EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON FISH BEHAVIOR AND REPRODUCTION WORLDWIDE: A STATE-OF-THE-ART STUDY

Temperature is a major environmental factor regulating physiological, behavioral, and reproductive processes in fish, with important consequences for individual performance, population dynamics, and ecosystem functioning. This study synthesized the current state of knowledge on temperature effects on fish biology, emphasizing behavioral responses, reproduction, and the implications of climate change. The review encompassed 89 studies organized into three major thematic axes: reproduction, behavior, and climate change. The evidence indicates that thermal variation affects feeding, locomotor activity, habitat use, migration, social interactions, territoriality, and behavioral responses to thermal stress. Reproductive processes are also highly temperature-dependent, with effects reported on gonadal maturation, gamete development and quality, spawning, fertilization, embryonic development, and egg and larval survival. Increasing water temperatures and extreme thermal events associated with climate change may intensify physiological stress, alter reproductive timing, modify species distributions, disrupt trophic interactions, and reduce population resilience. The synthesis also revealed important knowledge gaps, including uneven geographic representation, limited research on tropical, Neotropical, and freshwater ecosystems, and insufficient integration of behavioral, physiological, and reproductive responses. These limitations constrain the identification of general patterns of thermal sensitivity among fish species. Future research should prioritize integrative approaches that consider species-specific thermal tolerance, multiple environmental stressors, life stages, and geographic contexts. Understanding how temperature influences fish biology is essential for developing effective conservation strategies, sustainable fisheries management, and climate-change adaptation measures.