The effect of body size on post-exercise physiology in largemouth bass

Abstract

Variation in individual size has important consequences for a number of characteristics of fish, which can impact fish populations. The impact of fish size on recovery following exercise, however, is poorly understood, with little information existing on the recovery of ionic/osmotic variables. The goal of this study was to quantify not only how allometry impacts the magnitude of physiological disturbance following burst exercise in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), but also how allometry impacts the time required for exercise-induced disturbances to return to baseline levels. To accomplish this goal, two size classes of largemouth bass (large = 772-1,441 g total weight, mean = 1,125 g; small = 93-238 g, mean = 148 g) were exercised for 60 s and allowed to recover for 0, 1, 2, or 4 h before being sampled for plasma and white muscle. Large largemouth bass exhibited elevated concentrations of plasma glucose and sodium relative to small fish following a common exercise challenge. Large fish required additional time to clear metabolic disturbances in plasma and failed to restore potassium to basal levels even following 4 h of recovery, indicating an improved ability of the smaller fish to recover from disturbances. Results are further discussed in the context of physiological ecology and fitness for largemouth bass.

Comparison of the Behavioral Consequences and Recovery Patterns of Largemouth Bass Exposed to MS‐222 or Electrosedation

“…As noted earlier, MS-222 sedation and electrosedation of Largemouth Bass have been shown to generate stress responses, including elevated levels of blood glucose, lactate, and cortisol (Trushenski et al 2012). Smaller Largemouth Bass tend to recover faster than larger individuals from similar physiological changes caused by an exercise-induced stress response (Gingerich and Suski 2012). (Thompson et al 2008), and fish behavioral responses to sedatives and other biotic and abiotic factors will vary depending on the species (reviewed by Neiffer and Stamper 2009).…”

Effects of an experimental short‐term cortisol challenge on the behaviour of wild creek chub Semotilus atromaculatus in mesocosm and stream environments

“…data). The assay used in this study has been validated for other teleosts (such as M. salmoides ) which yielded values similar to those observed in M. salmoides from other laboratories (Gingerich & Suski, ). Also, the cortisol assays were run with appropriate intra and inter‐assay controls to ensure accuracy and precision.…”

The physiological consequences of catch‐and‐release angling: perspectives on experimental design, interpretation, extrapolation and relevance to stakeholders

“…The magnitude of physiological disturbance related to angling has been shown to correlate positively with angling duration; largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides (Lacepède), showed blood lactate levels that were almost twofold greater after 5 min of angling compared with 1 min of angling (Gustaveson et al 1991; but see below for discussion of the timing of sample collection). The magnitude of angling-related physiological disturbances can increase at sub-or supraoptimal water temperatures (Gustaveson et al 1991), can be greater for large fish relative to smaller fish (Gingerich & Suski 2012;Clark et al 2012) and can be greater for fish that have not been feeding relative to well-fed individuals (Gingerich et al 2010). The magnitude of angling-related physiological disturbances can increase at sub-or supraoptimal water temperatures (Gustaveson et al 1991), can be greater for large fish relative to smaller fish (Gingerich & Suski 2012;Clark et al 2012) and can be greater for fish that have not been feeding relative to well-fed individuals (Gingerich et al 2010).…”

“…Similarly, both the magnitude of cardiac disturbance and the magnitude of bloodbased disturbances correlate positively with duration of air exposure that typically occurs during hook removal or photography Suski et al 2007b; for a counter example, see Arlinghaus et al 2009a). The magnitude of angling-related physiological disturbances can increase at sub-or supraoptimal water temperatures (Gustaveson et al 1991), can be greater for large fish relative to smaller fish (Gingerich & Suski 2012;Clark et al 2012) and can be greater for fish that have not been feeding relative to well-fed individuals (Gingerich et al 2010). Such studies have served to characterise the stress associated with different components of the angling event and have revealed that gear choices (e.g.…”