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Exposure to different temperature regimes at early life stages affects hatching, developmental morphology, larval growth, and muscle cellularity in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss

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Abstract

In this study, the effects of temperature on hatching, yolk-sac absorption, larval metamorphosis, post-metamorphic growth, developmental morphology, and muscle cellularity were assessed in rainbow trout, during its early development (until 52 days post-hatching, dph). From the eyed-ova stage, embryos were exposed to either low (8 ± 1 °C, LT-8) or high (16 ± 1 °C, HT-16) temperatures until hatching. Following hatching, half of the sac-fry from LT-8 group were shifted to higher temperature (16 ± 1 °C, LHT-16), and half from HT-16 group were shifted to medium temperature (13 ± 1 °C, HMT-13), for larval rearing. Incubating the eyed-ova at 16 °C preceded the hatching by 6 days, synchronized hatching duration, and minimized hatchlings’ size-variation. However, it yielded smaller and morphologically less developed individuals compared to those incubated continuously at 8 ± 1 °C. Post-hatch shifting of sac-fry to high and medium temperatures, respectively, from the initial low and high regimes differentially affected the length and weight of fish. The effect on length was immediate and temporary, but on weight, it appeared to be permanent. Red muscle hypertrophy was observed to be high in HT-16 and HMT-13 individuals (high-temperature incubated groups). White muscle hypertrophy was high in HT-16 and LHT-16 individuals (high post-hatch rearing temperature groups). The effect of early-life temperature regimes on developmental morphology was found to be strong at 22 dph (82.5%) and comparatively weak at 52 dph (65%). The post-hatch rearing temperature caused an immediate but temporary effect on fin development, mainly pectoral, caudal, and anal fin (seen only at 22 dph, not at 52 dph). Contrarily, incubation temperature affected fin position, in a delayed but persistent manner (subtle at 22 dph, but stronger at 52 dph). Overall, this study provides new insights on temperature-dependent changes in developmental morphology, muscle cellularity, and larval growth in rainbow trout and shows that incubation temperature affects ontogeny profoundly than post-hatch thermal regimes.

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Acknowledgements

The funding support provided by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research for this study under the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (ICAR-NICRA) project is gratefully acknowledged. The authors are grateful to the Director, ICAR-Directorate of Coldwater Fisheries Research, for providing necessary facilities and support to successfully carry out this study.

Funding

Funded by Indian Council of Agricultural Research under the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (ICAR-NICRA) program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ICAR-Directorate of Coldwater Fisheries Research, Bhimtal, Uttarakhand, 263136, India

    Maneesh Kumar Dubey, Biju Sam Kamalam, Manchi Rajesh, Debajit Sarma, Anupam Pandey, Pratibha Baral & Prakash Sharma

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  1. Maneesh Kumar Dubey
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  2. Biju Sam Kamalam
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  3. Manchi Rajesh
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  7. Prakash Sharma
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Contributions

Prakash Sharma and Biju Sam Kamalam designed the temperature-responsive developmental ontogeny experiment under the ICAR-DCFR NICRA project. Debajit Sarma and Biju Sam Kamalam did the project administration and fund acquisition. Rajesh M. facilitated and monitored the experimentation. Maneesh Kumar Dubey executed the experiment, collected samples, and performed morphometric and histological analyses. Maneesh Kumar Dubey and Prakash Sharma collectively carried out data analyses and prepared the original draft. Anupam Pandey and Pratibha Baral contributed to the experimentation and sample collection. Biju Sam Kamalam, Rajesh M., Debajit Sarma, and Anupam Pandey reviewed the draft, and all the authors approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Prakash Sharma.

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The fish handling and sampling protocols comply with the guidelines of the Institute Animal Care and Use Committee of ICAR-DCFR, Bhimtal, India.

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Dubey, M.K., Kamalam, B.S., Rajesh, M. et al. Exposure to different temperature regimes at early life stages affects hatching, developmental morphology, larval growth, and muscle cellularity in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Fish Physiol Biochem 49, 219–238 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-023-01175-8

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