Temperature Selection and Estimated Thermal Acclimation by Rainbow Trout (Salmo gairdneri) in a Thermal Plume

Abstract

Body temperatures of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) caught from a thermal discharge into Lake Michigan were used to determine selected temperatures and to estimate acclimation temperatures of this species under field conditions. Approximately 65–75% of the variability in body temperatures was related to water temperature (direct) and fish weight (inverse). Body temperatures increased with increases in discharge temperature, but the difference between body and ambient water temperatures decreased at high water temperatures. The modal body temperature of small fish was 19 °C, the final preferred temperature predicted for rainbow trout by some lab studies. The modal body temperature of large fish was 15 °C. Estimates of acclimation temperatures indicate that the majority of rainbow trout caught in this discharge area were acclimated to plume temperatures. Estimated acclimation temperatures exceeded ambient acclimation by as much as 10 °C for individual fish while group means ranged between 2 and 6 °C over ambient acclimation. Key words: temperature selection, acclimation, thermal plume, rainbow trout, Lake Michigan, body temperature, size effect