesting that the sprat gulped atmospheric air during its excursions to the surface. While the surface activity increased after the fjord became ice covered, the records of gas release decreased sharply. The under-ice fish then displayed a behavior interpreted as "searching for the surface" by repeatedly ascending toward the ice, apparently with limited success of filling the swim bladder. This interpretation was supported by lower acoustic target strength in ice-covered waters. The frequent surfacing behavior demonstrated in this study indicates that gulping of atmospheric air is an important element in the life of sprat. While at least part of the population endured overwintering in the ice-covered habitat, ice covering may constrain those physostome fishes that lack a gas-generating gland in ways that remain to be established. 2013 The Author(s).Citation
Solberg I, Kaartvedt S (2013) Surfacing behavior and gas release of the physostome sprat (Sprattus sprattus) in ice-free and ice-covered waters. Marine Biology 161: 285-296. doi:10.1007/s00227-013-2334-1.Publisher
Springer NatureJournal
Marine BiologyPubMed ID
24489410PubMed Central ID
PMC3901932ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1007/s00227-013-2334-1
Scopus Count
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