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Impact of Environmental Stress on Reproductive Processes of Aquatic Animals

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A special issue of Fishes (ISSN 2410-3888). This special issue belongs to the section "Biology and Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 July 2022) | Viewed by 19191

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Rosario Domínguez-Petit

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Guest Editor

Oceanographic Centre of Vigo, National Centre Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO, CSIC), Madrid, Spain
Interests: fish reproductive ecology; growth; bioenergetics tradeoffs; life-history traits; stock dynamics and reproductive potential; senescence and resilience

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are organising a Special Issue for Fishes focused on the impact of stress on the reproductive processes of aquatic animals. Reproduction determines population productivity and dynamics, influencing aquatic ecosystems’ structure and functioning. Stressors of various natures (pathogens, chemical pollutants, changes in temperature, noise level, fishing intensity, etc.) affect the reproduction of aquatic animals from the physiological to the behavioural level. These stressors act at both the individual and population level and alter the dynamics and functioning of the entire ecosystem. Understanding how stress changes reproductive processes is key to understanding population dynamics and resilience in the context of a changing ocean that is highly influenced by human activities. We welcome submissions of original research, reviews and perspective articles on topics including (but not limited to) the impact of stress on aquatic animals’:

Reproductive physiology (including energy tradeoffs);
Reproductive ecology (including behaviour, reproductive potential, reproductive success, senescence, transgenerational effects, etc.);
Population dynamics and life history (including regime shifts and resilience driven by stress-induced reproductive changes).

Fishes is an international, peer-reviewed, scientific, open access journal published quarterly online by MDPI (Impact factor in 2021: 2.385).

Dr. Rosario Domínguez-Petit
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fishes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

reproductive physiology
reproductive ecology
reproductive behaviour
reproductive success
reproductive potential
population resilience
population dynamics
life-history
regime shift
stress-induced evolution

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 2657 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Differential Effects of Food Restriction and Warming in the Two-Spotted Goby: Impaired Reproductive Performance and Stressed Offspring

by Ana F. Lopes, Robyn Murdoch, Sara Martins-Cardoso, Carolina Madeira, Pedro M. Costa, Ana S. Félix, Rui F. Oliveira, Narcisa M. Bandarra, Catarina Vinagre, Ana R. Lopes, Emanuel J. Gonçalves and Ana Margarida Faria

Fishes 2022, 7(4), 194; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes7040194 - 05 Aug 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3095

Abstract

Climate change is a growing threat to marine organisms and ecosystems, and it is already modifying ocean properties by, for example, increasing temperature and decreasing pH. Increasing water temperature may also lead to an impairment of primary productivity and an overall depletion of available zooplankton. Understanding how the crossover between warming and zooplankton availability impacts fish populations has paramount implications for conservation and mitigation strategies. Through a cross factorial design to test the effects of ocean temperature and food availability in a temperate marine teleost, Pomatochistus flavescens, we showed that hindered feeding impacted sheltering and avoidance behaviour. Also, low food availability impaired fish reproduction, particularly male reproduction, as the expression of cyp11b1, a gene with a pivotal role in the synthesis of the most important fish androgen, 11-ketotestosterone, was significantly reduced under a low food regime. In contrast, temperature alone did not affect reproductive success, but offspring showed increased saturated fatty acid content (embryos) and increased lipid peroxidation (larvae). Altogether, food availability had a stronger effect on fitness, showing that coping with elevated temperatures, an ability that may be expected in shallow-water fish, can be indirectly impacted, or even overwhelmed, by the effects of ocean warming on primary productivity and downstream ecological processes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Environmental Stress on Reproductive Processes of Aquatic Animals)

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17 pages, 2457 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Can the Life History Trait Divergence of Two Extremes of a Cold-Water Genus Distribution Offer Evidence for Their Vulnerability to Sea Warming?

by Alba Serrat and Marta Muñoz

Fishes 2022, 7(4), 143; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes7040143 - 21 Jun 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1852

Abstract

Cold- and deep-water species such as Molva species show low resilience to anthropogenic pressures, and they become particularly vulnerable at the warm edges of their distribution. In this study, the poorly documented Mediterranean ling (Molva macrophthalma) population from the northwestern Mediterranean Sea was analysed. This area is considered a cul-de-sac in a sea-warming hotspot, where M. macrophthalma shows a low population health status and is experiencing a climate-related reduction in abundance. Several life-history traits (length at maturity, reproductive cycle, fecundity style, oocyte recruitment pattern, and breeding strategy) are here described for the first time to evaluate the reproductive performance (oocyte diameter and production) in relation to the fish condition status (the HSI and relative condition index). Additionally, the results are compared with those of a population of a similar species, the blue ling (Molva dypterygia), inhabiting the cool edge of its distribution, hypothesised to have a higher condition status. Our results indicate that M. macrophthalma is a capital breeder with restricted secondary growth recruitment and group-synchronous oocyte development. In relative terms, the stressed southern M. macrophthalma exhibited a worse condition, a lower investment in reproduction, a smaller size at maturity, larger but fewer primary growth oocytes, and a smaller size-standardized production of secondary growth oocytes than the northern M. dypterygia. Significant differences in the secondary growth oocyte recruitment were also found. These findings reinforce the environment’s role in shaping the reproductive potential and condition status. Altogether, this study suggests high sensitivity to anthropogenic pressures for both species, and, especially for Mediterranean ling, it shows the importance of introducing monitoring and conservation measures to ensure the sustainability of its populations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Environmental Stress on Reproductive Processes of Aquatic Animals)

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Graphical abstract

16 pages, 1837 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Somatic Condition and Reproductive Potential as a Tandem in European Sardine: An Analysis with an Environmental Perspective in the Northern Adriatic (Gulf of Trieste)

by Marta Caballero-Huertas, Xènia Frigola-Tepe, Jordi Viñas and Marta Muñoz

Fishes 2022, 7(3), 105; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes7030105 - 04 May 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2941

Abstract

The European sardine’s condition is reflected in its reproductive potential, and therefore, in its status as a fishery resource. These values depend on the stock’s distribution and resource availability, which is highly determined by environmental characteristics. Sardines from the productive Gulf of Trieste (in the North Adriatic), located in the northernmost section of the most septentrional Mediterranean sub-basin in which sardine exploitation has traditionally been intensive, were analysed. The reproductive cycle and gonadosomatic index (GSI) were studied. Tissue and mesenteric fat values, as well as vacuity (% V), relative condition (Kn), and hepatosomatic (HSI) indices were evaluated due to their potential relationships with reproductive performance. The results suggested opposite patterns between fat reserves and GSI, while Kn showed a relationship neither with GSI, nor with reproductive stage, which led us to conclude that it is more advisable to apply direct lipid indices to project their contribution to reproductive potential. Moreover, the females’ condition was generally better than that of the males, added to an advanced gonadal development during spring and summer, albeit males and females reached the spawning season together. Moreover, females’ GSIs were significantly higher during active spawning. Furthermore, correlation analyses showed that SST was related with the parameters evaluated, as well as the available portion of productivity for the fish (OPFish), which may explain the sardines’ better condition and GSIs than their chlorophyll concentration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Environmental Stress on Reproductive Processes of Aquatic Animals)

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Graphical abstract

13 pages, 1744 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Blood Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Gene Expression Differences between Yangtze Finless Porpoises from Two Habitats: Natural and Ex Situ Protected Waters

by Wang Liu, Denghua Yin, Danqing Lin, Yan Yan, Xiaoyan Zhu, Congping Ying, Jialu Zhang, Pao Xu and Kai Liu

Fishes 2022, 7(3), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes7030096 - 21 Apr 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2586

Abstract

The Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis, YFP) is a critically endangered small odontocete species, mainly distributed in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Poyang Lake, and Dongting Lake. Under the influence of human activities, many factors are threatening the survival and reproduction of YFPs in their natural habitat. Ex situ conservation is of great significance to strengthen the rescuing conservation of YFPs by providing suitable alternative habitats and promoting the reproduction and growth of the ex situ population. To reveal the differences in gene expression of YFPs in natural and ex situ protected waters, and to investigate the effects of environmental factors on YFPs and their mechanisms, we performed transcriptome sequencing for blood tissues of YFPs collected from natural waters and ex situ protected waters. Using RNA-seq we identified 4613 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), of which 4485 were up-regulated and 128 were down-regulated in the natural population. GO analysis showed that DEGs were significantly enriched in entries related to binding, catalytic activity, and biological regulation; KEGG analysis showed that DEGs were enriched mainly in signal transduction, endocrine system, immune system, and sensory system-related pathways. Further analysis revealed that water pollution in natural waters may affect the hormone secretion of YFPs by altering the expression pattern of endocrine genes, thus interfering with normal endocrine activities; noise pollution may induce oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in YFPs, thus impairing the auditory function of YFPs. This study provides a new perspective for further research on the effect of habitat conditions on the YFPs and suggests that improving the habitat environment may help in the conservation of YFPs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Environmental Stress on Reproductive Processes of Aquatic Animals)

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Review

Jump to: Research

16 pages, 387 KiB

Open AccessReview

Parental Effects and Reproductive Potential of Fish and Marine Invertebrates: Cross-Generational Impact of Environmental Experiences

by Rosario Domínguez-Petit, Cristina García-Fernández, Ezequiel Leonarduzzi, Karina Rodrigues and Gustavo Javier Macchi

Fishes 2022, 7(4), 188; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes7040188 - 27 Jul 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3226

Abstract

The reproductive success of aquatic animals depends on a complex web of relationships between the environment, the attributes of the reproductive individuals and human-induced selection. All of them are manifested directly or indirectly through parental effects, which can also compensate for certain external impacts. Parental effects refer to the influence that the phenotype and environmental conditions in which individuals develop exert on the phenotype of their offspring, and they can even have transgenerational impact. This paper describes the different types of parental effects and reviews the published literature to analyze the causes of their variation and their impact on reproductive resilience and population dynamics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Environmental Stress on Reproductive Processes of Aquatic Animals)

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Graphical abstract

16 pages, 4946 KiB

Open AccessReview

Potential Impact of Climate Change on Fish Reproductive Phenology: A Case Study in Gonochoric and Hermaphrodite Commercially Important Species from the Southern Gulf of Mexico

by Thierry Brulé, Ximena Renán and Teresa Colás-Marrufo

Fishes 2022, 7(4), 156; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes7040156 - 29 Jun 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4080

Abstract

In tropical regions, temperature is the fundamental environmental factor controlling the reproduction-related physiological activities of fish. Tropical fish are particularly sensitive to climate change since they develop in a relatively stable thermal environment. A review was done to assess the potential effect of temperature rise on reproduction and population structure in the commercially important hermaphrodite grouper and wrasse species, and in gonochoric snapper species in the southern Gulf of Mexico. Temperature increase can disturb the aromatase synthesis and/or activity, which can affect the reproductive cycle and sexual differentiation in all studied species and the sexual inversion process in sequential hermaphrodites. Moreover, a mistiming or discontinuity in spawning seasonality could occur, with an alteration in the sex ratio in favor of males and a consequent reduction in populations’ fecundity. Furthermore, if the level of fishing exploitation enhances species’ sensitivity to environmental changes, then the stock of red grouper Epinephelus morio would be more affected by temperature increases than other species because it is the only fish population in the Campeche Bank currently assessed as overexploited. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Environmental Stress on Reproductive Processes of Aquatic Animals)

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