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Stress response of juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)to chemical cues released from stressed conspecifics

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine whether exposure of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to water containing a stressed trout or skin extract from stressed and non-stressed trout would elicit a stress response in conspecifics. Juvenile rainbow trout were exposed for 1 hour to water containing a stressed fish, homogenized skin extracts from a non-stressed fish, skin extract from a stressed fish and water with none of these factors. The stress response was measured over a 24-h period (1, 6, 12, 24 h after exposure). Plasma cortisol levels increased at 12 h in fish exposed to water from a stressed fish and skin extract from a stressed fish. Plasma glucose and hepatic hsp70 levels were not affected by treatments. The results suggest that rainbow trout elicit a stress response when exposed to stress-related alarm cues released from conspecifics.

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Author notes

  1. L.O.B. Afonso & G.K. Iwama

    Present address: components of the stress response in fish. Exposure Institute for marine Bioscience (IMB), (NRC) , 1411 Oxford St., B3H 3Z1, HS, Halifax, Canada

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and AquaNet, The University or British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    D.G. Toa

  2. Institute for Marine Biosciences, National Research Council, B3H 3Z1, Halifax, NS, Canada

    L.O.B. Afonso

  3. Acadia University, B4P 2R6, Wolfville, NS, Canada

    G.K. Iwama

Authors
  1. D.G. Toa
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  2. L.O.B. Afonso
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  3. G.K. Iwama
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Correspondence to L.O.B. Afonso.

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Toa, D., Afonso, L. & Iwama, G. Stress response of juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)to chemical cues released from stressed conspecifics. Fish Physiol Biochem 30, 103–108 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-005-0266-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-005-0266-5

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