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Fluctuating asymmetry in farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) juveniles: also a maternal matter?

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Abstract

Developmental stability reflects the degree to which phenotypic expression is unaffected by random accidents or developmental noise. Developmental stability may be measured by phenodeviance or fluctuating asymmetry (FA), and estimation of developmental stability has attracted substantial interest because it appears to represent a relatively simple method to identify sub lethal stress exposure and to assess animal welfare. As a part of a long-term study, the work presented here primarily aimed to investigate impacts on developmental instability in farmed salmon offspring ten months post hatch attributable to maternal cortisol administration prior to spawning and mild hyperthermia exerted during incubation. Main results show that maternal cortisol enhancement increased the level of FA in pectoral and pelvic fins, but did not affect the frequency of malformations in offspring. Mild hyperthermia during incubation increased weight and fork length and also increased pelvic fin FA. Malformed fish were heavier and longer than the normal ones, and pelvic fin asymmetry was positively related to condition factor. These results illustrate plausible lasting impacts on offspring development due to the maternal endocrinological state at spawning and indicate that developmental instability in farmed salmon juveniles may mirror aspects of the broodstock’s housing conditions.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the valuable help of the technical staff at Bolaks, Eikelandsosen and at AKVAFORSK, Sunndalsøra. We also thank Agnethe-Iren Sandem for assistance during asymmetry measurements and Geir Totland for his input regarding fin ray formation in salmon. Finally we wish to thank two anonymous reviewers for constructive comments on an earlier draft of this article. Eriksen’s contribution was financially supported by the Norwegian Research Council, project no. 143213/140.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432, Ås, Norway

    Marit Skog Eriksen, Bjarne Olai Braastad, Ragnar Salte & Morten Bakken

  2. The Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, P.O. Box 8146 Dep, NO-0033, Oslo, Norway

    Trygve Poppe

  3. AKVAFORSK, Institute of Aquaculture Research, N-6600, Sunndalsøra, Norway

    Åsa Marie Espmark

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  1. Marit Skog Eriksen
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  2. Åsa Marie Espmark
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Correspondence to Marit Skog Eriksen.

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Eriksen, M.S., Espmark, Å.M., Poppe, T. et al. Fluctuating asymmetry in farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) juveniles: also a maternal matter?. Environ Biol Fish 81, 87–99 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-006-9174-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-006-9174-5

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