Evaluation of Post-Surgical Recovery in Olive Flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) by Assessing Behavior, Heart Rate, and Wound Healing

Abstract

This study examined the post-surgery recovery of olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) following tag insertion by analyzing behavior, heart rate, and wound healing. The experiments used 30 individuals (length: 38.67 ± 2.12 cm; weight: 742.48 ± 116.41 g). Heart rate was measured using a DST milli-HRT (Star-Oddi) bio-logger. To assess the influence of water temperature on the recovery process after surgical tag insertion, behavioral analyses, heart rate, and wound healing were conducted in two experimental groups: Experiment 1 (22 °C, optimal water temperature); Experiment 2 (28 °C, high water temperature); and control group (22 °C, non-operated fish). The experiment was repeated twice over a 7-day period for each experimental group. Compared to the non-operated fish, the operated fish exhibited stable levels after the 3rd to 4th day in Experiment 1. Statistical analyses based on heart rate in Experiment 1 indicated that the appropriate post-surgery recovery time point was approximately 3 days, representing the point at which behavioral fluctuations stabilized. In the case of Experiment 2, abnormal behavioral patterns (e.g., tilted swimming) and changes in average swimming time and daily heart rate were found to stabilize after 4 days post-surgery.