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Fishes: Distribution and biology in relation to changes

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Lake Chilwa

Part of the book series: Monographiae Biologicae ((MOBI,volume 35))

Abstract

Most fishes survive changes in their environment as adults, unlike zooplankton, and they must remain within the system, unlike insects and birds (Chapters 9 and 14). A peculiar exception is the little cyprinodont fish, Nothobranchius, of temporary tropical pools in Africa which is well known to go into a diapause phase during dryness, as a retarded embryo within the egg membrane (Wourms 1964). These general constraints have imposed a very wide tolerance of changes in temperature, salinity, alkalinity and turbidity on those very few species of fish which live in the open water of Lake Chilwa. The Chilwa streams and swamps, on the other hand, are inhabited by a diverse riverine fauna, some of which are well-adapted to swamps.

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© 1979 Dr. W. Junk bv Publishers, The Hague

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Furse, M.T., Kirk, R.C., Morgan, P.R., Tweddle, D. (1979). Fishes: Distribution and biology in relation to changes. In: Kalk, M., McLachlan, A.J., Howard-Williams, C. (eds) Lake Chilwa. Monographiae Biologicae, vol 35. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-9594-9_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-9594-9_11

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-009-9596-3

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