Does body and fin form affect the maneuverability of fish traversing vertical and horizontal slits?

The purpose of this study was to determine if body and fin form affected the maneuverability of teleostean fishes as measured by their ability to negotiate simple obstacles. Obstacles were vertical and horizontal rectangular slits of different widths, for which width was defined as the minimum dimension of a slit irrespective of slit orientation. Performance was measured as the smallest slit width traversed. Three species with different body and fin patterns were induced to swim through slits. Species tested were; goldfish Carassius auratus with a fusiform body, anterio-ventral pectoral fins and posterio-ventral pelvic fins; silver dollars Metynnis hypsauchen with the same fin configurations but a gibbose body; angelfish Pterophyllum scalare with a gibbose body and anterio-lateral pectoral fins. Minimum slit widths negotiated were normalized with the length of various body dimensions: total length, maximum width, span at the pectoral fins, and volume 1/3 (numerically equal to mass 1/3 ). Goldfish had the poorest performance, requiring the largest slit widths relative to these body dimensions. No consistent patterns in performance were found for silver dollars vs. angelfish. There were no differences among species in the ratio of minimum vertical slit width negotiated to that for horizontal slits, indicating fish were equally able to control posture while swimming on their sides. There were also no consistent patterns in the times taken to transit slits. Although the deep-bodied fish were able to maneuver through smaller slits, the most striking result is the similarity of minimum slit widths traversed in spite of the large variation in body form. Body form and fin plan may be more important for maneuvering and posture control during sub-maximum routine activities.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/42638/1/10641_2004_Article_BF00001692.pd

Response of periphyton to nutrient-enriched UMBS Stream Facility effluent and nutrient-diffusing substrates in the East Branch, Maple River.

Periphytic algae were allowed to colonize nutrient-diffusing substrates in sites upstream and downstream from the nutrient-enriched effluent of the UMBS Streams Facility for two weeks. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and a 15 N:1P combination were supplied to the periphyton via the substrates. After removal from the substrates it was analyzed for AFDM and dominant taxa. No significant differences were detected among nutrient treatments at both sites and between the sites. The only significant difference was between the two sites when log-transformed AFDM data were used. The results did not indicate any differences due to nutrient-enriched facility effluent at the downstream site. The variations in AFDM biomass and dominant taxa may have been due to light availability or invertebrates colonizing the substrates.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/54460/1/2898.pdfDescription of 2898.pdf : Access restricted to on-site users at the U-M Biological Station

The effects of fin and body morphology on the maneuvering ability of fish

Master of ScienceNatural Resources and EnvironmentUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/114591/1/39015038121144.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/114591/2/39015038121144.pd

Effects of current and distance from headwaters on shell size of the snail Physella gyrina.

The effect of current and distance from the headwaters of a stream on the obesity of snail shells was studied by comparing the size index of snails in the Maple River system of Emmet County, Michigan. Physella gyrina was collected from four different locations. Two sites were on the main branch of the Maple River at Maple River Road and Brutus Road, one site was on the west branch at Robinson Road, and one site was on the east branch at Douglas Lake Road. The shell obesity index was calculated by dividing the width of the shell at its widest diameter by the length (Goodrich 1937). The expected results were that shell obesity would increase in a downstream direction and would increase with velocity. The only significant results from this study was that the shell obesity decreased between two sites and this correlated with increasing current velocity, which did not support the expected results. The results of this study were inconclusive because only small numbers of snails were available from areas with measurable currents and because the stretch of river studied was relatively short. Goodrich's 1937 study involved hundreds of snails collected from the entire Alabama River system, and it would seem that only by testing snails from measurable currents in a large river system that one could draw any conclusions about the relationship of current, shell size, and postion in the length of the river.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/54290/1/2726.pdfDescription of 2726.pdf : Access restricted to on-site users at the U-M Biological Station

South Fishtail Bay Douglas Lake.

South Fishtail Bay of Douglas Lake, Cheboygan County, Michigan was sampled for evaluation on June 30, 1993 as part of the Limnology class Comparative Lake Survey. Dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, and conductivity profiles were constructed for the limnetic zone. Water from the epilimnion, metalimnion, and hypolimnion was evaluated for hardness, alkalinity, ammonia, nitrate, silica, phosphorus, and heavy metals. A light profile was constructed for the limnetic zone and water samples in the upper, middle, and lower euphotic zone were analyzed for chlorophyll-a content. Vertical and horizontal plankton tows were made and phytoplankton and zooplankton communities were evaluated. In the littoral zone, macrophytes, invertebrates, and fish were collected for identification and community analysis. The results of this survey indicate that Douglas Lake is a meso-eutrophic lake.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/54411/1/2848.pdfDescription of 2848.pdf : Access restricted to on-site users at the U-M Biological Station