Behavioural Monitoring Underlines Habituation to Repeated Stressor Stimuli in Farmed Gilthead Sea Bream (<i>Sparus aurata</i>) Reared at a High Stocking Density

A confinement stress test with 75% tank space reduction and behavioural monitoring through tri-axial accelerometers externally attached to the operculum was designed. This procedure was validated by demonstrating the less pronounced stress response in gilthead sea bream than in European sea bass (95...

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Main Authors: Paul G. Holhorea, Fernando Naya-Català, Ricardo Domingo-Bretón, Federico Moroni, Álvaro Belenguer, Josep À. Calduch-Giner, Jaume Pérez-Sánchez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-10-01
Series:Biology
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/13/11/879
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author Paul G. Holhorea
Fernando Naya-Català
Ricardo Domingo-Bretón
Federico Moroni
Álvaro Belenguer
Josep À. Calduch-Giner
Jaume Pérez-Sánchez
author_facet Paul G. Holhorea
Fernando Naya-Català
Ricardo Domingo-Bretón
Federico Moroni
Álvaro Belenguer
Josep À. Calduch-Giner
Jaume Pérez-Sánchez
author_sort Paul G. Holhorea
collection DOAJ
description A confinement stress test with 75% tank space reduction and behavioural monitoring through tri-axial accelerometers externally attached to the operculum was designed. This procedure was validated by demonstrating the less pronounced stress response in gilthead sea bream than in European sea bass (950–1200 g). Our study aimed to assess habituation to high stocking densities with such procedure in gilthead sea bream. Animals (420–450 g) were reared (June–August) in a flow-through system at two stocking densities (CTRL: 10–15 kg/m<sup>3</sup>; HD: 18–24 kg/m<sup>3</sup>), with natural photoperiod and temperature (21–29 °C), and oxygen levels at 5.2–4.2 (CTRL) and 4.2–3.2 ppm (HD). At the end, blood and muscle were sampled for haematology and transcriptomic analyses, and external tissue damage was assessed by image-based scoring. Four days later, fish underwent a 45 min confinement stress test over two consecutive days. HD fish showed reduced feed intake, growth rates and haematopoietic activity. Muscle transcriptome changes indicated a shift from systemic to local growth regulation and a primed muscle regeneration over protein accretion in HD animals with slight external injuries. After stress testing, HD fish exhibited a decreased recovery time in activity and respiration rates, which was shorter after a second stressor exposure, confirming habituation to high densities.
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spelling doaj-art-93100fe80da94214a58c8400a34ec7be2025-08-20T01:53:40ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372024-10-01131187910.3390/biology13110879Behavioural Monitoring Underlines Habituation to Repeated Stressor Stimuli in Farmed Gilthead Sea Bream (<i>Sparus aurata</i>) Reared at a High Stocking DensityPaul G. Holhorea0Fernando Naya-Català1Ricardo Domingo-Bretón2Federico Moroni3Álvaro Belenguer4Josep À. Calduch-Giner5Jaume Pérez-Sánchez6Nutrigenomics and Fish Growth Endocrinology Group, Institute of Aquaculture Torre de la Sal (IATS, CSIC), 12595 Castellón, SpainNutrigenomics and Fish Growth Endocrinology Group, Institute of Aquaculture Torre de la Sal (IATS, CSIC), 12595 Castellón, SpainNutrigenomics and Fish Growth Endocrinology Group, Institute of Aquaculture Torre de la Sal (IATS, CSIC), 12595 Castellón, SpainNutrigenomics and Fish Growth Endocrinology Group, Institute of Aquaculture Torre de la Sal (IATS, CSIC), 12595 Castellón, SpainNutrigenomics and Fish Growth Endocrinology Group, Institute of Aquaculture Torre de la Sal (IATS, CSIC), 12595 Castellón, SpainNutrigenomics and Fish Growth Endocrinology Group, Institute of Aquaculture Torre de la Sal (IATS, CSIC), 12595 Castellón, SpainNutrigenomics and Fish Growth Endocrinology Group, Institute of Aquaculture Torre de la Sal (IATS, CSIC), 12595 Castellón, SpainA confinement stress test with 75% tank space reduction and behavioural monitoring through tri-axial accelerometers externally attached to the operculum was designed. This procedure was validated by demonstrating the less pronounced stress response in gilthead sea bream than in European sea bass (950–1200 g). Our study aimed to assess habituation to high stocking densities with such procedure in gilthead sea bream. Animals (420–450 g) were reared (June–August) in a flow-through system at two stocking densities (CTRL: 10–15 kg/m<sup>3</sup>; HD: 18–24 kg/m<sup>3</sup>), with natural photoperiod and temperature (21–29 °C), and oxygen levels at 5.2–4.2 (CTRL) and 4.2–3.2 ppm (HD). At the end, blood and muscle were sampled for haematology and transcriptomic analyses, and external tissue damage was assessed by image-based scoring. Four days later, fish underwent a 45 min confinement stress test over two consecutive days. HD fish showed reduced feed intake, growth rates and haematopoietic activity. Muscle transcriptome changes indicated a shift from systemic to local growth regulation and a primed muscle regeneration over protein accretion in HD animals with slight external injuries. After stress testing, HD fish exhibited a decreased recovery time in activity and respiration rates, which was shorter after a second stressor exposure, confirming habituation to high densities.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/13/11/879gilthead sea breamEuropean sea bassstocking densityO<sub>2</sub> availabilityhabituationadaptation
spellingShingle Paul G. Holhorea
Fernando Naya-Català
Ricardo Domingo-Bretón
Federico Moroni
Álvaro Belenguer
Josep À. Calduch-Giner
Jaume Pérez-Sánchez
Behavioural Monitoring Underlines Habituation to Repeated Stressor Stimuli in Farmed Gilthead Sea Bream (<i>Sparus aurata</i>) Reared at a High Stocking Density
Biology
gilthead sea bream
European sea bass
stocking density
O<sub>2</sub> availability
habituation
adaptation
title Behavioural Monitoring Underlines Habituation to Repeated Stressor Stimuli in Farmed Gilthead Sea Bream (<i>Sparus aurata</i>) Reared at a High Stocking Density
title_full Behavioural Monitoring Underlines Habituation to Repeated Stressor Stimuli in Farmed Gilthead Sea Bream (<i>Sparus aurata</i>) Reared at a High Stocking Density
title_fullStr Behavioural Monitoring Underlines Habituation to Repeated Stressor Stimuli in Farmed Gilthead Sea Bream (<i>Sparus aurata</i>) Reared at a High Stocking Density
title_full_unstemmed Behavioural Monitoring Underlines Habituation to Repeated Stressor Stimuli in Farmed Gilthead Sea Bream (<i>Sparus aurata</i>) Reared at a High Stocking Density
title_short Behavioural Monitoring Underlines Habituation to Repeated Stressor Stimuli in Farmed Gilthead Sea Bream (<i>Sparus aurata</i>) Reared at a High Stocking Density
title_sort behavioural monitoring underlines habituation to repeated stressor stimuli in farmed gilthead sea bream i sparus aurata i reared at a high stocking density
topic gilthead sea bream
European sea bass
stocking density
O<sub>2</sub> availability
habituation
adaptation
url https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/13/11/879
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