An hypoxia-tolerant flatfish: consequences of sustained stress on the slender sole Lyopsetta exilis (Pleuronectidae) in the context of a changing ocean.

ABSTRACT: Slender sole Lyopsetta exilis is an abundant groundfish on the continental shelf and inner waters of British Columbia, Canada, where it reaches a maximum standard length of 44 cm. Benthic image surveys coupled with oxygen measurements in Saanich Inlet document a dense population in bottom conditions near anoxia (0.03 ml l^-1 oxygen) where diel migrating zooplankton intersect the bottom; we confirm this species is a planktivore, which limits its depth range to the base of the migration layer. In a comparison with slender sole from a nearby well-oxygenated habitat, several probable effects of living in severe hypoxia emerge: both sexes are significantly smaller in Saanich and the sex ratio is male-skewed. Otoliths from the Saanich fish were difficult to read due to many checks, but

SUBMITTER: Tunnicliffe V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7028253 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature