Lipid and reproductive cycles of bluegills ( Lepomis macrochirus) exposed to 35 years of elevated environmental temperatures

1. We studied bluegills to compare how thermal perturbation affected lipid dynamics and reproductive cycles of fish from heated (Pond C) and normothermic (Par Pond) sites. 2. Bodies of bluegills contained over 90%, and gonads and livers 10% of the non-polar lipids. 3.Overall, the percent body lipids of bluegills from the heated pond was twice as high (12.4%) as that of Par Pond bluegills (6.6%). 4. During a prolonged reactor down period, when both ponds were normothermic, body lipids of bluegills from Pond C and Par Pond increased at a rate of approximately 3 and 1% of body mass per week, respectively. 5. Juveniles from Pond C had higher percent stored lipids than did adult males or females. 6. Lipid cycling in Par Pond bluegills was seasonal, whereas Pond C bluegill lipid cycles corresponded to long reactor down periods.