Salinity Tolerance of Hemichromis letourneuxi

Publisher: USGS | Science Center: Florida Integrated Science Center (FISC, Gainesville) | Format: URL

fl.biology.usgs.gov — The African jewelfish (Hemichromis letourneuxi) has been established in canals surrounding the Miami area since the 1960s. With changes in water delivery to the park, the species has recently (2000) entered Everglades National Park and expanded its range westward through Big Cypress National Preserve. Simultaneously, African jewelfish from a More... The African jewelfish (Hemichromis letourneuxi) has been established in canals surrounding the Miami area since the 1960s. With changes in water delivery to the park, the species has recently (2000) entered Everglades National Park and expanded its range westward through Big Cypress National Preserve. Simultaneously, African jewelfish from a separate introduction along the southwestern Florida coast have moved both southeasterly into the western Big Cypress ecosystem and northward into the Caloosahatchee estuary. Before this study, the salinity tolerance of the species was unknown. We conducted an experiment to test the salinity tolerance of the species to assist in determining whether it could expand its range into brackish and/or saline waters. Less...