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Survival in an extreme habitat: the roles of behaviour and energy limitation

Plath, Martin ; Tobler, Michael ; Riesch, Rüdiger ; García de León, Francisco ; Giere, Olav ; Schlupp, Ingo

In: Naturwissenschaften, 2007, vol. 94, no. 12, p. 991-996

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    Titel
    • Survival in an extreme habitat: the roles of behaviour and energy limitation
    Autor
    • Plath, Martin. Unit of Evolutionary Biology and Systematic Zoology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
    • Tobler, Michael. Universität Zürich, Zoologisches Institut, Winterthurerstr. 190, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland
    • Riesch, Rüdiger. University of Hamburg, Biozentrum Grindel, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
    • García de León, Francisco. Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S.C., Mar Bermejo No. 195, Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita, A.P. 128, La Paz, 23090, Baja California Sur, México
    • Giere, Olav. University of Hamburg, Biozentrum Grindel, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
    • Schlupp, Ingo. University of Hamburg, Biozentrum Grindel, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
    Dokumententyp
    • Postprint
    Sprache
    • Englisch
    Veröffentlicht in
    • Naturwissenschaften, 2007, vol. 94, no. 12, p. 991-996. Springer-Verlag
    Andere elektronische Ausgabe
    OAI-PMH-ID
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:318861
    Summary
    Extreme habitats challenge animals with highly adverse conditions, like extreme temperatures or toxic substances. In this paper, we report of a fish (Poecilia mexicana) inhabiting a limestone cave in Mexico. Several springs inside the cave are rich in toxic H2S. We demonstrate that a behavioural adaptation, aquatic surface respiration (ASR), allows for the survival of P. mexicana in this extreme, sulphidic habitat. Without the possibility to perform ASR, the survival rate of P. mexicana was low even at comparatively low H2S concentrations. Furthermore, we show that food limitation affects the survival of P. mexicana pointing to energetically costly physiological adaptations to detoxify H2S