Abstract
We studied the effects of salinity on survival, growth, food conversion efficiency and plasma osmolality of juvenile Siganus guttatus in two independent experiments. In the first experiment, fish were transferred from 30 ‰ salinity to freshwater, 5, 10, 20 and 30 ‰ salinities for 192 h. No fish died when transferred directly from 30 ‰ to salinities >5 ‰. However, all fish died in the freshwater treatment. In the second experiment, survival, growth, feeding rate, food conversion efficiency and plasma osmolality of fish were analyzed during 6 weeks in salinities of 5, 10, 20 and 30 ‰ (control). At the end of this experiment, the final weight and the specific growth rate of fish were significantly greater at 10 ‰ than fish in all other treatments. Feeding rate increased significantly with decreasing salinity: 10 ‰ > 20 ‰ > 30 ‰. However, the food conversion efficiency was not significantly different between fish in any treatment. Plasma osmolality of fish in 20 and 30 ‰ salinity was significantly greater than fish reared at 10 or 5 ‰. A salinity of 13.95 ‰ (411.88 mOsmol/kg) was the point of isosmolality for juvenile S. guttatus.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bœuf G, Payan P (2001) How should salinity influence fish growth? Comp Biochem Physiol 130C:411–423
Broad G (2003) Fishes of the Philippines. Anvil, Pasi City, p 510
Gaumet F, Bœuf G, Sévère A, Le Roux A, Mayer-Gostan N (1995) Effects of salinity on the ionic balance and growth of juvenile turbot. J Fish Biol 47:865–876
Hara S, Kohno H, Taki Y (1986) Spawning behavior and early life history of the rabbitfish, Siganus guttatus, in the laboratory. Aquaculture 59:273–285
Iwama GK (1996) Growth of salmonids. In: Pennell W, Barton BA (eds) Principles of salmonid culture. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 487–488
Juario JV, Duray MN, Duray VM, Nacario JF, Almendras JME (1985) Breeding and larval rearing of the rabbitfish, Siganus guttatus (Bloch). Aquaculture 44:91–101
Laiz-Carrión R, Sangiao-Alvarellos S, Guzmán JM, María P, Río M, Soengas JL, Mancera JM (2005) Growth performance of gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata in different osmotic conditions: implications for osmoregulation and energy metabolism. Aquaculture 250:849–861
Lambert Y, Dutil JD, Munro J (1994) Effect of intermediate and low salinity conditions on growth rate and food conversion of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Can J Fish Aquat Sci 51:1569–1576
Le Bail PY, Bœuf G (1997) What hormones may regulate appetite in fish? Aquat Living Resour 10:371–379
Liu J, Zhang L, Zhuang P, Zhao F, Zhang T, Feng G, Huang X, Yan W, Hou J (2009) Study on artificial propagation of Siganus guttatus. Mar Fish 31:73–81 (in Chinese)
Marshall WS, Grosell M (2005) Ion transport, osmoregulation, and acid–base balance. In: Evans DH, Claiborne JB (eds) The physiology of fishes, 3rd edn. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 179–214
McKay LR, Gjerde B (1985) The effect of salinity on growth of rainbow trout. Aquaculture 49:325–331
Moser ML, Miller JM (1994) Effects of salinity fluctuation on routine metabolism of juvenile spot, Leiostomus xanthurus. J Fish Biol 45:335–340
Sampaio LA, Bianchini A (2002) Salinity effects on osmoregulation and growth of the euryhaline flounder Paralichthys orbignyanus. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 269:187–196
Saoud IP, Kreydiyyeh S, Chalfoun A, Fakih M (2007) Influence of salinity on survival, growth, plasma osmolality and gill Na+-K+-ATPase activity in the rabbitfish Siganus rivulatus. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 348:183–190
Tsuzuki MY, Sugai JK, Maciel JC, Francisco CJ, Cerqueira VR (2007) Survival, growth and digestive enzyme activity of juveniles of the fat snook (Centropomus parallelus) reared at different salinities. Aquaculture 271:319–325
Wada T, Aritaki M, Tanaka M (2004) Effects of low salinity on the growth and development of spotted halibut Verasper variegatus in the larae-juvenile, transformation period with reference to pituitary prolactin and chloride cells response. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 308:113–126
Wang J-Q, Lui H, Po H, Fan L (1997) Influence of salinity on food consumption, growth and energy conversion efficiency of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) fingerlings. Aquaculture 148:115–124
Woodland DJ (1990) Revision of the fish family Siganidae with descriptions of two new species and comments on distribution and biology. Indo-Pac Fish 19:1–136
Woodland DJ (1997) Siganidae. Spinefoots, rabbitfishes. In: Carpenter KE, Niem VH (eds) FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. FAO, Rome, pp 2069–2790
Young PS, Dueñas CE (1993) Salinity tolerance of fertilized eggs and yolk-sac larvae of the rabbitfish Siganus guttatus (Bloch). Aquaculture 112:363–377
Zhao F, Zhuang P, Zhang L, Liu J, Zhang T, Feng G, Huang X (2007) Advances on the studies of rabbitfish reproductive biology. Mar Fish 29:365–370 (in Chinese)
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Dr. Boyd Kynard and Dr. Zhang Dong for their advices and comments on the manuscript. This work was financially supported by grants from Agriculture Commission of Shanghai (project NO. 2009/5–7) and Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai (project NO. 093919N1300).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhao, F., Wang, Y., Zhang, L. et al. Survival, growth, food conversion efficiency and plasma osmolality of juvenile Siganus guttatus (Bloch, 1787): experimental analyses of salinity effects. Fish Physiol Biochem 39, 1025–1030 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-012-9759-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-012-9759-1