What physiological limit does the native White Catfish tolerate in terms of brackish water salinity (PSU)?
Answer
Up to about 14 Practical Salinity Units (PSU)
The White Catfish demonstrates significant physiological tolerance to environmental variability within its native Eastern United States coastal drainages. This adaptability includes tolerance to a wide range of temperatures, spanning from near freezing during winter months up to $31^ ext{ extdegree C}$ in summer. Critically, they possess the capability to handle brackish water conditions, specifically tolerating salinities reaching approximately 14 Practical Salinity Units (PSU). This tolerance likely aided their natural migration into certain systems like the Connecticut rivers, which involve estuarine mixing.

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