Quote:
Originally Posted by wet
Shivering is partly affected by metabolism, so energy level is probably significant, not sure which one, probably blood sugar/glycogen. I haven't figured out shivering, obviously a self-warming thermostat system, but how does it fit in water? Do fish or dolphins shiver? Do other animals shiver?
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Most warm-blooded land animals shiver. Penguins shiver on land, I'm not sure about in the water. Some insects such as bees and moths use something similar to raise their body temperature for flight.
I'm not sure about fish. Most of them don't but a few, particularly Mollies (
Poecilia) do a 'shimmying' movement, moving the head and tail from side to side, like swimming on the spot. They do this when the temperature is too low or the water chemistry is wrong, or they are ill for some reason. They do need a higher temperature than most tropical fish, 26-30c, so maybe it has something to do with that.
Shivering is an inefficient way of generating heat for a warm-blooded animal, and much more so for a fish, which has a low metabolic rate and no insulation.
