Saddleback Journal of Biology - Saddleback College

Fall 2009 Biology 3B Paper
140
120
100
80
Time (Minutes)
60
40
20
0
0 10 20 30 40
Temperature (C)
Figure 1: Displays the time vs. the temperature. The blue circles represent the tilapia and the salmon is represented
by the red squares. The ones at the base are samples that after 180 minutes had still not begun to undergo
oxidation-reduction. SP and TP are pointes representing Jarema’s (2009) research at 37 o .
100
80
60
40
20
0
Tilapia
1
Salmon
Figure 2: The mean times of each species of fish to metabolize. Mean combined times of tilapia and salmon
measuring the SDH activity within the samples. Mean salmon time 69.8 ± 8.7 minutes, n=6, mean tilapia time 37.2 ±
5.7 minutes, n=6. There is no significant difference in the time it took for the methylene blue indicator to separate
from the samples (p=0.165212546, two-tailed unpaired t-test).
Discussion
Due to the high thermal conductivity of water
and the rapid loss of heat across gills during gas
exchange, Endothermy is only found in limited tissues
and organs of 27 species. Since the muscle in both
tilapia and salmon is located superficially where there
is unpreventable heat loss, tilapia and salmon remain
ectothermal fish. Being ectothermal however, means
that they are dependent upon the water temperatures
they are occupying to be high or low enough for them
to under go aerobic metabolism effectively enough
where they gain more heat then is lost.
149
Saddleback Journal of Biology
Spring 2010