Review Article Open Access

Climatic Change Effects on Fish Physiology in Fresh Water Bodies: A Review

Abstract

Salinity fluctuations can severely impact fish physiology resulting from climate change, affecting their health and homeostasis. They have specific salinity ranges for optimal health in many aquatic organisms and can cause mortality in deviations from these ranges can impair immune function and reduce growth. Climate change effects on fish physiology in freshwater bodies are interactions between species due to loss of habitat, extinction of species, the transmission of parasites and pathogens between species and future modifications of the distribution which are changes in the structure and composition of the population. Climate change is causing considerable changes in the ambient conditions of freshwater ecosystems, which has far-reaching ramifications for fish physiology. As temperatures rise, changes in water quality, oxygen availability and seasonal cycles have an increasing impact on fish metabolic processes, growth, reproduction and survival.

This study looks into how freshwater fish species adapt to these environmental stresses, with a specific emphasis on temperature-induced thermal stress, altered oxygen dynamics and the combined impacts of habitat fragmentation. We investigate fish's molecular and physiological adaptations, studying changes in metabolic rates, immunological function and reproductive timing in response to varying water temperatures, hypoxia and altered hydrological regimes. In addition, we consider how these stressors interact with pollutants and invasive species, further complicating the physiological responses of native freshwater fish populations. This study aims to improve understanding of the mechanisms underlying fish resilience in climate change, providing valued insights for management and conservation strategies aimed at preserving freshwater biodiversity in a quickly varying world.

The Applied Ecology Journal has occasionally seen significant contributions from studies assessing the ecological relevance or extensions of eco-toxicological research and we anticipate more groundbreaking contributions in the future. It is astonishing that, in recent years, studies on fish management have made up less than 1% to 2% of the Journal of Applied Ecology's content, considering the significance of these topics. The objectives of this article are to determine climate change impacts on fish physiology in freshwater bodies, determine temperature changes and their impact on fish physiology, effect on growth and development, on fish physiology responses in freshwater bodies, reproductive changes, impacts on freshwater fish species and management and conservation strategies.

Iqra Nawaz, Shahid Mahmood*

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