AUTHORS: Lucas Fischer, University of Wisconsin - Madison; Michio Fukushima, National Institute for Environmental Studies; Shin-Ichiro Matsuzaki, National Institute for Environmental Studies; Matthew Sloat, Wild Salmon Center; Olaf Jensen, University of Wisconsin - Madison
ABSTRACT: Sakhalin taimen are an endangered species of anadromous fish in northern Japan and eastern Russia. They can take over six years to reach sexual maturity and require cold oxygenated water to survive and reproduce. This requirement makes taimen vulnerable to warming temperatures in their native ecosystem. To understand this vulnerability better, we conducted respirometry trials on this and other salmonids in the Sarufutsu river basin to establish a basal metabolic rate for these fishes across a range of temperatures. With these measurements, we then compared it to other salmonids that live in the river system, namely white-spotted char and masu salmon. Understanding the aerobic scope of the different species allows us to understand the different temperatures that these fish are most competitive, as well as which species are going to be affected first by increasing water temperatures due to climate change. As water temperatures across the world increase, it is crucial to understand the range of temperatures this fish can tolerate and thrive in. Sakhalin taimen are a culturally significant fish in Hokkaido, and this research helps to provide scientific evidence of ways to conserve these fish for the future.
