Award Date

4-30-1998

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Environmental Science

Advisor 1

Dr. James E. Deacon

Number of Pages

65

Abstract

The inability to rear Devil's Hole pupfish, Cyprinodon diabolis Wales, in captivity, when captive propagation has been successful with other species of pupfish, led to the examination of environmental factors which are unique to Devil's Hole. It has been suggested that C. diabolis regularly experience developmental arrest due to hypoxic conditions. This arrest may be reversible in areas of the shallow shelf during periods of photosynthetic activity. Oxygen measurements over the shallow shelf reveal a gradient of oxygen variation with the greatest diel variability over the inner portion of the shelf diminishing to nearly imperceptible diel variation toward the outer portion. Larval density, with some variation due to other factors, in general appears to follow this gradient. Oxygen variation may therefore be a factor in successful reproduction. Variation in distribution of invertebrate populations suggests that the gradient of oxygen variation may also strongly influence their distribution and abundance in Devil's Hole.

Keywords

Devils Hole pupfish – Reproduction; Nevada – Devils hole; Water — Dissolved oxygen

Disciplines

Aquaculture and Fisheries | Environmental Sciences

File Format

pdf

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Download


Share

COinS