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Special Issue "Fish Metabolic Physiology in Response to Stress"

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A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2019).

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Edward M. Mager
Website
Guest Editor

Department of Biological Sciences and Advanced Environmental Research Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, United States
Interests: metabolic physiology; fish swimming performance; aquatic toxicology; hypoxia; thermal stress; crude oil; PAHs; metals

Dr. Ione Hunt von Herbing
Website
Guest Editor

Biological Sciences Department & Marine Conservation and Aquatic Physiology Laboratory, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, United States
Interests: developmental physiology; marine fish ecophysiology; stress and metabolic physiology; fish gut microbiome and probiotics; aquaculture and ocean sustainability

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The capacity for fish populations to persist in the face of environmental change is largely a function of the inherent genetic variation in the population and individual plasticity of traits critical to growth, survival and reproduction and how they respond to environmental change. Metabolic rate is a functional trait that provides a holistic view of the status of both individuals and populations given that it underlies much of an animal’s physiology and ecology. Consequently, there has been increased interest in both intra- and inter-specific variation in metabolic phenotypes as potential avenues for populations and communities to respond to changing environments, such as those associated with global climate change. This Special Issue will focus on current advances in the field of fish metabolic physiology with an emphasis on the influences of environmental stressors (e.g., hypoxia, temperature, pollution, etc.) on fish metabolic phenotypes. A central theme will be linking metabolic impacts to higher order, ecologically-relevant endpoints (e.g., individual and social behaviors, swimming performance, etc.) that will highlight the resiliency of fish facing environmental stressors in both wild and aquaculture settings.

Dr. Edward M. Mager
Dr. Ione Hunt von Herbing
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

metabolic rate
developmental physiology
early life stages
aerobic scope
swimming performance
behavior
environmental stress
stress response
climate change

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Ascorbic Acid and β-1,3-Glucan on Survival, Physiological Response and Flesh Quality of Cultured Tiger Grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus) during Simulated Transport in Water

Bo Wu ,

Qi Wang ,

Jie Cao ,

Jun Mei and

Jing Xie

Biology 2020, 9(2), 37; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology9020037 - 21 Feb 2020

Cited by 1

Abstract

Transport in water is the most common method for achieving high survival rates when transporting cultured fish in China; yet, transport success relies on proper water quality and conditions. This research was designed to explore the effects of ascorbic acid and β-1,3-glucan on survival, physiological responses, and flesh quality of farmed tiger grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus) during simulated transport. The transport water temperature for live tiger grouper was 15 °C, which had the highest survival rate, the lowest stress response, and metabolic rate, and this will reduce the susceptibility to diseases. It is stated that β-1,3-glucan influences the changes of cortisol content, heat shock protein 70, IL-1β, and IgM transcription levels during simulated transport. Rather than using ascorbic acid alone (the A-group), β-1,3-glucan (3.2 mg/L) in the presence of ascorbic acid (25 mg/L) can effectively reduce the increase of transport-induced serum cortisol content, heat shock protein 70, and IL-1β, but stimulated IgM. 25 mg/L ascorbic acid and 3.2 mg/L β-1,3-glucan had no obvious effect on the nutritional indexes and flavor of live tiger grouper; however, these can effectively reduce the stress response, improve the innate immune activity, and ensure a higher survival rate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fish Metabolic Physiology in Response to Stress)

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Open AccessArticle

Acute Exposure to Key Aquaculture Environmental Stressors Impaired the Aerobic Metabolism of Carassius auratus gibelio

Zongli Yao ,

Xiaoying Zhang ,

Qifang Lai ,

Kai Zhou and

Pengcheng Gao

Biology 2020, 9(2), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology9020027 - 10 Feb 2020

Abstract

Carassius auratus gibelio is an omnivore favored for its flavor and is commonly used as a benthic species in traditional pond polyculture. This study investigated the effects of common aquaculture stressors, such as high ammonia, high nitrite, high pH, and hypoxia on the aerobic metabolism of C. auratus gibelio. The results showed that the standard metabolic rate (SMR) was positively correlated with ammonia, nitrite, and pH, while the maximum metabolic rate (MMR) was negatively correlated with all four stressors. Thus, aerobic scope (AS) was reduced when C. auratus gibelio was exposed to high ammonia, high nitrite, high pH, and hypoxia. The peak of post-prandial O₂ consumption was positively correlated with nitrite, pH, and the occurrence of the peak metabolic rate post-prandial was delayed in high ammonia, high nitrite, hypoxia, and high pH conditions. These findings indicated that, in experimental conditions, exposure to these environmental stressors can influence aerobic metabolism in C. auratus gibelio. With more energy required to maintain standard metabolic rates, less will be available for growth. While the C. auratus gibelio is one of the most hypoxia tolerance species, the reduction we observed in AS caused by stressors that commonly occur in ponds and in nature will likely affect growth in ponds and fitness in nature. These data have provided insight into the optimal, fitness-maximizing thresholds for these common stressors in this species of interest. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fish Metabolic Physiology in Response to Stress)

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Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

Intra-Specific Difference in the Effect of Salinity on Physiological Performance in European Perch (Perca fluviatilis) and Its Ecological Importance for Fish in Estuaries

Emil A. F. Christensen ,

John D. Stieglitz ,

Martin Grosell and

John F. Steffensen

Biology 2019, 8(4), 89; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology8040089 - 17 Nov 2019

Abstract

Changes in environmental salinity challenge fish homeostasis and may affect physiological performance, such as swimming capacity and metabolism, which are important for foraging, migration, and escaping predators in the wild. The effects of salinity stress on physiological performance are largely species specific, but may also depend on intra-specific differences in physiological capabilities of sub-populations. We measured critical swimming speed (U_crit) and metabolic rates during swimming and at rest at salinities of 0 and 10 in European perch (Perca fluviatilis) from a low salinity tolerance population (LSTP) and a high salinity tolerance population (HSTP). U_crit of LSTP was significantly reduced at a salinity of 10 yet was unaffected by salinity change in HSTP. We did not detect a significant cost of osmoregulation, which should theoretically be apparent from the metabolic rates during swimming and at rest at a salinity of 0 compared to at a salinity of 10 (iso-osmotic). Maximum metabolic rates were also not affected by salinity, indicating a modest tradeoff between respiration and osmoregulation (osmo-respiratory compromise). Intra-specific differences in effects of salinity on physiological performance are important for fish species to maintain ecological compatibility in estuarine environments, yet render these sub-populations vulnerable to fisheries. The findings of the present study are therefore valuable knowledge in conservation and management of estuarine fish populations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fish Metabolic Physiology in Response to Stress)

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Open AccessArticle

Combined Effects of Acute Temperature Change and Elevated pCO₂ on the Metabolic Rates and Hypoxia Tolerances of Clearnose Skate (Rostaraja eglanteria), Summer Flounder (Paralichthys dentatus), and Thorny Skate (Amblyraja radiata)

Gail D. Schwieterman ,

Daniel P. Crear ,

Brooke N. Anderson ,

Danielle R. Lavoie ,

James A. Sulikowski ,

Peter G. Bushnell and

Richard W. Brill

Biology 2019, 8(3), 56; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology8030056 - 26 Jul 2019

Cited by 3

Abstract

Understanding how rising temperatures, ocean acidification, and hypoxia affect the performance of coastal fishes is essential to predicting species-specific responses to climate change. Although a population’s habitat influences physiological performance, little work has explicitly examined the multi-stressor responses of species from habitats differing in natural variability. Here, clearnose skate (Rostaraja eglanteria) and summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) from mid-Atlantic estuaries, and thorny skate (Amblyraja radiata) from the Gulf of Maine, were acutely exposed to current and projected temperatures (20, 24, or 28 °C; 22 or 30 °C; and 9, 13, or 15 °C, respectively) and acidification conditions (pH 7.8 or 7.4). We tested metabolic rates and hypoxia tolerance using intermittent-flow respirometry. All three species exhibited increases in standard metabolic rate under an 8 °C temperature increase (Q₁₀ of 1.71, 1.07, and 2.56, respectively), although this was most pronounced in the thorny skate. At the lowest test temperature and under the low pH treatment, all three species exhibited significant increases in standard metabolic rate (44–105%; p < 0.05) and decreases in hypoxia tolerance (60–84% increases in critical oxygen pressure; p < 0.05). This study demonstrates the interactive effects of increasing temperature and changing ocean carbonate chemistry are species-specific, the implications of which should be considered within the context of habitat. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fish Metabolic Physiology in Response to Stress)

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Open AccessArticle

Plasticity in Standard and Maximum Aerobic Metabolic Rates in Two Populations of an Estuarine Dependent Teleost, Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus)

Jingwei Song ,

Richard W. Brill and

Jan R. McDowell

Biology 2019, 8(2), 46; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology8020046 - 14 Jun 2019

Cited by 1

Abstract

We studied the effects of metabolic cold adaptation (MCA) in two populations of a eurythermal species, spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) along the U.S. East Coast. Fish were captured from their natural environment and acclimated at control temperatures 15 °C or 20 °C. Their oxygen consumption rates, a proxy for metabolic rates, were measured using intermittent flow respirometry during acute temperature decrease or increase (2.5 °C per hour). Mass-specific standard metabolic rates (SMR) were higher in fish from the northern population across an ecologically relevant temperature gradient (5 °C to 30 °C). SMR were up to 37% higher in the northern population at 25 °C and maximum metabolic rates (MMR) were up to 20% higher at 20 °C. We found evidence of active metabolic compensation in the southern population from 5 °C to 15 °C (Q₁₀ < 2), but not in the northern population. Taken together, our results indicate differences in metabolic plasticity between the northern and southern populations of spotted seatrout and provide a mechanistic basis for predicting population-specific responses to climate change. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fish Metabolic Physiology in Response to Stress)

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Open AccessArticle

Transcriptome Analysis of Yamame (Oncorhynchus masou) in Normal Conditions after Heat Stress

Waraporn Kraitavin ,

Kazutoshi Yoshitake ,

Yoji Igarashi ,

Susumu Mitsuyama ,

Shigeharu Kinoshita ,

Daisuke Kambayashi ,

Shugo Watabe and

Shuichi Asakawa

Biology 2019, 8(2), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology8020021 - 29 Mar 2019

Cited by 1

Abstract

Understanding the mechanism of high-temperature tolerance in cold-freshwater fish is crucial for predicting how certain species will cope with global warming. In this study, we investigated temperature tolerance in masu salmon (Oncorhynchus masou, known in Japan as ‘yamame’), an important aquaculture species. By selective breeding, we developed a group of yamame (F2) with high-temperature tolerance. This group was subjected to a high-temperature tolerance test and divided into two groups: High-temperature tolerant (HT) and non-high-temperature tolerant (NT). RNA was extracted from the gill and adipose fin tissues of each group, and the mRNA expression profiles were analyzed using RNA sequencing. A total of 2893 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from the gill and 836 from the adipose fin were identified by comparing the HT and NT groups. Functional analyses were then performed to identify associated gene ontology (GO) terms and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. The HT group showed a high expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) gene and enriched gene expression in the extracellular matrix (ECM), cell junction, and adhesion pathways in gill tissues compared to the NT group. The HT group also exhibited highly expressed genes in glycolysis and showed lower expression of the genes in the p53 signaling pathway in adipose fin tissues. Taken together, the difference of expression of some genes in the normal condition may be responsible for the difference in heat tolerance between the HT and NT yamame in the heat stress condition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fish Metabolic Physiology in Response to Stress)

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