Velocidad de natación de un especialista en maniobra, Cichlasoma facetum (Jenyns) (Pisces, Cichlidae), en condiciones experimentales

Resumen

The swimming speed of Cichlasoma facetum was analyzed using 15 specimens of different sizes, with a total range of standard length (SL) between 31.4 and 93.0 mm. Experiments were carried out in a current tunnel under controlled laboratory conditions at a constant water velocity (V) of 6.47 cm s^-1 and temperature of 23.2 °C. The fatigue time (FT) varied between 43 and 722 min. The FT was correlated positively with the SL and weight (W). The nonlinear multiplicative regressions between SL-FT, and W-FT were calculated. In each experiment the relative swimming speed (RS) was considered as RS=V SL^{-1. A single scatterplot diagram (log y axis) of RS-FT showed that cruising speed is very low, smaller than 1 SL s-1}, and the maximum swimming speed may be estimated around 4.5 SL s^-1. Experimental values are very similar with previous field observations on the trophic and general behavior of this species. According to these data and its morphological features, C. facetum may be recognized like a maneuver specialist characterized by low cruising speeds in a structuraly complex habitat and with some acceleration capacity for capturing invertebrates and small fish.