Influence of the lunar cycle on plasma melatonin, vitellogenin and sex steroids rhythms in Senegal sole, Solea senegalensis

Abstract

Influence of the lunar cycle on plasma melatonin, vitellogenin and sex steroids rhythms in Senegal sole, Solea senegalensis, Aquaculture (2010Aquaculture ( ), doi: 10.1016Aquaculture ( /j.aquaculture.2010 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT AbstractThe effect of the moon light cycle on plasma melatonin rhythms was examined in Senegal sole (Solea senegalensis) exposed to natural outdoor or artificial indoor lighting conditions. Furthermore, in a second experiment, the effect of the lunar cycle on vitellogenin and sex steroids (Testosterone, T; Estradiol, E2; 11-ketotestosterone, 11kt) was studied using mature individuals during reproductive season. In the first experiment, during full moon, plasma melatonin peaked at night in covered tanks (deprived of night illumination) from both outdoor (133.2 ± 12.8 pg ml -1 ) and indoor (190.6 ± 41.5 pg ml -1 ) groups. However, for fish in the open tanks, exposed to approximately 0.3 lux of illumination, nocturnal plasma melatonin was significantly reduced (p<0.05), approaching to mid-light (ML) values, (79.6 ± 7.1 and 81.8 ± 14.0 pg ml -1 , for outdoor and indoor groups, respectively). During new moon a similar pattern was observed in outdoor group: fish in the covered tank showed higher melatonin values than those in the open tank, which were exposed to the near undetectable night illumination. In the second experiment, plasma sex steroid concentrations were significantly higher during the full moon compared to the new moon. In the case of females, E2 concentration reduced from 2.4 ± 0.6 to 0.4 ± 0.1 ng ml -1 between full and new moon samplings, while T decreased from 0.3 ± 0.0 to 0.2 ± 0.0 ng ml -1 .Vitellogenin, however, did not show such differences between moon phases. In males, 11kt exhibited a plasma concentration of 14.3 ± 2.1 ng ml -1 during full moon and 4.7 ± 0.7 ng ml -1 during new moon while T values were 2.6 ± 0.4 and 1.0 ± 0.1 ng ml -1 for full and new moon, respectively. In conclusion, these findings pointed out the high sensitivity to moon light of the Senegal sole, which could be using the melatonin signalling to synchronize their reproduction rhythms to the lunar cycle.

Light Pollution, Circadian Photoreception, and Melatonin in Vertebrates

“…0.0006 lx [23]) was enough to significantly reduce melatonin within 1 h to 75% of the melatonin levels in complete darkness [55]. In addition, Senegalese sole had significantly higher plasma melatonin in shaded tanks on a new-moon night than fishes exposed to natural new-moon conditions [168]. These studies indicate that complete darkness in laboratory settings may be too dark for ecologically realistic comparisons in melatonin levels.…”

Daily movement behavior of two Neotropical armored catfish species (Ancistrusaff. cirrhosusValenciennes, 1836 andHypostomus ancistroidesIhering, 1911) at a road-stream crossing culvert

“…However, in streams, the moon's gravitational effect on water is insignificant, and fish movements are related to the luminosity of the different moon phases: diurnal species are active during the full moon, whereas many nocturnal species are active during new and quarter‐moon phases (Bizzotto et al., ). The low melatonin levels of nocturnal fish inhibit their activity during nights with a full moon (Oliveira, Duncan, Pousão‐Ferreira, Mañanós, & Sánches‐Vázquez, ; Takemura et al., ; Zimecki, ); therefore, the high activity levels of A . aff.…”

Cloning, tissue expression pattern and daily rhythms of Period1, Period2, and Clock transcripts in the flatfish Senegalese sole, Solea senegalensis

“…The Solea senegalensis is a XatWsh with nocturnal locomotor and feeding rhythms (Bayarri et al 2004;Navarro et al 2009), marked daily and seasonal plasma melatonin rhythms (Oliveira et al 2010;Vera et al 2007), reproduction and development (Blanco-Vives et al 2011a;Confente et al 2010;Isorna et al 2009Isorna et al , 2011Oliveira et al 2009). This XatWsh has a great commercial value and is of particular interest to chronobiologists as sole experiences a lightdependent switch (from diurnal to nocturnal) of its daily activity rhythms during metamorphosis (Blanco-Vives et al 2012) and exposure of larvae to daily thermocycles alters the timing of gonad development and sex ratio (Blanco-Vives et al 2011b).…”