Scale cortisol is positively correlated to fin injuries in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) reared in commercial flow through systems

Weirup, Lina; Schulz, Carsten; Seibel, Henrike; Aerts, Johan

doi:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2021.736924

Cited by 17 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…However, as we cannot confirm the state of stress in the fish used in this study the SCC reported here will likely be more useful for intraspecies comparisons in future studies. This is currently possible only in rainbow trout, which had similar SCC as those reported by Carbajal et al (2019a) , Weirup et al (2021) and in our recent study (Kennedy and Janz, in review ). The remaining species had SCC similar to those reported in other species such as wild Catalan chub (Squalius laietanus) and two species of tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis and Thunnus albacares) with the exception of northern pike, which had one of the highest SCC values reported to date ( Carbajal et al, 2019b ; Roque d’orbcastel et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

“…Although specific mechanisms of scale cortisol deposition are still unknown they have been shown to retain cortisol for a longer period of time than other media such as blood or mucus ( Aerts et al, 2015 ; Laberge et al, 2019 ). As such, increases in SCC have now been associated with overstocking and other changes in aquaculture practices ( Hanke et al, 2020 ), fin injuries ( Weirup et al, 2021 ) and increases in water temperature ( Hanke et al, 2019 ) demonstrating its potential as a diagnostic tool. As has been proposed by several groups, the ultimate goal in the development of these methods is conservation ( Aerts et al, 2015 ; Carbajal et al, 2019b ; Roque d’orbcastel et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Can scale cortisol concentration be quantified non-lethally in wild fish species?

Kennedy

Janz²

2023

Conservation Physiology

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Cortisol, the primary glucocorticoid in fishes, is secreted into the bloodstream in response to stress. Circulating cortisol accumulates in scales, a durable calcified structure that can be easily sampled from many fish species. As such, the use of scale cortisol concentration (SCC) is currently being explored as a means of chronic stress biomonitoring in wild fishes. Scales serve an important role in fish physiology and thus the number of scales required for reliable cortisol analysis is a limiting factor in the non-lethal collection of such samples. To date, scale cortisol quantification has also only been performed non-lethally in captive fishes and due to differences in stress responsiveness SCCs likely differ in wild species. As such, this study aimed to (1) apply our fish scale processing and analysis protocol to wild fish species and (2) apply it to five north temperate fish species to provide information useful to future non-lethal scale sampling regimes. Cortisol was successfully measured in scales collected from wild northern pike (Esox lucius), walleye (Sander vitreus), whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), white sucker (Catostomus commersonii) and captive rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). SCCs were significantly different between species and thus the sample mass required for reliable cortisol analysis differed as well. In addition to the size of the fish and the mass of their scales this is an important consideration for future scale cortisol analyses as these factors could make SCC an attainable non-lethal sample matrix in some species of fish but impractical in others.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can scale cortisol concentration be quantified non-lethally in wild fish species?

Kennedy

Janz²

2023

Conservation Physiology

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“…When averaging the pectoral, pelvic and anal fins together, a positive correlation between cortisol and fin erosion was seen in the wound + stress group compared to the control and wound group. A positive correlation between fin erosion and scale cortisol has been described previously in rainbow trout (Weirup et al, 2021). Gregory and Wood (1999) also showed that cortisol-injected rainbow trout had significantly higher fin erosion than untreated fish.…”

Section: Fin Erosionsupporting

confidence: 75%

Chronic stress negatively impacts wound healing, welfare, and stress regulation in internally tagged Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

et al. 2023

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The desire to understand fish welfare better has led to the development of live monitoring sensor tags embedded within individuals for long periods. Improving and understanding welfare must not come at the cost of impaired welfare due to a tag’s presence and implantation process. When welfare is compromised, the individual will experience negative emotions such as fear, pain, and distress, impacting the stress response. In this study, Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) underwent surgical implantation of a dummy tag. Additionally, half of this group was introduced to daily crowding stress. Both groups and an untagged group were followed for 8 weeks using triplicate tanks per group. Sampling took place once a week, and where stress was given, it was conducted 24 h before sampling. Stress-related measurements were taken to understand if tagging caused chronic stress and explore the chronic stress response and its impact on wound healing. Primary stress response hormones measured included CRH, dopamine, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and cortisol. Secondary stress response parameters measured included glucose, lactate, magnesium, calcium, chloride, and osmolality. Tertiary stress response parameters measured included weight, length, and five fins for fin erosion. Wound healing was calculated by taking the incision length and width, the inflammation length and width, and the inside wound length and width. The wound healing process showed that stressed fish have a larger and longer-lasting inflammation period and a slower wound healing process, as seen from the inside wound. The tagging of Atlantic salmon did not cause chronic stress. In contrast, daily stress led to an allostatic overload type two response. ACTH was elevated in the plasma after 4 weeks, and cortisol followed elevation after 6 weeks, highlighting a breakdown of the stress regulation. Fin erosion was elevated alongside cortisol increase in the stressed group. This data suggests that tagging previously unstressed fish in a controlled environment does not negatively affect welfare regarding stress responses. It also indicates that stress delays wound healing and increases the inflammatory response, highlighting how continued stress causes a breakdown in some stress responses. Ultimately, the tagging of Atlantic salmon can be successful under certain conditions where proper healing is observed, tag retention is high, and chronic stress is not present, which could allow for the possible measurement of welfare indicators via smart-tags.

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“…Cortisol is the primary glucocorticoid in fishes and a crucial mediator of the physiological stress response [12,13]. As such, scale cortisol concentration has been shown to increase as a result of external injuries [14], increased water temperature [10], high stocking densities and changes in feeding strategies [9] as well as general long-term stress [5,6], providing promising evidence for its use as a non-lethal biomarker of long-term stress in both wild and aquacultural fish populations. However, while the quantitation of secreted cortisol provides some indication of the state of stress within an organism, the use of multi-hormone analyses may be capable of uncovering further information [6,15,16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First Look into the Use of Fish Scales as a Medium for Multi-Hormone Stress Analyses

Kennedy

Janz²

2022

Fishes

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Recent efforts have provided convincing evidence for the use of fish scale cortisol concentration in the assessment of long-term stress in fishes. However, cortisol alone is not sufficient to fully describe this state of long-term stress. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is an androgen with actions that oppose those of cortisol. The means by which DHEA negates the effects of cortisol occurs in part via changes in the metabolism of cortisol to cortisone. The quantitation of cortisol, DHEA and cortisone could therefore provide a more comprehensive assessment of the overall status of physiological stress. As DHEA and cortisone have yet to be quantified within the fish scale, our first objective was to ensure our sample processing protocol for cortisol was applicable to cortisone and DHEA. Following this, we induced a state of long-term stress in goldfish (Carassius auratus). Some degree of elevation in all hormones was observed in the stressed fish scales. Additionally, cortisol and cortisone were significantly elevated in the stressed fish serum in comparison to controls while DHEA was undetectable in either group. Overall, these results suggest that fish scales provide an appropriate medium for the assessment of long-term stress in fishes via the quantitation of relevant steroid hormones.

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Scale cortisol is positively correlated to fin injuries in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) reared in commercial flow through systems

Cited by 17 publications

References 67 publications

Can scale cortisol concentration be quantified non-lethally in wild fish species?

Can scale cortisol concentration be quantified non-lethally in wild fish species?

Chronic stress negatively impacts wound healing, welfare, and stress regulation in internally tagged Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

First Look into the Use of Fish Scales as a Medium for Multi-Hormone Stress Analyses

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