Development of the Escape Response in Xyrauchen Texanus: Do Razorback Suckers have Poor Escape Performance?

逃避反应是一种反射性行为，可以让鱼快速游离捕食者。 这种行为被认为是特别重要的幼鱼，这是不断捕食其他鱼类和无脊椎动物。 事实上，人们认为，许多本地鱼类目前正在从科罗拉多河消失的主要原因是它们的幼虫被引进的鱼类吃掉了。 因此，逃避反应性能可能是至关重要的，在本地鱼类物种的持续生存。 本项目将研究一种本地鱼类-剃刀背吸盘鱼（Xyrauchen texanus）的幼体的逃避反应的发展。 此外，另一种鱼与底栖幼虫，虹鳟鱼（虹鳟鱼）的逃避反应性能，也将在发展过程中进行测量，并与剃刀吸盘的性能进行比较。 虹鳟鱼提供了一个有趣的生态比较与razorback吸盘有几个原因：（1）他们不是土生土长的科罗拉多河，但目前生活在那里大量，（2）他们的幼虫可以生存在栖息地与其他食肉鱼类，（3）他们被称为捕食年轻的razorback吸盘作为成年人。 对于这两个物种，将量化肌肉骨骼和神经系统的发育，以确定其对逃避反应性能的潜在贡献。 最后，两个实验温度将被用于本研究中，以评估最近的温度变化的作用，在科罗拉多河上的逃生反应性能，并允许直接比较这些研究中收集的数据与以前收集的数据为其他硬骨鱼。

The escape response is a reflexive behavior that allows fish to swim rapidly away from predators. This behavior is believed to be particularly important for larval fishes, which are contstantly preyed upon by other fish and invertebrates. In fact, it is thought that the main reason many species of native fish are currently disappearing from the Colorado River is that their larvae are consumed by introduced fish species. Thus, escape responses performance may be of critical importance in the continued survival of native fish species. This project will examine the development of the the escape response in the larvae of a native fish species, the razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus). In addition, escape response performance of another fish with benthic larvae, the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), will also be measured during development and compared to the performance of the razorback sucker. Rainbow trout provide an interesting ecological comparison with the razorback sucker for several reasons: (1) they are not native to the Colorado River, but currently live there in large numbers, (2) their larvae can survive in habitats with other predatory fishes, and (3) they are known to prey on young razorback suckers as adults. For both species, the development of the musculoskeletal and the nervous systems will be quantified to determine their potential contributions to escape response performance. Finally, two experimental temperatures will be used in this study to assess the role of recent temperature changes in the Colorado River on escape response performance, and to allow direct comparisons of the data colleted in these studies with data collected previously for other teleosts.