| Re: Do fish hibernate?
Hi V-W,
Fish don't hibernate in the way you might associate with certain mammals, but because they are cold-blooded, their activity is greatly governed by water temperature ... and of course availability of food.
In summer, fish will be seen more at the surface as they are feeding on insects and other invertibrates that land on the water surface ... or they may have to spend more time at the surface in certain bodies of water due to a decrease in the volume of dissolved oxygen (and may be seen air gulping).
In winter, with fewer insects around, and much lower temperatures (allowing higher oxygen levels in the water), fish will more commonly be found at greater depths, sifting through bottom detritus or just resting up and surviving on the bodily reserves they have built up earlier in the year. |