Brainstem Temperature Affects Gill Ventilation in the California Scorpionfish

Abstract

California scorpionfish, Scorpaena guttata, were implanted with a pair of thermodes which straddled the anterior brainstem. When the fish were in water of about 20 degrees C, warming the thermodes to temperatures above 20 degrees C caused a proportional increase in the ventilatory minute volume. Cooling the thermodes below 20 degrees C caused a proportional decrease in the ventilatory minute volume. It is concluded that the anterior brainstem temperature provides an important input to the respiratory control center in teleost fish.