Using blood plasma cortisol concentration and fish behaviour to determine temperature avoidance in the estuarine-dependent fish species Rhabdosargus holubi (Steindachner, 1881) (Sparidae)

作者：van der Vyver J S F; Kaiser H^*; Potts W M; James N

来源：Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 2013, 29(6): 1275-1278.

DOI：10.1111/jai.12268

In order to test the hypothesis that a combination of blood cortisol measurements and behavioural observations can be used to estimate the avoidance temperature of the estuarine-dependent Cape stumpnose, Rhabdosargus holubi (Steindachner, 1881) (Sparidae), fish were kept at increasing water temperatures at a rate of 3 degrees C d(-1) over 7days. Plasma cortisol concentrations were significantly influenced by the interaction of time and treatment (F=10.9, P<0.01) with cortisol concentrations in fish kept at increasing temperature averaging 293ngml(-1) on day 7. This was 5.4 times higher than the average value for control fish (29ngml(-1)). For the first 6days, average cortisol concentration of control fish was 25.7 +/- 5.0ngml(-1), while values for fish from the temperature treatment ranged from 8.3 to 176.6ngngml(-1). These values combined with behaviour observations suggest that cortisol concentration and behavioural changes may be used to detect both a low and an acute stress response.

• 出版日期2013-12