Developing a Bioenergetics Model for Brown Bullhead

A bioenergetics model for brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus) was constructed using laboratory derived data.  Temperature dependent measures of metabolism, growth and consumption were determined for a variety of sizes of fish (2.5g – 130.7g).  Metabolism, growth and consumption experiments were conducted at 10⁰C, 15⁰C, 20⁰C, 25⁰C, and 30⁰C.  For growth and consumption experiments, fish were housed in individual aquaria and fed ad libetum for one week.  Our results showed that brown bullhead have maximum consumption and growth rates between 20⁰C and 25⁰C.  As expected, metabolism measures increased with temperature from 10⁰C to 30⁰C.  This information was then combined with previously published data using the Fish Bioenergetics Software 3.0 (Hanson et al. 1997) to create the model.  This model will be useful because brown bullheads are often used as indicator species in bioaccumulation studies.  Many environmental pollutants are associated with the benthos and because bullheads live and feed in and on benthic materials they tend to bioaccumulate toxins quicker than fish living in the water column.  Combine this with their wide distribution and this model will allow researchers to better understand and predict the relationship between toxins in the environment and how they impact fish populations.