Data supporting Water flow and temperature interact to determine oxidative status, swimming performance, and dispersal of mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki)

1. The health of running freshwater systems depends to a large extent on flow rates, which can co-vary with other environmental variables such as temperature. Water flow and temperature can influence oxidative status of individual animals, thereby impacting muscle function and locomotion. Consequently, ecologically important behaviours such as dispersal may be disrupted.

2. Our aim was to determine whether the interactions between acclimation to flowing water (three weeks at 0.06 ms-1 or still water), thermal acclimation (three weeks at 18 and 28oC), and acute test temperatures (18-32oC) determine oxidative status, locomotor performance and dispersal in mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki).

3. We show that swimming capacity was greater in fish living in flowing water compared to those in still water, and that this difference was greater in warm acclimated fish. However, dispersal was not dependent on maximal locomotor capacities. Fish initiated dispersal to a greater extent when accl...