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March 10, 2004
Water Temperature and Fish Color
The Effect of Water Temperature on the Color of Fish
Bobby Fisher, 10, Laguna Niguel, Calif.
Finalist, Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge, 2003
Project background: Bobby's father and grandfather are aquarium keepers, and Bobby noticed that the colors of the aquarium fish that originated in warmer waters were more vibrant than those living near his home in the cooler waters of Monterey Bay. He wanted to test whether water temperature alone could influence the color of fish.
Tactics and results: Bobby set up two identical fish tanks. In the control tank, the water temperature was set at 70°F. The test tank was set at 80°F. He populated each tank with the same combination of healthy guppies, choosing guppies because they can live in a wide range of water temperatures. After just a few days, he began to notice that the guppies in the warmer tank were "exhibiting significantly brighter colors" than those in the cooler waters.
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| V. Miller |
Having carefully controlled all other variables, Bobby was able to conclude that the warmer water is responsible for the brighter colors of the fish.
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