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Oxygen consumption and feeding rates of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) reveal lack of acclimation to cold

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry volume 29, pages 313–321 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

Low temperature has been implicated in inducing outbreaks of ‘winter syndrome’ or ‘winter disease’ in farmed gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata). The responses of gilthead sea bream to reduced temperature followed by maintenance at low temperaturewere studied. In a first experiment, oxygen consumptionwas measured when water temperature was reduced from 18°C to 8 °C at either a rate of 1 °C· day-1 or as two ‘sharp drops’ (from 18 °C to 12 °C, and from 12 °C to 8 °C). In a second experiment, the water temperature was reduced from 16 °C to 8 °C or 12 °C and then maintained for 20 days to study the fish acclimation to these temperatures. In both experiments, fish stopped feeding below 13 °C and did not resume feeding when maintained at low temperatures. The decrease in metabolic activity, expressed by the oxygen consumption rate, was directly related to the fall in water temperature: the Q10(18 °C-8 °C) values were between 2.2–2.5, independently of the descend rate in water temperature. However, we observed a more reduced metabolic rate when the water temperature was below 12 °C. Fish maintained at low temperatures showed only a partial recovery in oxygen consumption (15% at 8 °C and 20% at 12 °C) after 20 days. A higher metabolic rate together with a fasting-temperature condition meant that maintenance at 12 °C was more aggressive than at 8 °C, as revealed by the condition factor and energy needs. Data suggest that 12 .C could be a threshold temperature for the metabolic activity of gilthead sea bream. The relationship between low temperatures and their possible implication in the appearance of ‘winter disease’ in gilthead sea bream is also discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departament de Fisiologia, Facultat de Biologia, Centre de Referéncia de Recerca i Desenvolupament en Aqüicultura de la Generalitat de Catalunya, Universitat de Barcelona, CRAC , Avd. Diagonal 645, E-08028, Barcelona, Spain

    A. Ibarz, J. Fernández-Borràs, J. Blasco, M. A. Gallardo & J. Sánchez

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  1. A. Ibarz
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  2. J. Fernández-Borràs
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  3. J. Blasco
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  4. M. A. Gallardo
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  5. J. Sánchez
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Correspondence to A. Ibarz.

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Ibarz, A., Fernández-Borràs, J., Blasco, J. et al. Oxygen consumption and feeding rates of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) reveal lack of acclimation to cold. Fish Physiol Biochem 29, 313–321 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-004-3321-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-004-3321-8

Keywords

  • fish
  • metabolic rate
  • oxygen consumption
  • Q10
  • temperature
  • winter disease

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