Despite its potential for determining animal success in a variety of ecologically important situations, very little is known about the sprint swimming performance of fishes. To evaluate whether selection on sprint swimming performance occurs in the wild, one must first demonstrate measurable and reproducible variation of sprint performance. In this study, we employ a computer-controlled laser detection system to study the sprint performance of 75 juvenile European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax raised under uniform conditions in the laboratory. This percichthyid is a prized sport and food fish in Europe and similar ecologically to the North American striped bass Morone saxatilis. Individual European sea bass were subjected to endurance swimming performance... |