An updated review of cold shock and cold stress in fish

Abstract

Temperature is critical in regulating virtually all biological functions in fish. Low temperature stress (cold shock/stress) is an often-overlooked challenge that many fish face as a result of both natural events and anthropogenic activities. In this study, we present an updated review of the cold shock literature based on a comprehensive literature search, following an initial review on the subject by M.R. Donaldson and colleagues, published in a 2008 volume of this journal. We focus on how knowledge on cold shock and fish has evolved over the past decade, describing advances in the understanding of the generalized stress response in fish under cold stress, what metrics may be used to quantify cold stress and what knowledge gaps remain to be addressed in future research. We also describe the relevance of cold shock as it pertains to environmental managers, policymakers and industry professionals, including practical applications of cold shock. Although substantial progress has been made in addressing some of the knowledge gaps identified a decade ago, other topics (e.g., population-level effects and interactions between primary, secondary and tertiary stress responses) have received little or no attention despite their significance to fish biology and thermal stress. Approaches using combinations of primary, secondary and tertiary stress responses are crucial as a research priority to better understand the mechanisms underlying cold shock responses, from short-term physiological changes to individual-and population-level effects, thereby providing researchers with better means of quantifying cold shock in laboratory and field settings.

Mild cold stress specifically disturbs clustering movement of DFCs and sequential organ left-right patterning in zebrafish

“…In summary, even though the role of cold stress in physiology, pathology, and late embryonic development has been broadly addressed (Mollereau, 2015;Reid et al, 2022), the role of cold stress in early embryonic development is largely unknown. Our study newly identified the specific role of mild cold stress in regulating the clustering movement of DFCs and organ LR patterning.…”

“…To maintain a consistent body temperature throughout a range of external environmental temperature changes, endotherms have evolved many conscious behaviors and non-conscious physiological responses such as huddling, increasing activity, constricting blood flow, shivering, and hibernation (Carey et al, 2003;Messmer et al, 2014;Lu et al, 2019). Heterothermic vertebrates such as fish have none of these methods to maintain a consistent temperature, but they have evolved some mechanisms related to cold adaptation/resistance such as the alteration of cell-membrane fluidity (Johnston and Roots, 1964), synthesis of molecular chaperones (Reid et al, 2022), and antifreeze proteins (Cao et al, 2016). By using these mechanisms, fish can live in a range of cold ambient temperatures (Fangue et al, 2014;Chen et al, 2019;Reid et al, 2022).…”

“…Heterothermic vertebrates such as fish have none of these methods to maintain a consistent temperature, but they have evolved some mechanisms related to cold adaptation/resistance such as the alteration of cell-membrane fluidity (Johnston and Roots, 1964), synthesis of molecular chaperones (Reid et al, 2022), and antifreeze proteins (Cao et al, 2016). By using these mechanisms, fish can live in a range of cold ambient temperatures (Fangue et al, 2014;Chen et al, 2019;Reid et al, 2022).…”

“…In mammals, two critical examples are as follows: low temperature directly decreases cartilage growth and results in shorter limbs, and cold stress also disturbs neural development (Xia et al, 2018), even though cold-induced genes are employed to protect against abnormal neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration (Peretti et al, 2015). A negative effect of low temperature on organ development has also been observed in fish (Reid et al, 2022). In zebrafish, treatment with cold stress at the larval stage affects thermal sensitivity and acclimation of swimming performance in the adult stage, resulting from a variation in the fiber type composition in swimming muscles (Scott and Johnston, 2012).…”

Effects of cold and warm thermopeaking on drift and stranding of juvenile European grayling (Thymallus thymallus)

“…In this context, Zolezzi et al (2011) emphasized the need to study ecological response mechanisms and patterns to thermopeaking. Although scientific research on the thermal behavior of flowing waters gained increased attention within the last decades, research in thermopeaking is still rather scarce (Moreira et al, 2019) especially when it comes to impacts on fish populations (Reid et al, 2022). Here, we fill this knowledge gap by assessing how cold and warm thermopeaking affects juvenile European grayling ( Thymallus thymallus , L.), a key species of Alpine hydropeaking rivers (Hayes et al, 2021).…”