The Use of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis for Estimating the Body Composition of Various Fish Species

The reliable measurement of growth and condition is vital for effective fisheries assessments. Biologists have long attempted to estimate condition for their assessments, but a reliable method to nonlethally estimate body composition is lacking. Proximate analysis is the most dependable and accurate method for estimating internal composition, but it is lethal, time consuming, and expensive. Recent research has shown bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) to be an effective method for estimating proximate composition in some fishes. The technique is quick, inexpensive, and, most importantly, nonlethal, which is vital when examining endangered species or cultured fish. My research focused on developing BIA indices for several new species of fish, using those indices to evaluate the body composition of fish in the field, and determining whether water temperature influenced resistance and reactance measurements. I found that BIA accurately estimated the body composition of bluegill Lepomis macrochirus, redear sunfish Lepomis microlophus, brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis, and northern logperch Percina caprodes (r 2 ≥ 0.71, p < 0.0001). I also determined that bluegill and redear regressions were not significantly different (P ≥ 0.10) suggesting they can be used interchangeably during future studies. Laboratory studies revealed that water temperature did not significantly influence resistance and reactance measurements of bluegill, redear, and largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides (P ≥ 0.18). These results, along with previous literature, indicate that BIA may be an accurate and reliable assessment tool for fisheries biologists. ii