GOLDFISH RESPIRATION
TK
Name________________
Materials:
3 beakers
aged water
hot pot
2 goldfish/group
thermometer
fingerbowl
ice
Procedure:
***Study the sketch of the set up below before you proceed further.***
Try for at least a 5oC difference between each container. Let the temperature equilibrate for about 1
minute before you begin readings. You will count the gill movements for 3 one-minute trials to get
the average respiration/minute. Before you begin trials, prepare your data chart.
1. Put one fish in an ice bath. Add one or two ice cubes directly to water. Count respiration rate
by noting the gill movements during a one-minute time trial. Do three trials for each temperature.
2. Count gill movements in the fish in the beaker at room temperature.
3. Slowly add boiling water to the room temperature beaker with an eye dropper. Watch the
temperature carefully! It may take about 100 ml. You want to reach a temperature of between
25oC and 30oC. Be careful! Do not cook your fish!
Temperature
Ice Bath (____)
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Average
Room Temp(____)
Warm Water(____)
GOLDFISH RESPIRATION LAB REPORT
Your lab is to be neatly written in ink, or typed. It will have the following components:
Title
Purpose
Hypothesis (Written using an if . . . .then . . . . statement)
Procedure
Data Chart
Graph (For this data, a bar graph is most suitable)
Analysis: Discuss your results. This means you are to describe what happened and explain
why. What do you know about fish--are they warm or cold blooded? Would that have any
implication in this laboratory? What is the effect of temperature on the rate of respiration? Would
changing the temperature around a small mammal have the same effect?
Include
this
information in your discussion: