When I decided to pursue my M.S. degree at Mississippi State University, I thought I would be focusing my thesis research on fisheries management. Specifically, I was recruited to work on introducing Speckled Peacock Bass Cichla temensis (hereafter SPB) into reservoirs in Puerto Rico and monitoring their impacts on fish communities. However, due to funding issues and the COVID pandemic, I was unable to conduct international research and could only resort to conducting research locally in Mississippi. This is when I discovered my interest and fascination for fish physiology.
Fish physiology involves understanding physiological processes that allow fishes to occupy the environments they inhabit. These processes include (but are not limited to) metabolism, energetics, morphology, respiration, buoyancy, nutrition, growth, locomotion, osmo/ionic regulation, reproduction, olfaction, and chemoreception. By studying these, we are capable of understanding the physiological responses of fishes to changing environments (e.g., climate change) and provide a more robust understanding of fish behavior.
For my thesis research, I conducted experiments on juvenile SPB to understand their growth, metabolic requirements, and hypoxia sensitivity in response to changing temperatures (I will discuss SPB in a future blog post). Conducting these experiments provided insights into the physiological requirements of this neotropical species that occupies high trophic levels. Additionally, I was able to assist fellow graduate students with other physiological studies, such as metabolic demands, hypoxia tolerance, and thermal tolerance of neotropical cichlids (Amphilophus spp. and Parachromis managuensis) and osmoregulatory capacity euryhaline fishes (Megalops atlanticus and Atractosteus spatula).
Fish physiology allows us to understand the underlying mechanisms of fish behavior. It allows us to understand the adaptations that allow fishes to occupy the habitats in their range. As a fish biologist in training, I personally think that fish physiology is among the most fascinating study areas. I am glad that I was exposed to it during graduate school, and I hope to be involved in fish physiology studies throughout my career.
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