| 1. |
|
|
| 2. |
- Brijs, J., et al.
(författare)
-
Humane slaughter of African sharptooth catfish (Clarias gariepinus): Effects of various stunning methods on brain function
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Aquaculture. - : Elsevier BV. - 0044-8486 .- 1873-5622. ; 531
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- © 2020 The Authors Common slaughter procedures for African sharptooth catfish (Clarias gariepinus) include asphyxiation, ice chilling and exsanguination, which may all cause substantial suffering over prolonged periods of time before death. Therefore, comprehensive evaluations of potentially more humane slaughter procedures for this species are urgently needed. Here, we use a non-invasive electroencephalographic (EEG) method to assess the state of sensibility in African sharptooth catfish in response to various stunning methods (e.g. ice chilling, electrical stunning, electrical stunning followed by exsanguination, percussive stunning, and immersion in isoeugenol). Based on the abolition of visually evoked responses (VERs) on the EEG, ice slurry immersion induced insensibility between 2.6 and 7.6 min, during which catfish exhibited aversive behaviours. Once VERs were lost, they remained absent so long as catfish remained immersed in the ice slurry. Electrical stunning (i.e. exposure to ~1.7 A dm−2 at a water conductivity of ~997 μS cm−1) induced insensibility immediately but not irreversibly. Depending on the duration of the stun (i.e. from 1 to 10 s), catfish either regained VERs immediately or within 4.9 min after the completion of the electrical insult. However, when a 10 s electrical stun was immediately followed by exsanguination and immersion in an ice slurry, the duration of insensibility was sufficient to humanely kill catfish. When administered correctly, manual percussive stunning with a fish priest induced insensibility immediately and irreversibly. However, 36% of catfish regained VERs, which is likely explained by the difficulty associated with administering an accurate manual percussive stun of sufficient force on a live and struggling catfish. Catfish appeared to be sedated following immersion in isoeugenol (i.e. catfish were calm and easy to handle), yet VERs remained present at doses exceeding that recommended for euthanasia in salmonids, which indicates that this substance may not be suitable for stunning catfish. However, the potential for using isoeugenol as a pre-stunning sedative for improving handleability and reducing handling stress of this species warrants further investigation. In conclusion, this study clearly demonstrates that when singularly administered, none of the abovementioned stunning methods could reliably induce insensibility immediately and/or irreversibly without welfare implications. Yet, our findings indicate that these shortcomings can be resolved by using a combination of methods. This could include an electrical or percussive stun to immediately induce insensibility that should be immediately followed by exsanguination and immersion in an ice slurry to maintain insensibility until death.
|
|
| 3. |
- Green, L, et al.
(författare)
-
Data supporting: Invader at the edge - genomic origins and physiological differences of round gobies across a steep urban salinity gradient
- 2022
-
Annan publikationabstract
- Species invasions are a global problem of increasing concern, especially in highly connected aquatic environments. Despite this, salinity conditions can pose physiological barriers to their spread and understanding them is important for management. In Scandinavia’s largest cargo port, the invasive round goby (Neogobius melanostomus), is established across a steep salinity gradient. We used 12 937 SNPs to identify the genetic origin and diversity of three sites along the salinity gradient and round goby from western, central and northern Baltic Sea, as well as north European rivers. Fish from two sites from the extreme ends of the gradient were also acclimated to freshwater and seawater, and tested for respiratory and osmoregulatory physiology. Fish from the high salinity environment in the outer port showed higher genetic diversity, and closer relatedness to the other regions, compared to fish from lower salinity upstream the river. Fish from the high salinity site also had higher maximum metabolic rate, fewer blood cells and lower blood Ca2+. Despite these genotypic and phenotypic differences, salinity acclimation affected fish from both sites in the same way: seawater increased the blood osmolality and Na+ levels, and freshwater increased the levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Our results show genotypic and phenotypic differences over short spatial scales across this steep salinity gradient. These patterns of the physiologically robust round goby are likely driven by multiple introductions into the high salinity site, and a process of sorting, likely based on behaviour or selection, along the gradient. Since this euryhaline fish risks spreading from this area, seascape genomics and phenotypic characterisation can inform management strategies even within an area as small as a coastal harbour inlet.
|
|
| 4. |
- Brijs, J., et al.
(författare)
-
Bio-sensing technologies in aquaculture: how remote monitoring can bring us closer to our farm animals
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences. - : The Royal Society. - 0962-8436 .- 1471-2970. ; 376:1830
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Farmed aquatic animals represent an increasingly important source of food for a growing human population. However, the aquaculture industry faces several challenges with regard to producing a profitable, ethical and environmentally sustainable product, which are exacerbated by the ongoing intensification of operations and increasingly extreme and unpredictable climate conditions. Fortunately, bio-sensors capable of measuring a range of environmental, behavioural and physiological variables (e.g. temperature, dissolved gases, depth, acceleration, ventilation, heart rate, blood flow, glucose and l-lactic acid) represent exciting and innovative tools for assessing the health and welfare of farmed animals in aquaculture. Here, we illustrate how these state-of-the-art technologies can provide unique insights into variables pertaining to the inner workings of the animal to elucidate animal-environment interactions throughout the production cycle, as well as to provide insights on how farmed animals perceive and respond to environmental and anthropogenic perturbations. Using examples based on current challenges (i.e. sub-optimal feeding strategies, sub-optimal animal welfare and environmental changes), we discuss how bio-sensors can contribute towards optimizing the growth, health and welfare of farmed animals under dynamically changing on-farm conditions. While bio-sensors currently represent tools that are primarily used for research, the continuing development and refinement of these technologies may eventually allow farmers to use real-time environmental and physiological data from their stock as 'early warning systems' and/or for refining day-to-day operations to ethically and sustainably optimize production. This article is part of the theme issue 'Measuring physiology in free-living animals (Part I)'.
|
|
| 5. |
- Hjelmstedt, P., et al.
(författare)
-
Assessing the effectiveness of percussive and electrical stunning in rainbow trout: Does an epileptic-like seizure imply brain failure?
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Aquaculture. - : Elsevier BV. - 0044-8486 .- 1873-5622. ; 552
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Both percussive and electrical stunning have been highlighted as methods that can be used to quickly render fish unconscious before being killed. However, accurately assessing unconsciousness in animals following stunning remains challenging, and thus methods for reliable interpretation and validation of different stunning methods are urgently needed. Here, we used a non-invasive technique to continuously record electroencephalograms (EEG) of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) enabling us to compare the effects of both percussive stunning, using a captive bolt gun, and various combinations of electrical stun parameters delivered in water. The EEG signals were assessed for the absence or presence of an epileptic-like seizure and for visually evoked responses (VERs). No epileptic-like seizures or VERs were observed after captive bolt stunning. We found that it is possible to reliably induce an epileptic-like seizure and an immediate, but short lasting, loss of VERs following a 1 s exposure to an electrical field strength of at least 2.8 VRMS cm−1 and current density of 0.22 ARMS dm−2 in water of conductivity of ~1000 μS cm−1 using a 50 Hz AC current. However, to avoid recovery of VERs shortly after the stun, it was necessary to increase the duration of the stun application (≥30 s), the electrical field strength (10.2 VRMS cm−1) and the current density (0.84 ARMS dm−2 respectively). We found no clear relationship between presence and absence of ventilation and VERs following electrical stunning in rainbow trout, highlighting that loss of ventilation may not be a good indicator of brain failure in rainbow trout. Our results clearly show that the presence of an epileptic-like seizure following an electrical stun does not guarantee a prolonged period where the fish is unresponsive to visual stimulation (i.e. absence of VERs). It was further found that VERs can return before the end of the seizure. As both presence of a seizure and absence of VERs have been used independently as indicators of unconsciousness in fish, we emphasize the necessity to carefully consider and evaluate the reliability of neurophysiological indicators of unconsciousness when validating methods to stun fish. © 2022
|
|
| 6. |
- Hjelmstedt, P., et al.
(författare)
-
Effects of prophylactic antibiotic-treatment on post-surgical recovery following intraperitoneal bio-logger implantation in rainbow trout
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 10:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Bio-logging devices can provide unique insights on the life of freely moving animals. However, implanting these devices often requires invasive surgery that causes stress and physiological side-effects. While certain medications in connection to surgeries have therapeutic capacity, others may have aversive effects. Here, we hypothesized that the commonly prescribed prophylactic treatment with enrofloxacin would increase the physiological recovery rate and reduce the presence of systemic inflammation following the intraperitoneal implantation of a heart rate bio-logger in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). To assess post-surgical recovery, heart rate was recorded for 21 days in trout with or without enrofloxacin treatment. Contrary to our hypothesis, treated trout exhibited a prolonged recovery time and elevated resting heart rates during the first week of post-surgical recovery compared to untreated trout. In addition, an upregulated mRNA expression of TNFα in treated trout indicate a possible inflammatory response 21 days post-surgery. Interestingly, the experience level of the surgeon was observed to have a long-lasting impact on heart rate. In conclusion, our study showed no favorable effects of enrofloxacin treatment. Our findings highlight the importance of adequate post-surgical recovery times and surgical training with regards to improving the welfare of experimental animals and reliability of research outcomes. © 2020, The Author(s).
|
|
| 7. |
- Zavorka, L., et al.
(författare)
-
Laboratory captivity can affect scores of metabolic rates and activity in wild brown trout
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Journal of Zoology. - : Wiley. - 0952-8369 .- 1469-7998. ; 307:4, s. 249-255
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Phenotypic scoring of wild animals under standardized laboratory conditions is important as it allows field ecologists and evolutionary biologists to understand the development and maintenance of interindividual differences in plastic traits (e.g. behaviour and physiology). However, captivity is associated with a shift from a natural familiar environment to an unfamiliar and artificial environment, which may affect estimates of plastic phenotypic traits. In this study, we tested how previous experience with laboratory environments and time spent in captivity affects behavioural (i.e. activity) and metabolic (i.e. standard and maximum metabolic rates) scoring of our model species, wild brown trout Salmo trutta. We found that individuals with previous experience of laboratory captivity (10.5 months earlier) showed higher activity in an open field test than individuals with no prior experience of laboratory captivity. Previous experience with captivity had no significant effect on metabolic rates. However, metabolic rates seemed to increase with increasing time spent in captivity prior to the collection of measurements. Although there are benefits of keeping wild animals in captivity prior to scoring, our results suggest that while allowing for sufficient acclimatization researchers should aim at minimizing time in captivity of wild animals to increase accuracy and ecological relevance of the scoring of plastic phenotypic traits.
|
|
| 8. |
- Brijs, J., et al.
(författare)
-
In vivo aerobic metabolism of the rainbow trout gut and the effects of an acute temperature increase and stress event
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Journal of Experimental Biology. - : The Company of Biologists. - 0022-0949 .- 1477-9145. ; 221:14
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The fish gut is responsible for numerous potentially energetically costly processes, yet little is known about its metabolism. Here, we provide the first in vivo measurements of aerobic metabolism of the gut in a teleost fish by measuring gut blood flow, as well as arterial and portal venous oxygen content. At 10 degrees C, gut oxygen uptake rate was 4.3 +/- 0.5 ml O-2 h(-1) kg(-1) (similar to 11 % of whole-animal oxygen uptake). Following acute warming to 15 degrees C, gut blood flow increased similar to 3.4-fold and gut oxygen uptake rate increased similar to 3.7-fold (16.0 +/- 3.3 ml O-2 h(-1) kg(-1)), now representing similar to 25% of whole-animal oxygen uptake. Although gut blood flow decreased following an acute stress event at 15 degrees C, gut oxygen uptake remained unchanged as a result of a similar to 2-fold increase in oxygen extraction. The high metabolic thermal sensitivity of the gut could have important implications for the overall aerobic capacity and performance of fish in a warming world and warrants further investigation.
|
|
| 9. |
- Brijs, J., et al.
(författare)
-
Prevalence and severity of cardiac abnormalities and arteriosclerosis in farmed rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Aquaculture. - : Elsevier BV. - 0044-8486 .- 1873-5622. ; 526
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cardiovascular disease may pose a major threat to the health and welfare of farmed fish. By investigating a range of established cardiovascular disease indicators, we aimed to determine the prevalence, severity and consequences of this affliction in farmed rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) from an open cage farm in the Baltic Sea, an open cage farm in a freshwater lake, and a land-based recirculating aquaculture system. We also aimed to identify environmental, anthropogenic and physiological factors contributing towards the development of the disease. The majority of trout possessed enlarged hearts with rounded ventricles (mean height:width ratios of 1.0–1.1 c.f. ~1.3 in wild fish) and a high degree of vessel misalignment (mean angles between the longitudinal ventricular axis and the axis of the bulbus arteriosus of 28–31 °c.f. ~23° in wild fish). The prevalence and severity of coronary arteriosclerosis was also high, as 92–100% of fish from the different aquaculture facilities exhibited coronary lesions. Mean lesion incidence and severity indices were 67–95% and 3.1–3.9, respectively, which resulted in mean coronary arterial blockages of 19–32%. To evaluate the functional significance of these findings, we modelled the effects of arterial blockages on coronary blood flow and experimentally tested the effects of coronary occlusion in a sub-sample of fish. The observed coronary blockages were estimated to reduce coronary blood flow by 34–54% while experimental coronary occlusion adversely affected the electrocardiogram of trout. Across a range of environmental (water current, predation), anthropogenic (boat traffic intensity, hatchery of origin, brand of feed pellets) and physiological factors (condition factor, haematological and plasma indices), the hatchery of origin was the main factor contributing towards the observed variation in the development of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, further research on the effects of selective breeding programs and rearing strategies on the development of cardiovascular disease is needed to improve the welfare and health of farmed fish. © 2020 The Authors
|
|
| 10. |
- Brijs, J., et al.
(författare)
-
Prospects and pitfalls of using heart rate bio-loggers to assess the welfare of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in aquaculture
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Aquaculture. - : Elsevier BV. - 0044-8486 .- 1873-5622. ; 509, s. 188-197
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- - Investigating real-time stress responses during common aquaculture practices is necessary for improving the welfare of farmed fish. Recently, Star-Oddi DST milli-HRT bio-loggers capable of measuring heart rate (as an indicator for stress) in freely swimming fish have proved to be useful in this regard. However, despite the growing popularity of these devices, they have not yet been stringently evaluated and validated for use in fish. The present study is the first to do so by simultaneously recording heart rate of a commercially important salmonid species (rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss) using the abovementioned bio-loggers, as well as an established non-invasive wireless heart rate recording technique that has been demonstrated to provide more accurate recordings than those collected using traditional methods requiring a physical connection to recording equipment. The measurement error of the bio-loggers was <1 beat min −1 irrespective of the sampling period when only using measurements graded with the highest quality index (QI 0 ) and it is advised that only QI 0 measurements be used as inclusion of poorer quality measurements (QI 1–3 ) markedly reduce measurement accuracy. Furthermore, sufficiently long recovery periods should be employed prior to collecting data with these devices in salmonids, as anaesthesia and surgical implantation of bio-loggers resulted in transiently elevated resting heart rates for >72 h. Following the successful validation of these bio-loggers, the effects of common aquaculture practices such as netting, grouping and enforced activity on the cardiac performance of freely swimming rainbow trout were investigated. Prior to the subsequent exposure to the abovementioned stressors, mean heart rates of trout were ~42 beats min −1 . Following netting, trout increased heart rates by 57%, which recovered within 3 h. Grouping subsequently induced a more pronounced and prolonged stress response, as heart rates initially increased by 86% and then remained elevated throughout the 8 h recovery period. Consequently, trout were only able to further increase heart rates by 7% following enforced activity. This diminished cardiac response demonstrates a situation where the cumulative allostatic load induced by prior stressors is approaching a level where the animal struggles to perform normal physiological processes in the face of further challenges. These findings are important for the aquaculture industry as exposure to multiple stressors without sufficient recovery times has the potential to result in the collapse of cardiac scope, which combined with unfavourable environmental conditions could lead to increased mortality. © 2019 Elsevier B.V.
|
|
