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Thermal responses of three native fishes from estuarine areas of the Beagle Channel, and their implications for climate change

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Abstract

The aim of this work was to analyze the thermal responses of Odontesthes nigricans, Eleginops maclovinus and diadromous Galaxias maculatus, key species in estuarine areas of the Beagle Channel (Tierra del Fuego, Argentina), under a climate change scenario. We hypothesized that in the southernmost limit of the species’ distribution, individuals are more likely to be affected by indirect consequences of climate change rather than direct temperature mortality. Their thermal tolerance limits were assessed using the Critical Thermal Methodology and their preferred temperatures, using a thermal gradient. Additionally, the Fulton’s condition factor and the energy density of individuals were analyzed as a proxy of the condition of fishes acclimated to different temperatures. Results showed that species analyzed have the ability to acclimate to the different temperatures, intermediate to large tolerance polygons and positive relationships between preferred and acclimation temperatures, indicating their eurythermic nature. Thus, O. nigricans, E. maclovinus and diadromous G. maculatus populations from Tierra del Fuego could experience enhanced performances because of moderate warming being and, as it was hypothesized, be influenced by indirect consequences of climate change (habitat degradation or changes in trophic structure) since they are living in environments that are widely cooler than their maximum tolerance.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas for providing funding (Grant Numbers PIP 0321, PIP 0440, P-UE CADIC-CONICET 2016), D. Aureliano, S. Rimbau and M. Gutiérrez for their technical support and Frank Sola for his assistance with the English language of the manuscript. We also give special thanks to Dr. V. Cussac and three anonymous reviewers for their suggestions and comments on the manuscript.

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  1. Laboratorio de Ecología, Fisiología y Evolución de Organismos Acuáticos, Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC), CONICET, B. Houssay 200, V9410BFD, Ushuaia, Argentina

    María Eugenia Lattuca, Claudia Clementina Boy, Fabián Alberto Vanella, María Eugenia Barrantes & Daniel Alfredo Fernández

  2. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional (UTN), Pto. Moreno 1415, V9410KSS, Ushuaia, Argentina

    María Eugenia Lattuca & Fabián Alberto Vanella

  3. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego (UNTDF), Onas 450, V9410CTJ, Ushuaia, Argentina

    Daniel Alfredo Fernández

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  1. María Eugenia Lattuca
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  2. Claudia Clementina Boy
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  3. Fabián Alberto Vanella
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  4. María Eugenia Barrantes
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Correspondence to María Eugenia Lattuca.

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Lattuca, M.E., Boy, C.C., Vanella, F.A. et al. Thermal responses of three native fishes from estuarine areas of the Beagle Channel, and their implications for climate change. Hydrobiologia 808, 235–249 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-017-3424-8

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