Meeting Abstract
Wild animals achieve fitness through certain behaviours (i.e., foraging, mating, predator avoidance) that often require high levels of locomotor activity. The ability of animals to achieve fitness may therefore be related to their physiological capacity for exercise relative to the energetic constraints imposed by ecological factors such as temperature, predators, or landscape characteristics. Here, through a series of case studies, we explore how ecological factors and physiological limitations influence teleost fish exercise and energetics in relation to fitness related activities. In marine environments, bonefish activity levels on foraging grounds are influenced by water temperature and peak at temperatures consistent with their metabolic optimum. The ability of Pacific salmon to successfully pass areas of challenging water flows is constrained by their physiological capacity for exercise; this may be a major limiting factor in whether individuals reach spawning grounds. Smallmouth bass allocate a significant amount of energy into nest-guarding behaviours to protect their developing brood, and their ability to successfully produce viable offspring is influenced by their body size and physiological state. These case studies on diverse fish taxa highlight the important role of exercise in achieving fitness, while also demonstrating how ecological factors impose energetic constraints on animals that shape physiological and behavioural characteristics. Here we outline a number of approaches to studying exercise in wild fish using biologging and biotelemetry platforms, and also consider some current methodological limitations and future research directions.
