Critical thermal limits of Poecilia caucana (Steindachner, 1880) (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae)

Abstract

Although temperature has far-reaching effects on fish biology, the thermal tolerance ranges of most freshwater fish species are unknown. This lack of information precludes forecasting responses to climatic change and does not allow for comparative analyses that may inform evolutionary and biogeographic studies. We used the critical thermal methodology to quantify acclimation capacity and thermal tolerance in the Neotropical freshwater species Poecilia caucana. For fish acclimated to 20˚C, 25°C, and 28°C, critical thermal minima (CTmin) were 12.52 ± 0.62°C, 13.41 ± 0.56°C and 14.24 ± 0.43°C respectively, and critical thermal maxima (CTmax) were 38.43 ± 0.64°C, 40.28 ± 0.92°C and 41.57 ± 0.27°C, respectively. Both CTmin and CTmax changed with acclimation temperatures, indicating that P. caucana was effectively acclimatable. Relative to values reported for other freshwater fish species, the acclimation capacity of P. caucana for CTmin was low, but it was average for CTmax. The data, together with similar work in other species, can be used in analyses focusing on broad ecological and evolutionary questions.