The Mechanism of Low-Temperature Tolerance in Fish

In this chapter, we cover the life history of fish in low-temperature environments, including their overwintering behavior and the physiological mechanisms by which they maintain life in cold environments, based on research to date. There is relatively little research on low-temperature tolerance of fish, compared with research on this phenomenon in mammals and birds, which are also vertebrates, and the mechanisms in fish have not been fully elucidated. First, we cover the life history of fish that overwinter by entering dormancy or hibernation. Next, we describe the mechanism that controls body temperature in fish that survive low-temperature environments. Finally, we introduce the physiological mechanisms for survival in extremely low-temperature environments, particularly antifreeze proteins.