The biology of aging in Nothobranchius fishes

The aging human population and consequent unprecedented demographic changes in society have inevitably led to more scientists focusing their research on aging. Senescence, in the narrowest biological sense, is age related decline in an organism's function and survival. The majority of senescence research is performed in the laboratory environment. The basic biology of wild counterparts of model organisms is therefore relatively unstudied, despite its importance for proper interpretation of laboratory outcomes. This dissertation, via a series of 6 first-authored and 5 second-authored papers, combines field and laboratory research on senescence and senescence-related life history traits using a short-lived fish Nothobranchius furzeri. An age at the maturity of 14 days post hatching in wild N. furzeri is presented in this thesis as well as extremely fast growth of wild fish. Both life history traits have important consequences for senescence. The following section is focused on how the environment modulates senescence. In the first step, preferred body temperatures of Mozambican Nothobranchius fish were measured and descriptions of environmental and behavioural fluctuations within a 24 hours periodicity were completed. Based on this knowledge, ecologically relevant thermal fluctuations were simulated..