THE INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE ON THE LIVES OF

FISH

Capture Fisheries A, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences,

Diponegoro University

Jl. Prof. H. Soedharto, SH, Tembalang Semarang. 50275 Tel / Fax (024) 7474698

Bagas Faliqul Amin

NIM: 26030118120011

Abstract

Temperature has a very important role in water condition. Its solubility of

various types of gas in water and all biological activities in the waters are strongly
influenced by temperature. Increasing the metabolic rate will cause oxygen need
increases, while on the other hand rising temperatures will cause oxygen solubility
in the water decreases. This phenomenon will cause water organisms difficult in
respiration. In addition, the effect of temperature can indirectly determine the
stratification of the mass of water. However, the stratification of the temperature in
water is determined by the weather conditions and the nature of each waters such
as the change of heating and stirring, the entry or discharge of water, the shape and
size of certain water.

Keywords : temperature, water condition, respiration.

Introduction

To live in a good condition, all living things need an adequate environment

and certain conditions. For humans and other living things, there are various kinds
of environmental factors that are owned to achieve an ideal environmental condition
for individual growth and development. One of the environmental factors that we
will discuss here is temperature. Temperature is one of the most influential
environmental factors because it comes from the sun, the largest energy source.

Temperature in aquatic ecosystems fluctuates either daily or yearly,

especially when it follows the temperature pattern of air ambient, intensity of
sunlight, geographical location, shade and internal conditions of the water such as
its turbidity, depth, current velocity and accumulation of organic matter in the
bottom of the water. Temperature has a very important role in water condition. Its
solubility of various types of gas in water and all biological activities in the waters
are strongly influenced by temperature. As it is known that increasing temperatures
to 10 ° C will increase the metabolic rate by 2 - 3 times. Increasing the metabolic
rate will cause oxygen need increases, while on the other hand rising temperatures
will cause oxygen solubility in the water decreases. This phenomenon will cause
water organisms difficult in respiration.

Underlying Theory

In the tropical aquatic ecosystems, temperature tends to be constant

throughout the year, in contrast to aquatic ecosystems in subtropical regions. This
is closely related to the season. The tropics, which is no winter, are no conditions
where the environment is at extreme low temperatures. As an observation made on
the Donan and Sapuregel rivers in Cilacap, there is no significant change in its
temperature throughout the year. Its water temperature ranges from 29–32 ° C
(Satino, 2001).
 One of the most important aspects of living things is their reproduction
ability. Reproduction on living things is a natural process in an effort to maintain
offspring and the existence of their species in the nature. There are two different
ways in living things to get offspring, namely sexual and asexual reproduction.
Sexual reproduction occurs because of the meeting of male gamete (sperm) with
female gamete (egg cells) in fertilization process, whereas in asexual reproduction,
offspring are formed without fertilization process (Kimball, 1994).

Discussion

Temperature is one of the physical properties of seawater that can affect

the metabolism and growth of aquatic organisms, in addition, the temperature
greatly affects the amount of oxygen that can dissolve in the water. Temperature is
the easiest oceanographic parameter to learn. Some research results indicate that
fish are really sensitive to temperature changes, although the value is very small
(<0.1 ° C), for example telestoi fish respond in the temperature changes of 0.03° C.
According to Sverdrup et al. (1942) cited by Inrawatit (2000), temperature is an
important parameter in the marine environment and has a direct or indirect effect in
marine livelihood. The direct effect of temperature on sea livelihood is in terms of
photosynthesis rates of plants and animal physiology processes, especially
metabolic activity and reproductive cycle. However, the indirect effect of
temperature causes the solubility of oxygen used for respiration of marine life. If
the temperature rises, the solubility of oxygen decreases. In contrast, it can cause
the content of carbon dioxide increases.

The effect of temperature can indirectly determine the stratification of the

mass of water. However, the stratification of the temperature in water is determined
by the weather conditions and the nature of each waters such as the change of
heating and stirring, the entry or discharge of water, the shape and size of certain
water. According to Nybakken (1988), almost all marine biota term is
poikilothermic (body temperature were influenced by the environment) so that
temperature is one of the very important factors in regulating life processes and the
spread of organisms. As what Nybakken said that most marine organisms are
poikilothermic (body temperature is strongly influenced by the temperature of the
mass of the surrounding water), the pattern of the spread of marine organisms
greatly follows the difference in ocean temperature geographically. Based on the
spread of sea surface temperature and the spread of the organism as a whole, it can
be divided into 4 main bio-geographic zones, namely: polar, tropic, temperate, cold
temperate.

Conclusion

Temperature is a parameter of water quality that determines survival of

marine living things. Both in the growth process and in the reproduction process
can enlarge the population rates. If a cultivator will set a farm, one of the important
aspects to do is controlling the amount of temperature in the farm that will be made,
in purpose to make the aquaculture business to be appropriate with a temperature
tolerance of aquatic living things to be cultivated.

References

Kimball, John W.1994. Biologi. Erlangga:Jakarta.

Nybakken,, J. W. 1988. Biologi Laut. Suatu Pendekatan Ekologis. Gramedia:

Jakarta.

Satino. 2011. Materi Kuliah Limnologi. FMIPA UNY: Yogyakarta.

Sverdrup, H.U. 1942. Oceanography for Meteorologists. Prentice Hall: New

York.