Salinity and Thermal Tolerance of an Invasive and Native Fish to Inform Management Priorities

Salinity and Thermal Tolerance of an Invasive and Native Fish to Inform Management Priorities | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 8 July 2025 V1 Latest version Share on Salinity and Thermal Tolerance of an Invasive and Native Fish to Inform Management Priorities Authors : Samuel T. Lewis 0000-0002-9687-2668 [email protected] , Pete Cadmus , Jonathan D. Salerno , and Yoichiro Kanno 0000-0001-8452-5100 Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175196171.16774032/v1 219 views 125 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Aquatic invasive species are a major cause of global biodiversity loss. A leading hypothesis posits that invasive species tolerate wide ranges of abiotic conditions, thereby enabling them to displace native species in disturbed habitats. We investigated salinity and temperature tolerances of the invasive western mosquitofish ( Gambusia affinis ) and the native plains topminnow ( Fundulus sciadicus ) to inform management priorities. We conducted a 30-day laboratory experiment subjecting individually caged fish to six salinity concentrations (0-2400 mg/L), matching the range found in the South Platte River, Colorado, USA, where both species occur longitudinally with the native plains topminnow upstream and the invasive mosquitofish downstream. Survival was monitored daily, and critical thermal maxima were assessed on days 4, 10, and 30 to determine the effects of acute and chronic salinity exposure on thermal tolerance. Both species exhibited high 30-day survivability (> 95%) across all salinity concentrations, showing that the salinity range in their current habitat does not pose lethal effects. Western mosquitofish had a significantly higher critical thermal maxima (35 °C) than plains topminnow (32.5 °C). Critical thermal maxima decreased significantly over time, and it differed by salinity concentration but in only a single pair of concentration levels, showing limited sub-lethal effects of salinity. These results partially support the hypothesis of invasive species’ wider physiological tolerances. Our study suggests intensive water reuse elevating salinity may not directly threaten the native fish in this arid region, and the basin-scale longitudinal distribution pattern of the two species is more plausibly explained by their thermal tolerances. Supplementary Material File (toxpaper_submitted.docx) Download 567.42 KB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 08 July 2025 Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Keywords ecotoxicology plains ecosystems river management species coexistence water quality Authors Affiliations Samuel T. Lewis 0000-0002-9687-2668 [email protected] Colorado State University Warner College of Natural Resources View all articles by this author Pete Cadmus Colorado Parks and Wildlife Fort Collins Area Office View all articles by this author Jonathan D. Salerno Colorado State University Warner College of Natural Resources View all articles by this author Yoichiro Kanno 0000-0001-8452-5100 Colorado State University Warner College of Natural Resources View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 219 views 125 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Samuel T. Lewis, Pete Cadmus, Jonathan D. Salerno, et al. Salinity and Thermal Tolerance of an Invasive and Native Fish to Inform Management Priorities. Authorea . 08 July 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175196171.16774032/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . 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