C H A P T E R
V I I
DESERT FISHES
James E. Deacon and W. L. Minckley
I. Introduction
385
II. Aquatic Environments of Deserts
387
A. Desert Rivers
387
B. Springs and Marshes
393
C. Lakes
398
III. General Ecology
400
A. Physical Factors
400
B. Chemical Conditions
420
IV. Biological Responses to Desert Water Conditions
433
A. Dispersion Relative to Environment
433
B. Modes of Reproduction and Development
454
C. Foods and Feeding
465
V. Addendum
470
References
470
. . . hear these springs
That spurt out everywhere with a chuckle
Each filling a private pool for its fish . . .
W. H. Auden. In Praise of Limestone
I. Introduction
Climatic deserts include many aquatic habitats where fishes and other
organisms persist and often thrive. Such habitats may be special in some
of their characteristics, or they may resemble lakes, streams, or springs
of temperate or tropical zones. Fishes in deserts are similarly heterogenous.
Some species are unique and isolated, while others range widely in complex
patterns dictated by past and present drainage connections and environmental conditions, and have highly variable morphologies and bodily functions. With the recent invasions of deserts by modern man, whole habitats
385