Dissertation Research: Evolution and Costs & Rapid Growth in Sunfish

9423718威尔逊快速生长对动物是有利的，因为体型大在与其他动物竞争、繁殖和躲避捕食者方面具有优势。家畜快速增长的实际好处在乳制品、鸡蛋和肉类生产方面是显而易见的。尽管如此，在自然环境中，很少有生物像它们的能力那样快速生长，这表明这是有负面影响的。尽管快速增长的积极影响是众所周知的，但对其负面影响几乎一无所知。这项研究将研究一种常见的运动鱼--南瓜籽太阳鱼(Lepomis GibBosus)快速生长的好处和可能对生长速度的限制。一些群体的南瓜籽表现出快速的幼体生长速度，以响应与蓝鳍太阳鱼(L.macchirus)的竞争。来自这些种群的鱼将与没有蓝鳍金枪鱼竞争对手的湖泊中的鱼进行比较(已知生长更慢)，以确定快速生长对以下各项产生了什么影响：a)获取食物的冒险行为；b)减缓或损害骨骼发育；c)为生命的第一个冬季储存脂肪的能力降低；以及d)对细菌和寄生虫感染的免疫反应减弱。

9423718 WILSON Rapid growth is beneficial to animals because large size gives advantages in competing with other animals, reproduction, and avoiding predators. The practical benefits of rapid growth in domestic animals is obvious in terms of dairy, egg, and meat production. Nonetheless, few organisms in their natural environment grow as fast as they are capable, suggesting there are negative effects. Although the positive effects of rapid growth are very well known, almost nothing is known about the negative effects. This study will examine the benefits of rapid growth and possible constraints on growth rate in a common sport fish, the pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus). Some populations of pumpkinseed show a rapid juvenile growth rate in response to competition with bluegill sunfish (L. macrochirus). Fish from these populations will be compared with fish from lakes without bluegill competitors (and known to grow more slowly) to determine what effects rapid growth has had on: a) risk-taking to obtain food, b) slowed or compromised skeletal development, c) decreased ability to store lipids for the first winter of life, and d) decreased immune response to both bacterial and parasitic infection.