title: Species specificity in the magnitude and duration of the acute stress response in Mediterranean marine fish in culture.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to examine the species-specific stress response for seven Mediterranean fishes in culture. Also, to evaluate the method of measuring free cortisol concentration in the rearing water as a non-invasive and reliable indicator of stress in marine species, of aquaculture importance. Gilthead sea bream, Sparus aurata (Sparidae); common dentex, Dentex dentex (Sparidae); common Pandora, Pagellus erythrinus (Sparidae); sharpsnout sea bream, Diplodus puntazzo (Sparidae); dusky grouper, Epinephelus marginatus (Serranidae); meagre, Argyrosomus regius (Sciaenidae) and European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax (Moronidae) were subjected to identical acute stress (5-6 min chasing and 1-1.5 min air exposure) under the same environmental conditions and samples were analyzed by the same procedures. Results indicated that there was a clear species-specificity in the magnitude, timing and duration of the stress response in terms of cortisol, glucose and lactate. European sea bass showed a very high response and dusky grouper and meagre a very low response, except plasma glucose concentrations of dusky grouper which was constantly high, while sharpsnout sea bream presented a protracted stress response, up to 8h. The present study confirmed that free cortisol release rate into the water can be used as a reliable stress indicator.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Crete, PO Box 2208, GR-71409 Heraklion, Crete, Greece. fanouraki@edu.biology.uoc.gr
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fanouraki
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Mylonas
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Papandroulakis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pavlidis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D010473:Perciformes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D021541:Sea Bream / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D013045:Species Specificity; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D019344:Lactic Acid; D006854:Hydrocortisone