Comparison of behavioral and physiological–biochemical indices in fingerlings of roach Rutilus rutilus (L.) from the Ild River and Ild Bay in the Rybinsk Reservoir

Abstract

It is found that the size–mass, physiological–biochemical, and behavioral parameters in roach fingerlings from the upper and lower (mouth) reaches of the Ild River differed during the autumn season. Compared with the roach from the upper reach of the river, the fingerlings of the same age from the mouth part have larger lengths and weights and a higher concentration of cations in the body. In experiments, the fish from the mouth part selected a lower (~4°C) temperature and showed a lower resistance to the water flow. The reason for differences in behavioral responses in two groups of juveniles of roach is probably, on the one hand, their physiological and biochemical characteristics and, on the other hand, the motivational component of fish behavior in different environments—hydrological, thermal, and hydrochemical conditions and different food items in geographically remote parts of the same river. It is assumed that in autumn roach fingerlings migrate from the littoral of the mouth part of the river into deeper parts under a decrease in water temperature before the downstream migration of the fingerlings in the rivers. This is probably due to the earlier achievement of the migration status of fingerlings from the mouth part than that in fish from the upper reach of the river and due to the peculiarities of their physiological state. Negative rheoreaction, manifested in the experiment in ~80% of the fish from the bay of the reservoir and ~55% of the fish from river, confirms the fish readiness to migrate and is likely due to the behavioral mechanism of fish migration from the littoral and downstream the river.