Fish are expected to shrink in size by 20 to 30 per cent if ocean temperatures continue to climb due to climate change. A new study provides a deeper explanation of why fish are expected to decline in size.
“Fish, as cold-blooded animals, cannot regulate their own body temperatures. When their waters get warmer, their metabolism accelerates and they need more oxygen to sustain their body functions,” said William Cheung, co-author of the study, Director of CORU. “There is a point where the gills cannot supply enough oxygen for a larger body, so the fish just stops growing larger.”