Effects of Biological Characteristics and Environmental Factors on Swimming Performance of Endemic Fish in Southwest China
Swimming is crucial to fish survival and reproduction, and is usually influenced by species, morphology, habitat environment and physiological condition. Understanding the changes in fish swimming ability and identifying the driving factors behind these changes is vital. In this study, seven endemic...
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2025-06-01
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| author | Jianing Rao Zhiguang Zhang Yuanming Wang Qi Wei Guoqing Chen Xintong Li Ruifeng Liang Kefeng Li |
| author_facet | Jianing Rao Zhiguang Zhang Yuanming Wang Qi Wei Guoqing Chen Xintong Li Ruifeng Liang Kefeng Li |
| author_sort | Jianing Rao |
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| description | Swimming is crucial to fish survival and reproduction, and is usually influenced by species, morphology, habitat environment and physiological condition. Understanding the changes in fish swimming ability and identifying the driving factors behind these changes is vital. In this study, seven endemic fish species from the Qingshui River, an important tributary of the upper Pearl River in Southwest China, were used to explore the effects of biological and environmental factors on fish swimming ability. The results indicated that the body length parameters had a minimal effect on the induced swimming speed (U<sub>ind</sub>) but played a positive role in critical and burst swimming ability (U<sub>crit</sub> and U<sub>burst</sub>). Weight (W) and W/SL (the ratio of weight to standard body length) correlated more highly with swimming ability than body length parameters. Fish preferring the lotic environment exhibited higher U<sub>crit</sub> and U<sub>burst</sub>, and fish with a streamlined morphology had a smaller U<sub>ind</sub>. The U<sub>ind</sub>, U<sub>ind</sub>/SL, U<sub>ind</sub>/W and U<sub>ind</sub>/(W/SL) of <i>Discogobio yunnanensis</i> (Regan, 1907) and <i>Pseudocrossocheilus tridentis</i> (Cui & Chu, 1986) were significantly higher during the spawning period. <i>Acrossocheilus yunnanensis</i> (Regan, 1904) performed better during the spawning period in U<sub>crit</sub> and U<sub>crit</sub>/SL. The U<sub>burst</sub> of fish during the spawning period was smaller than that during the non-spawning period. Generally, the species difference had the greatest contribution to the swimming ability difference, followed by environmental conditions and fish morphology. |
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| spelling | doaj-art-179330b935aa44ebb8a9d36c5f690d422025-08-20T02:24:34ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152025-06-011512181910.3390/ani15121819Effects of Biological Characteristics and Environmental Factors on Swimming Performance of Endemic Fish in Southwest ChinaJianing Rao0Zhiguang Zhang1Yuanming Wang2Qi Wei3Guoqing Chen4Xintong Li5Ruifeng Liang6Kefeng Li7State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, ChinaBeijing Engineering Corporation Limited, Power Construction Corporation of China, Beijing 100024, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, ChinaSichuan Water Development Investigation, Design & Research Co., Ltd., Chengdu 610072, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, ChinaSwimming is crucial to fish survival and reproduction, and is usually influenced by species, morphology, habitat environment and physiological condition. Understanding the changes in fish swimming ability and identifying the driving factors behind these changes is vital. In this study, seven endemic fish species from the Qingshui River, an important tributary of the upper Pearl River in Southwest China, were used to explore the effects of biological and environmental factors on fish swimming ability. The results indicated that the body length parameters had a minimal effect on the induced swimming speed (U<sub>ind</sub>) but played a positive role in critical and burst swimming ability (U<sub>crit</sub> and U<sub>burst</sub>). Weight (W) and W/SL (the ratio of weight to standard body length) correlated more highly with swimming ability than body length parameters. Fish preferring the lotic environment exhibited higher U<sub>crit</sub> and U<sub>burst</sub>, and fish with a streamlined morphology had a smaller U<sub>ind</sub>. The U<sub>ind</sub>, U<sub>ind</sub>/SL, U<sub>ind</sub>/W and U<sub>ind</sub>/(W/SL) of <i>Discogobio yunnanensis</i> (Regan, 1907) and <i>Pseudocrossocheilus tridentis</i> (Cui & Chu, 1986) were significantly higher during the spawning period. <i>Acrossocheilus yunnanensis</i> (Regan, 1904) performed better during the spawning period in U<sub>crit</sub> and U<sub>crit</sub>/SL. The U<sub>burst</sub> of fish during the spawning period was smaller than that during the non-spawning period. Generally, the species difference had the greatest contribution to the swimming ability difference, followed by environmental conditions and fish morphology.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/12/1819biological characteristicsendemic fishenvironmental factorsswimming performancedriving factors |
| spellingShingle | Jianing Rao Zhiguang Zhang Yuanming Wang Qi Wei Guoqing Chen Xintong Li Ruifeng Liang Kefeng Li Effects of Biological Characteristics and Environmental Factors on Swimming Performance of Endemic Fish in Southwest China Animals biological characteristics endemic fish environmental factors swimming performance driving factors |
| title | Effects of Biological Characteristics and Environmental Factors on Swimming Performance of Endemic Fish in Southwest China |
| title_full | Effects of Biological Characteristics and Environmental Factors on Swimming Performance of Endemic Fish in Southwest China |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Biological Characteristics and Environmental Factors on Swimming Performance of Endemic Fish in Southwest China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Biological Characteristics and Environmental Factors on Swimming Performance of Endemic Fish in Southwest China |
| title_short | Effects of Biological Characteristics and Environmental Factors on Swimming Performance of Endemic Fish in Southwest China |
| title_sort | effects of biological characteristics and environmental factors on swimming performance of endemic fish in southwest china |
| topic | biological characteristics endemic fish environmental factors swimming performance driving factors |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/12/1819 |
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