Skip to Main Content

Do sculpin exhibit torpor to offset low food periods?

Do sculpin (Cottus sp.) exhibit torpor to offset low food periods?

Project Details

  • Keywords: sculpin, torpor, survival
  • Student Investigator: 

    Annaliese Moll

  • Faculty Mentor: Keith Cox, Ph.D.

Abstract

Many organisms struggle during periods of low food availability. In order to survive they down regulate their metabolic rate and go into a hibernation state. However, for non-mammals this state is referred to as torpor. The objective of this project is to conduct record of the metabolic rate of sculpin (Cottus sp.) experiencing torpor within a lab setting. This project is important as little work has been done in this field and may provide clues into over winter survival, compensatory growth, and pulsed feeding regimes.