Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Swimming Performance Assessment in Fishes
Published on: May 20, 2011
Effect of acclimation temperature on routine metabolic rate in triploid salmonids
Michelle E Atkins1, Tillmann J Benfey
1Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, P.O. Box 4400, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada E3B 5A3.
Abstract:
The objective of this research was to determine whether triploid fish differ from diploids in their routine metabolic rates across a range of acclimation temperatures. Sibling diploids and triploids were acclimated to 12, 15 and 18 degrees C (Atlantic salmon; Salmo salar) and to 9, 12 and 15 degrees C (brook charr; Salvelinus fontinalis) prior to experimentation. Routine metabolic rates were then determined three times over a two-month period. Triploids of both species had higher metabolic rates than diploids at lower temperatures, and lower metabolic rates than diploids at higher temperatures, demonstrating that triploids have different (i.e., lower) thermal optima than diploids. This likely explains prior observations of high mortality of triploids at chronically elevated, but sub-lethal, rearing temperatures for sibling diploids.
Related Concept Videos
Derivatives: Problem Solving
Testing a Claim about Mean: Known Population SD
Estimating a population mean requires the samples to be distributed normally. The data should be collected from the randomly selected samples having no sampling bias. The sample size needed to be higher than 30, and most importantly, the population standard deviation should be already known.
In most realistic situations, the population standard deviation is often unknown, but in rare circumstances, when it...
Background and Environment Affect Phenotype
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
Positive and Negative Feedback Loops

