Fortunately for fish, ice floats. When lakes, rivers and ocean water freezes, the ice floats on the water’s surface. | SaltWire
Fish and mammals adapt to whatever weather are thrown their way.TRURO, N.S. — Fortunately for fish, ice floats. When lakes, rivers and ocean water freezes, the ice floats on the water’s surface. The water below the ice, which shelters fish and other aquatic life, is a relatively balmy four degrees Celsius. Yet, we and most other mammals, would only live a few minutes in water at this temperature.
The downside of a slow metabolism is that it limits what fish can do. For instance, they are much slower moving and slower to escape danger. On the plus side, a reduced metabolic rate in cold water can be a blessing, because it reduces the energy required to maintain the body. This is an advantage when there is less food around, and therefore little energy to fuel their activities and to keep their bodies working smoothly.
Salmon, trout, pike and perch, on the other hand - as any ice fishermen will tell you - keep feeding throughout the cold season. These fish have evolved the ability to raise their body temperatures, in spite of the cold water, and this allows them to swim and to digest food. Of course, they have to keep feeding on whatever they can find to fuel their more active lifestyle and stay alive.
Although freshwater fish do not have as great a risk of freezing to death, they have to overcome another problem - it’s difficult to breathe. Fish, even though they live in the water, still need oxygen. Once winter arrives and lakes are covered with ice and snow, not much light gets through, so plants produce very little oxygen. Furthermore, the decay of dead plants and animals continues, which uses up oxygen.
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