Low stress response exhibited by juvenile yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi Valenciennes) exposed to hypercapnic conditions associated with transportation

Summary, in English

Transportation of yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi Valenciennes) juveniles from hatchery to on-growing operations in New Zealand exposes the fish to significantly elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations. Experiments were undertaken to assess metabolic and haematological stress responses after a 5 h period of hypercapnia followed by recovery in normocapnia. Mortality was low (0.5%) and secondary stress indices (blood glucose, blood lactate, muscle pH and muscle lactate) were largely unchanged during a simulated transportation and recovery, despite juveniles being exposed to CO2 concentrations as high as 75 mg CO2 L-1 (38 mm Hg partial pressure). There was some haematological disturbance midway through simulated transports where water was maintained at fixed CO2 concentrations of 8 and 50 mg CO2 L-1 (4 and 26 mm Hg, respectively). Persistent erythrocyte swelling continued during transport at 50 mg CO2 L-1, whereas at 8 mg CO2 L-1 haematological variables had returned to control levels. There was no mortality recorded for any of the treatments and haematological variables were restored to pre-manipulation levels after 31 h. The results indicated that juvenile yellowtail kingfish have a robust physiology and can cope with the stressors imposed by acute exposure to moderate to high levels of CO2 associated with live transport.

• Author: Damian Moran; R.M.G Wells; S.J Pether
• Publishing year: 2008
• Language: English
• Pages: 1399-1407
• Publication/Series: Aquaculture Research
• Volume: 39
• Issue: 13
• Links: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2109.2008.02009.x
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc.
• Topic: Zoology
• Keywords: lactate; carbon dioxide; haematology; welfare; blood glucose; Hypercapnia; live transport; stress
• Status: Published
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 1365-2109