Design and Testing of a Mesocosm‐Scale Habitat for Culturing the Endangered Devils Hole Pupfish

Autor: Paul J. Barrett, Olin G. Feuerbacher, Scott A. Bonar
Rok vydání: 2016
Předmět:
Zdroj: North American Journal of Aquaculture. 78:259-269
ISSN: 1548-8454
1522-2055
DOI: 10.1080/15222055.2016.1159626
Popis: Captive propagation of desert spring fishes, whether for conservation or research, is often difficult, given the unique and often challenging environments these fish utilize in nature. High temperatures, low dissolved oxygen, minimal water flow, and highly variable lighting are some conditions a researcher might need to recreate to simulate their natural environments. Here we describe a mesocosm-scale habitat created to maintain hybrid Devils Hole × Ash Meadows Amargosa Pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis × C. nevadensis mionectes) under conditions similar to those found in Devils Hole, Nevada. This 13,000-L system utilized flow control and natural processes to maintain these conditions rather than utilizing complex and expensive automation. We designed a rotating solar collector to control natural sunlight, a biological reactor to consume oxygen while buffering water quality, and a reverse-daylight photosynthesis sump system to stabilize nighttime pH and swings in dissolved oxygen levels. This system su...
Databáze: OpenAIRE