139792 - Hypoxia during incubation does not affect aerobic performance or haematology of Atlantic salmon when re-exposed in later life.pdf (659.01 kB)
Hypoxia during incubation does not affect aerobic performance or haematology of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) when re-exposed in later life
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-20, 15:51 authored by Wood, At, Sarah AndrewarthaSarah Andrewartha, Nicholas Elliott, Peter FrappellPeter Frappell, Clark, TDHypoxia in aquatic ecosystems is becoming increasingly prevalent, potentially reducing fish performance and survival by limiting the oxygen available for aerobic activities. Hypoxia is a challenge for conserving and managing fish populations and demands a better understanding of the short- and long-term impacts of hypoxic environments on fish performance. Fish acclimate to hypoxia via a variety of short- and long-term physiological modifications in an attempt to maintain aerobic performance. In particular, hypoxia exposure during early development may result in enduring cardio-respiratory modifications that affect future hypoxia acclimation capacity, yet this possibility remains poorly investigated. We incubated Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in normoxia (∼100% dissolved oxygen [DO, as percent air saturation]), moderate hypoxia (∼63% DO) or cyclical hypoxia (100-25% DO daily) from fertilization until 113 days post-fertilization prior to rearing all groups in normoxia for a further 8 months. At ∼11 months of age, subsets of each group were acclimated to hypoxia (50% DO) for up to 44 days prior to haematology, aerobic metabolic rate and hypoxia tolerance measurements. Hypoxia exposure during incubation (fertilization to 113 days post-fertilization) did not affect the haematology, aerobic performance or hypoxia tolerance of juvenile salmon in later life. Juveniles acclimated to hypoxia increased maximum aerobic metabolic rate and aerobic scope by ∼23 and ∼52%, respectively, when measured at 50% DO but not at 100% DO. Hypoxia-incubated juveniles also increased haematocrit and haemoglobin concentration but did not affect acute hypoxia tolerance (critical oxygen level and DO at LOE). Thus, while Atlantic salmon possess a considerable capacity to physiologically acclimate to hypoxia by improving aerobic performance in low oxygen conditions, we found no evidence that this capacity is influenced by early-life hypoxia exposure.
History
Publication title
Conservation PhysiologyVolume
7Article number
coz088Number
coz088Pagination
1-13ISSN
2051-1434Department/School
Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA)Publisher
Oxford University PressPlace of publication
United KingdomRights statement
Copyright 2019 the authors. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Repository Status
- Open