Studies on the Biology of the Red Sea Bream Chrysophrys major. I. Temperature Tolerance

Abstract

The red sea bream C. major is a widely cultured marine teleost. Experiments were conducted to define its temperature tolerance characteristics, in an attempt to improve the management of the species. Upper and lower incipient lethal temperatures were estimated by exposing fish acclimated to different temperatures to a constant shock temperature for 48 h. Both upper and lower incipient lethals increased with elevation of acclimation temperature. The ultimate upper and lower lethal temperatures, which could not be further increased or decreased by acclimation, were 32.degree. and 5.5.degree. C, respectively. Construction of a temperature tolerance polygon from these data indicates a thermal tolerance of 527.8.degree. C2 for the red sea bream. These findings suggest problems for the culture of the species at high summer water temperatures.