HOOD, C.S.; MARTINEZ, M.A.; Loyola University, New Orleans; Loyola University, New Orleans: Swimming performance in the golden shiner, Notemigonus chrysoleucas

The study of the effects of body size and shape in fishes on their swimming performance has been an important research topic for nearly 100 years. This study is a first step towards establishing a research program on integrating swimming performance and evolution of life history traits in freshwater minnows of the SE US. Preliminary data on how body size and shape effect swimming performance was collected on the golden shiner, Notemigonus crysoleucas. Golden shiners were obtained from commercial dealer and maintained in aquaria following standard protocols. Swimming performance studies were performed using a Blazka et al. (1960) swim tunnel. Critical swimming speeds (U_crit), endurance, and swimming kinematics were measured using standard methods (see Swanson et al., 1998). Results were obtained for 28 fish, which ranged from 55 to 81 mm in standard length. There was a strong, positive relationship between body size and U_crit, with larger fish having higher critical swimming speeds and greater endurance. These results are consistent with those of Boyd & Parsons (1998) who studied swimming behavior in golden shiners in schooling.