Comparison of larval thermal maxima between Fundulus heteroclitus and F. grandis

Abstract

Fundulus heteroclitus and F. grandis are resident salt marsh fishes that overlap in distribution over a narrow range in northeastern Florida. The objective of the present study was to examine whether the limits of the species' ranges could be explained by differences in thermal tolerance. Two populations of each species were collected and then spawned in the laboratory, and 9-day-old larvae were used for critical thermal maxima trials. Mean LOE temperatures of larvae ranged from 43.04 to 43.65 degrees C and showed little difference between species. Therefore, differences in high temperatures experienced cannot account for the differences of the distributions of the two species. Condition-specific competition may play a greater role in determining the observed range of the two species.