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Analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) has emerged as an important tool for investigating the occurrence and distribution of fish and other species in aquatic environments. However, in lotic systems, uncertainty remains about how environmental factors influence the downstream transport, degradation, and dilution of eDNA, and hence how detection probability varies with distance from the eDNA source. We conducted cage experiments and paired eDNA and snorkel surveys to evaluate the potential for eDNA methods to detect endangered coho salmon in Mediterranean‐climate streams of the Santa Cruz Mountains, California. Juvenile coho salmon at two densities were placed in cages, and water samples were collected and analyzed (qPCR) at seven locations from 10 to 1,000 m downstream. Although we detected coho salmon eDNA up to 1,000 m downstream of the cage, the vast majority of detections were within 200 m, and detections at greater distances occurred only at the higher fish density. In field collections from 21 stream reaches across the Santa Cruz Mountains, eDNA methods and snorkeling produced identical outcomes in terms of reach‐level detection of coho salmon. Probability of occurrence in a water sample and detection in a qPCR replicate both increased with observed fish density; however, even at the lowest densities, a protocol of three water samples and two qPCR replicates resulted in a >90% cumulative probability of detection. Overall, our studies suggest that detection probability decreased rapidly with distance in Santa Cruz Mountain streams, likely because low stream discharges, slow transport velocities, and strong interaction between the water column and stream substrate result in rapid degradation or settling of eDNA. Our findings thus support the use of eDNA methods for detecting rare species, but also indicate that local conditions strongly influence transport dynamics and hence need to be considered when developing survey designs.

Piscine orthoreovirus genotype 1 (PRV‐1) is the causative agent of heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI) in farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.). The virus has also been found in Pacific salmonids in western North America, raising concerns about the risk to native salmon and trout. Here, we report the results of laboratory challenges using juvenile Chinook salmon, coho salmon and rainbow trout injected with tissue homogenates from Atlantic salmon testing positive for PRV‐1 or with control material. Fish were sampled at intervals to assess viral RNA transcript levels, haematocrit, erythrocytic inclusions and histopathology. While PRV‐1 replicated in all species, there was negligible mortality in any group. We observed a few erythrocytic inclusion bodies in fish from the PRV‐1‐infected groups. At a few time points, haematocrits were significantly lower in the PRV‐1‐infected groups relative to controls, but in no case was anaemia noted. The most common histopathological finding was mild, focal myocarditis in both the non‐infected controls and PRV‐1‐infected fish. All cardiac lesions were judged mild, and none were consistent with those of HSMI. Together, these results suggest all three species are susceptible to PRV‐1 infection, but in no case did infection cause notable disease in these experiments.

In salmonid parentage‐based tagging (PBT) applications, entire hatchery broodstocks are genotyped, and subsequently, progeny can be nonlethally sampled and assigned back to their parents using parentage analysis, thus identifying their hatchery of origin and brood year (i.e., age). Inter‐ and intrapopulation variability in migration patterns, life history traits, and fishery contributions can be determined from PBT analysis of samples derived from both fisheries and escapements (portion of a salmon population that does not get caught in fisheries and returns to its natal river to spawn). In the current study of southern British Columbia coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) populations, PBT analysis provided novel information on intrapopulation heterogeneity among males in the total number of progeny identified in fisheries and escapements, the proportion of progeny sampled from fisheries versus escapement, the proportion of two‐year‐old progeny (jacks) produced, and the within‐season return time of progeny. Fishery recoveries of coho salmon revealed heterogeneity in migration patterns among and within populations, with recoveries from north and central coast fisheries distinguishing “northern migrating” from “resident” populations. In northern migrating populations, the mean distance between fishery captures of sibs (brothers and sisters) was significantly less than the mean distance between nonsibs, indicating the possible presence of intrapopulation genetic heterogeneity for migration pattern. Variation among populations in productivity and within populations in fish catchability indicated that population selection and broodstock management can be implemented to optimize harvest benefits from hatcheries. Application of PBT provided valuable information for assessment and management of hatchery‐origin coho salmon in British Columbia.

Monitoring the growth of salmon during their early marine phase provides insights into prey availability, and growth rates may be linked to risks of size-dependent mortality. However, the measurement of growth rate is challenging for free-living salmon in the ocean. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I is a growth-promoting hormone that is emerging as a useful index of growth in salmon. In addition, laboratory-based studies using coho salmon have shown that one of circulating IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs), IGFBP-1b, is induced by fasting and thus could be used as an inverse index of growth and/or catabolic state in salmon. However, few studies have measured plasma levels of IGFBP-1b in salmon in the wild. We measured plasma IGFBP-1b levels for postsmolt coho salmon collected in the Strait of Georgia and surrounding waters, British Columbia, Canada, and compared regional differences in IGFBP-1b to ecological information such as seawater temperature and stomach fullness. Plasma IGFBP-1b levels were the highest in fish from Eastern Johnstone Strait and relatively high in Queen Charlotte Strait and Western Johnstone Strait, which was in good agreement with the poor ocean conditions for salmon hypothesized to occur in that region. The molar ratio of plasma IGF-I to IGFBP-1b, a theoretical parameter of IGF-I availability to the receptor, discriminated differences among regions better than IGF-I or IGFBP-1b alone. Our data suggest that plasma IGFBP-1b reflects catabolic status in postsmolt coho salmon, as highlighted in fish in Eastern Johnston Strait, and is a useful tool to monitor negative aspects of salmon growth in the ocean.

Wild Pacific salmon, including Coho salmon Onchorynchus kisutch, have been supplemented with hatchery propagation for over 50 years in support of increased ocean harvest and conservation of threatened populations. In Canada, the Wild Salmon Policy for Pacific salmon was established with the goal of maintaining and restoring healthy and diverse Pacific salmon populations, making conservation of wild salmon and their habitats the highest priority for resource management decision‐making. A new approach to the assessment and management of wild coho salmon, and the associated hatchery production and fishery management is needed. Implementation of parentage‐based tagging (PBT) may overcome problems associated with coded‐wire tag‐based (CWT) assessment and management of coho salmon fisheries, providing at a minimum information equivalent to that derived from the CWT program. PBT and genetic stock identification (GSI) were used to identify coho salmon sampled in fisheries (8,006 individuals) and escapements (1,692 individuals) in British Columbia to specific conservation units (CU), populations, and broodyears. Individuals were genotyped at 304 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) via direct sequencing of amplicons. Very high accuracy of assignment to population (100%) via PBT for 543 jack (age 2) assigned to correct age and collection location and 265 coded‐wire tag (CWT, age 3) coho salmon assigned to correct age and release location was observed, with a 40,774—individual, 267—population baseline available for assignment. Coho salmon from un‐CWTed enhanced populations contributed 65% of the catch in southern recreational fisheries in 2017. Application of a PBT‐GSI system of identification to individuals in 2017 fisheries and escapements provided high‐resolution estimates of stock composition, catch, and exploitation rate by CU or population, providing an alternate and more effective method in the assessment and management of Canadian‐origin coho salmon relative to CWTs, and an opportunity for a genetic‐based system to replace the current CWT system for coho salmon assessment.

Understanding the genetic status of aquaculture strains is essential for developing management guidelines aimed at sustaining the rates of genetic gain for economically important traits, as well as securing populations that will be robust to climate change. Coho salmon was the first salmonid introduced to Chile for commercial purposes and now comprises an essential component of the country’s aquaculture industry. Several events, such as admixture, genetic bottlenecks, and rapid domestication, appear to be determinants in shaping the genome of commercial strains representing this species. To determine the impact of such events on the genetic diversity of these strains, we sought to estimate the effective population size (Ne) of several of these strains using genome-wide approaches. We compared these estimates to commercial strains from North America and Japan, as well as a hatchery strain used for supportive breeding of wild populations. The estimates of Ne were based on a method robust to assumptions about changes in population history, and ranged from low (Ne = 34) to relatively high (Ne = 80) in the Chilean strains. These estimates were higher than those obtained from the commercial North American strain but lower than those observed in the hatchery population and the Japanese strain (with Ne over 150). Our results suggest that some populations require measures to control the rates of inbreeding, possibly by using genomic information and incorporating new genetic material to ensure the long-term sustainability of these populations.

Food resources are often patchily distributed through space and time and are classified as resource pulses when hyperabundant. Resource pulses can benefit growth, reproduction, and abundance of various consumers. Yet, it is relatively unknown how such resources are partitioned among competing consumers and how this is influenced by the magnitude of the pulse. Here, we examined how the magnitude of a pulsed resource influences resource partitioning among diverse sizes and species of consumers in a natural setting over small spatial and temporal scales. We focused on salmon egg subsidies to stream fish consumers. We experimentally added different quantities of pink salmon eggs to five meter long experimental stream sections. Egg additions spanned three orders of magnitude from 6 to 3575 eggs. Stream fish (egg consumers) were captured and gastric lavaged at each experimental section to determine how many eggs each individual fish consumed. We modeled taxon‐specific individual egg consumption as a function of egg availability, individual mass, community composition, number of competitors, and stream velocity using hurdle models in a Bayesian framework. We found that there were diminishing returns for increasing egg abundance increasing egg consumption (i.e., type II functional response) for individual size classes of fish, but that higher egg numbers were needed to benefit diverse consumers. Top models indicated that egg availability and individual fish characteristics (size and taxon) drove egg consumption, while community characteristics (species composition and number of competitors) were not supported. Our results suggest that resource pulses can provide rare opportunities for less dominant sizes and species of fish to consume abundant resources. The current paradigm in the stream fish literature suggests that stream fish communities are structured by dominance hierarchies; however, dominance hierarchies may be less influential where pulsed resources comprise a large portion of the resource base.

This study focused on applying different high hydrostatic pressure + carbon dioxide (HHP + CO2) processing conditions on refrigerated (4 °C, 25 days) farmed coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) to inactivate endogenous enzymes (protease, lipase, collagenase), physicochemical properties (texture, color, lipid oxidation), and microbial shelf life. Salmon fillets were subjected to combined HHP (150 MPa/5 min) and CO2 (50%, 70%, 100%). Protease and lipase inactivation was achieved with combined HHP + CO2 treatments in which lipase activity remained low as opposed to protease activity during storage. Collagenase activity decreased approximately 90% during storage when applying HHP + CO2. Combined treatments limited the increase in spoilage indicators, such as total volatile amines and trimethylamine. The 150 MPa + 100% CO2 treatment was the most effective at maintaining hardness after 10 days of storage. Combined treatments limited HHP-induced color change and reduced the extent of changes caused by storage compared with the untreated sample. Microbial shelf life was extended by the CO2 content and not by the HHP treatments; this result was related to an increased lag phase and decreased growth rate. It can be concluded that combining HHP and CO2 could be an effective method of inactivating endogenous enzymes and extend salmon shelf life.

Hemoglobin derivatives are often quantified in blood to establish cardio-respiratory status and possible causes of impaired oxygen transport. The derivative known as methemoglobin results from oxidation of hemoglobin and is pathologically relevant because it cannot transport oxygen. In species and individuals possessing unstable methemoglobin, methemoglobin formation leads to rapid hemichrome formation and precipitation. Oxidizing reagents in standard methemoglobin analysis techniques therefore prevent accurate quantification of hemoglobin oxidative degradation products in species possessing unstable hemoglobin. In this study, we demonstrated that individual coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) possess unstable methemoglobin. Because molar absorptivities of coho methemoglobin, hemichrome and carboxyhemoglobin were significantly different from humans, the use of previous standard methods leads to an overestimation of methemoglobin in coho. Spontaneous conversion of methemoglobin to hemichrome was also demonstrated in Chinook (O. tshawytscha), pink (O. gorbuscha) and chum salmon (O. keta), but not steelhead (O. mykiss), indicating there may be a frequent need to account for unstable hemoglobin when quantifying methemoglobin in salmonids.•Our method builds upon multi-component analysis (MCA) by using a multivariate modeling technique to derive the coho-specific molar absorptivities of major hemoglobin derivatives•This approach fills a current need for the accurate quantification of methemoglobin in fishes possessing unstable hemoglobin, Graphical abstract Image, graphical abstract

58th EHPRG Meeting on High Pressure Science and Technology, 6-11 September 2020, Tenerife, Spain, During fish refrigerated storage, significant deterioration of sensory quality and nutritional value has been detected as a result of chemical constituent changes. Among the different recent technologies to be applied for marine food preservation, high-pressure processing (HPP) has been investigated; HPP has shown to inactivate microbial and endogenous enzymes. However, deteriorative problems have been encountered with constituents (proteins and lipids, specially) when relatively high-pressure conditions are employed. In order to lower the pressure requirement, combination of HPP with modified atmospheres technology has recently attracted a great attentio, This work was supported by FONDECYT (Chile; Regular Project Nº1171305) and by the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) (Spain) through the research project 2017-70E03

12 pages, 3 tables, 3 figures, Effects of pulsed electric fields (PEF: 1–2 kV/cm, 20 μs) used alone and combined with carbon dioxide (CO2: 70%) and high hydrostatic pressure (HP: 150 MPa, 5 min) on the physicochemical properties and microbiological shelf life of coho salmon under pre- and post-rigor conditions were studied during refrigerated storage (25 days). The PEF + CO2 + HP treatments reduced color changes in pre-rigor more than in post-rigor salmon. Texture changes of pre- and post-rigor salmon differed between untreated and treated salmon. Combined treatments also effectively reduced the protease and lipase activity of pre-rigor salmon. Collagenase activity of post-rigor salmon remained low in all treatments. Principal component analysis showed a clear difference between pre- and post-rigor states in the evaluated parameters; however, microbiological shelf life increased with PEF + CO2 regardless of the rigor condition. In conclusion, combined PEF, CO2, and HP treatments can improve salmon quality during refrigerated storage and thus extend its microbial shelf life, This research was funded by the ANID-FONDECYT Regular N°1171305 Project

Coho salmon were extirpated in the mid‐20th century from the interior reaches of the Columbia River but were reintroduced with relatively abundant source stocks from the lower Columbia River near the Pacific coast. Reintroduction of Coho salmon to the interior Columbia River (Wenatchee River) using lower river stocks placed selective pressures on the new colonizers due to substantial differences with their original habitat such as migration distance and navigation of six additional hydropower dams. We used restriction site‐associated DNA sequencing (RAD‐seq) to genotype 5,392 SNPs in reintroduced Coho salmon in the Wenatchee River over four generations to test for signals of temporal structure and adaptive variation. Temporal genetic structure among the three broodlines of reintroduced fish was evident among the initial return years (2000, 2001, and 2002) and their descendants, which indicated levels of reproductive isolation among broodlines. Signals of adaptive variation were detected from multiple outlier tests and identified candidate genes for further study. This study illustrated that genetic variation and structure of reintroduced populations are likely to reflect source stocks for multiple generations but may shift over time once established in nature.

Piscirickettsia salmonis is the etiologic agent of salmon rickettsial syndrome (SRS) and is responsible for considerable economic losses in salmon aquaculture. The bacterium affects coho salmon (CS; Oncorhynchus kisutch), Atlantic salmon (AS; Salmo salar), and rainbow trout (RT; Oncorhynchus mykiss) in several countries, including Norway, Canada, Scotland, Ireland, and Chile. We used Bayesian genome-wide association study analyses to investigate the genetic architecture of resistance to P. salmonis in farmed populations of these species. Resistance to SRS was defined as the number of days to death and as binary survival (BS). A total of 828 CS, 2130 RT, and 2601 AS individuals were phenotyped and then genotyped using double-digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing and 57K and 50K Affymetrix® Axiom® single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panels, respectively. Both traits of SRS resistance in CS and RT appeared to be under oligogenic control. In AS, there was evidence of polygenic control of SRS resistance. To identify candidate genes associated with resistance, we applied a comparative genomics approach in which we systematically explored the complete set of genes adjacent to SNPs, which explained more than 1% of the genetic variance of resistance in each salmonid species (533 genes in total). Thus, genes were classified based on the following criteria: i) shared function of their protein domains among species, ii) shared orthology among species, iii) proximity to the SNP explaining the highest proportion of the genetic variance, and iv) presence in more than one genomic region explaining more than 1% of the genetic variance within species. Our results allowed us to identify 120 candidate genes belonging to at least one of the four criteria described above. Of these, 21 of them were part of at least two of the criteria defined above and are suggested to be strong functional candidates influencing P. salmonis resistance. These genes are related to diverse biological processes, such as kinase activity, GTP hydrolysis, helicase activity, lipid metabolism, cytoskeletal dynamics, inflammation, and innate immune response, which seem essential in the host response against P. salmonis infection. These results provide fundamental knowledge on the potential functional genes underpinning resistance against P. salmonis in three salmonid species.

Fauna of helminthes and feeding of pacific salmon (pink, chum, and coho) juveniles at the continental coast of the northern Okhotsk Sea are considered both for freshwater and early marine stages of their life. Possible conditions of the parasitic worms invasion are discussed. In total, 17 species of parasitic worms are found in salmon juveniles including cestodes (2 species), trematodes (8), nematodes (4), and acanthocephalans (3). The trematodes Brachyphallus crenatus and Pronoprymna petrowi have the highest values of infestation. The helminthes are mainly the representatives of freshwater ecological group (10 species are found in fresh waters and 8 species in estuaries), only 6 species represent the marine ecological group. One marine species ( Hysterothylacium gadi aduncum ) is found in estuarine coho juvenile and one freshwater species ( Diplostomum sp., met.) is found in marine coho juvenile.

In fish used for food production and scientific research, fast growth can be achieved via selective breeding or induced instantaneously via growth hormone (GH) transgenesis (GHT). The proteomic basis for these distinct routes towards a similar higher phenotype remains uncharacterized, as are associated implications for health parameters. We addressed this knowledge gap using skeletal muscle proteomics in coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), hypothesising that i) selective breeding and GHT are underpinned by both parallel and unique changes in growth systems, and ii) rapidly-growing fish strains have lowered scope to allocate resources towards immune function. Quantitative profiling of GHT and growth-selected strains was done in comparison to wild-type after injection with PBS (control) or Poly I:C (to mimic infection). We identified remodelling of the muscle proteome in each growth-enhanced strain that was strikingly non-overlapping. GHT was characterized by focal upregulation of systems driving protein synthesis, while the growth-selected fish presented a larger and more diverse set of changes, consistent with complex alterations to many metabolic and cellular pathways. Poly I:C had little detectable effect on the muscle proteome. This study demonstrates that distinct proteome profiles can explain outwardly similar enhanced growth phenotypes, improving our understanding of growth mechanisms in anthropogenic animal strains. Significance This work provides the first proteomic insights into mechanisms underpinning different anthropogenic routes to rapid growth in salmon. High-throughput proteomic profiling was used to reveal changes supporting enhanced growth, comparing skeletal muscle of growth hormone transgenic (GHT) and selectively-bred salmon strains with their wild-type counterparts. Contrasting past mRNA-level comparisons of the same fish strains, our data reveals a surprisingly substantial proteomic divergence between the GHT and selectively bred strains. The findings demonstrate that many unique molecular mechanisms underlie growth-enhanced phenotypes in different types of fish strain used for food production and scientific research., Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image, Highlights • Mechanistic basis for rapid growth poorly understood in fish. • Comparative proteomic profiling done in fish strains showing highly enhanced growth. • Distinct basis for enhanced growth comparing transgenic and domesticated fish strains. • Highly distinct proteome profiles may explain outwardly similar growth phenotypes. • Study enhances understanding of how rapid growth is achieved in anthropogenic animal strains.

A tension between cooperation and conflict characterizes the behavioral dynamics of many social species. The foraging benefits of group living include increased efficiency and reduced need for vigilance, but social foraging can also encourage theft of captured prey from conspecifics. The payoffs of stealing prey from others (scrounging) versus capturing prey (producing) may depend not only on the frequency of each foraging strategy in the group but also on an individual’s ability to steal. By observing the foraging behavior of juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), we found that, within a group, relatively smaller coho acted primarily as producers and took longer to handle prey, and were therefore more likely to be targeted by scroungers than relatively larger coho. Further, our observations suggest that the frequency of scrounging may be higher when groups contained individuals of different sizes. Based on these observations, we developed a model of phenotype-limited producer-scrounger dynamics, in which rates of stealing were structured by the relative size of producers and scroungers within the foraging group. Model simulations show that when the success of stealing is positively related to body size, relatively large predators should tend to be scroungers while smaller predators should be producers. Contrary to previous models, we also found that, under certain conditions, producer and scrounger strategies could coexist for both large and small phenotypes. Large scroungers tended to receive the highest payoff, suggesting that producer-scrounger dynamics may result in an uneven distribution of benefits among group members that—under the right conditions—could entrench social positions of dominance. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s12080-018-0375-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

a b s t r a c t Relocating American beavers (Castor canadensis) from unwanted sites to desirable sites (i.e., where damage exceeds stakeholder capacity) has been posited as a method to enhance in-stream habitat for salmonids in the Pacific Northwest region of the US; however, no studies have evaluated this method. From September–December 2011, we trapped and relocated 38 nuisance beavers using guidelines available to Oregon landowners. Release sites were selected from models that identified high values of beaver dam habitat suitability and where dams would increase intrinsic potential of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). Mean distance moved from release sites within 16 weeks post-release was 3.3 ±0.2 (SE) stream km (max 29.2 km). Mean survival rate for relocated beavers was 0.47 ±0.12 (95% CI: 0.26–0.69) for 16 weeks post-release, while the probabilities of an individual dying to predation or disease/illness during the same period were 0.26 (95% CI: 0.09–0.43) and 0.16 (95% CI: 0.01–0.30), respectively. Dam construction was limited and ephemeral due to winter high flows, providing no in-stream habitat for coho. We conclude beaver relocation options available to landowners in Oregon may not be an effective option for stream restoration in coastal forestlands due to infrequent dam occurrence and short dam longevity.

The BASIS expeditions in the Bering Sea were conducted by North Pacific Anadromous Fish Comission (NPAFC) in the 2003-2006 and 2007-2012, in relatively warm and relatively cold conditions, respectively. The ice cover of the Sea changed synchronously in its western and eastern parts and indicated the warm regime since 2001 to 2006 and the cold regime since 2006 till nowadays. The regime shift changed radically the structure of zooplankton community in the eastern Bering Sea: the dominance of small-sized and medium-sized zooplankton was replaced by the dominance of large-sized zooplankton, with abundant large species of euphausiids, hyperiids, copepods, and arrowworms. This restructuring was reflected in the diet of pacific salmon: the bulk of the pink, chum and sockeye salmons diet was presented by fingerlings of pollock, sand lance, and capelin, larvae of flounders and crabs, and fry of small demersal fish in 2003-2006, but by zooplankton as euphausiids, hyperiids, and pteropods since 2007. However, there weren’t so essential changes in the western Bering Sea, both in zooplankton structure and salmons diet; the year-to-year dynamics was significant here, too, but long-term tendencies were not observed.

Structure of scale is investigated for juvenile coho salmon. The samples were collected in the lower part of the Bolshaya River (West Kamchatka) in 2007-2012. The first scleritis bounding the central plate of scale is formed when body length of coho underyearlings achieves 38 mm, on average. In the investigated area, seasonal growth of scale starts and formation of next annuli of juvenile coho scale happens usually in the third 10-days of May: in the beginning of this period for one-year-old fish and in its end for two-years-old fish. The seasonal growth becomes slower again with water cooling in the last half of September, until its complete stagnation in October. Each scleritis forms in similar time, independently on age of juveniles: in 11.3 days for the underyearlings (data for in June-September), 10.1 days for one-year-old fish (data for June-September), and 11.2 days for two-years-old fish (data for in June-July). Additional zones of dense sclerites could form on the scale of juvenile coho within the growth season.

Background Heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI) is an emerging disease of marine-farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar, first recognized in 1999 in Norway, and recently associated with piscine orthoreovirus (PRV) infection. To date, HSMI lesions with presence of PRV have only been described in marine-farmed Atlantic salmon in Norway. A new HSMI-like disease in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss associated with a PRV-related virus has also been reported in Norway. Methods Sampling of Atlantic salmon and coho salmon was done during potential disease outbreaks, targeting lethargic/moribund fish. Fish were necropsied and tissues were taken for histopathologic analysis and testing for PRV by RT-qPCR assay for segment L1 and conventional RT-PCR for PRV segment S1. The PCR products were sequenced and their relationship to PRV strains in GenBank was determined using phylogenetic analysis and nucleotide and amino acid homology comparisons. Results The Atlantic salmon manifested the classical presentation of HSMI with high PRV virus loads (low Ct values) as described in Norway. The coho salmon with low Ct values had myocarditis but only in the spongy layer, the myositis of red muscle in general was mild, and the hepatic necrosis was severe. Upon phylogenetic analysis of PRV segment S1 sequences, all the Chilean PRV strains from Atlantic salmon grouped as sub-genotype Ib, whereas the Chilean PRV strains from coho salmon were more diversified, grouping in both sub-genotypes Ia and Ib and others forming a distinct new phylogenetic cluster, designated Genotype II that included the Norwegian PRV-related virus. Conclusions To our knowledge the present work constitutes the first published report of HSMI lesions with presence of PRV in farmed Atlantic salmon outside of Europe, and the first report of HSMI-like lesions with presence of PRV in coho salmon in Chile. The Chilean PRV strains from coho salmon are more genetically diversified than those from Atlantic salmon, and some form a distinct new phylogenetic cluster, designated Genotype II. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12985-016-0554-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

11 páginas, 1 figura, 6 tablas, This work focuses on changes in sensory and physical properties of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) during chilled storage (24 days). A marked change (p < 0.05) in the results of sensory analysis was found in the flesh of raw chilled fish (fresh odor, elasticity, hardness, oxidized odor) and in the cooked flesh of the chill-stored fish (firmness, neutral flavor, oxidized flavor, oxidized odor) samples. Additionally, physical parameters (gaping, cooking loss) also showed changes (p < 0.05) during chilled storage. According to odor and flavor descriptors (fresh odor, oxidized odor, neutral flavor), salmon fish were not acceptable after 17 days of chilled storage, This work was supported by the Universidad de Chile (Chile)-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC, Spain) Program (Project 2003 CL 0013) and the FONDECYT Program (Chile; Project Number 1120627)

238 páginas, Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), also known as silver salmon, has recently acquired an important role because of its growing aquaculture production in countries such as Chile, Japan and Canada, in parallel with significant catches in countries like the United States, Russia, Canada and Japan. This thesis project focuses on this species and its derivatives products such as refrigerated, frozen, cooked and canned, susceptible of being used in the human diet. In a first phase, storage under chilled (traditional ice) and frozen (-20 °C) conditions was studied, with emphasis on the shelf life time as well as on the relative development of the various damage pathways. In a second phase, the application of different advanced technologies in order to inhibit the different mechanisms of degradation and thereby, prolong the shelf life was studied. These technologies include slurry ice, active packaging including natural antioxidants, hydrostatic high-pressure, and feeding diets enriched with natural antioxidants during the growth period. Quality indices employed throughout the development of the different experiments included chemicals and microbiological analyses, but in a special way the sensory and physical ones, Este trabajo de investigación ha sido realizado gracias a la financiación concedida por Programa Bilateral Universidad de Chile (Chile)-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (España). Proyecto 2003CL 0013; Proyecto 2006CL 0034, y soportado por la Secretaría Xeral I+D (Xunta de PGIDIT05TAL00701CT): Universidad de Chile – CSIC España. Proyecto colaborativo de investigación. CSIC Nº22/05-06. Universidad de Chile–Vicerrectoría de Investigación. Concurso de Proyectos Multidisciplinarios de Investigación en temas de Interés Nacional. MULT 05/13-2. DI- 2005. 2006-2007

Successfully addressing the multitude of stresses influencing forest catchments, their native biota, and the vital ecological services they provide humanity will require adapting an integrated view that incorporates the full range of natural and anthropogenic disturbances acting on these landscapes and their embedded fluvial networks. The concepts of dendritic networks, disturbance domains, the stream continuum, and hydrologic connectivity can facilitate this integration. Managing catchments based on these combined concepts would better maintain all the components of watersheds and the interacting processes that comprise their ecological integrity. To examine these ideas, I review riparian protection regulations in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, regulations considered by many to be among the best available, and evaluate their ability to protect headwater amphibians. I present evidence for the inadequacy of these rules to maintain robust populations of these amphibians, and discuss the implications of these shortcomings for downstream-dwelling coho salmon. Emphasizing headwaters (1st to 3rd-order channels), I discuss disturbance regimes and how differences in their fluvial and geomorphic processes determine the structuring of channels, their internal environments, and the composition of the resident biota. I examine amphibian dependence on specific channel attributes, and discuss links between their abundances, altered attribute states, and natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Using these examples, I discuss the limitations of current protections to maintain key attributes necessary to support robust populations of headwater amphibians, and via hydrologic connectivity, many downstream organisms. I propose that the goal of maintaining whole catchment biodiversity and ecological services could be improved by managing watersheds based on integrating science-based network organizing concepts and evaluating and adjusting outcomes with a suite of responsive bio-indicators.

7 pages, 2 figures.-- Available online 31 May 2008., A relevant farmed fish species (coho salmon; Oncorhynchus kisutch) was studied as a raw material for the canning process. The effects of preliminary chilling storage and thermal treatment (cooking and sterilisation) on the chemical constituents (lipids and non-protein nitrogen compounds) of the canned fish were analysed. An increasing previous chilling time led to an important autolysis (K value) development, and to an increasing formation of free fatty acids, and interaction compounds (fluorescence and browning assessments) (p < 0.05) in the canned product. The thermal treatment led to the formation of volatile amines (total and trimethylamine), free fatty acids, secondary lipid oxidation compounds (anisidine and thiobarbituric acid values) and interaction compounds in canned fish. Interaction compound assessment was found the most useful tool to study the lipid oxidation and non-enzymatic browning developments, while the K value showed to be an interesting index for assessing the freshness stage of the raw material employed., The work was realised in the Chilean University (Chile)-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Spain) Program (Project 2006 CL 0034) and funded by the Secretaría Xeral de I+D from the Xunta de Galicia (Galicia, Spain) (Project PGIDIT05TAL00701CT).

8 páginas, 4 figuras, 4 tablas, Lipid changes related to quality loss were evaluated during frozen storage of coho salmon for up to 15 months. Biochemical indices concerning lipid hydrolysis (free fatty acids, FFA) and oxidation (peroxide value, PV; thiobarbituric acid index, TBA-i; fluorescent compounds, FR; polyene index, PI) were determined and compared to sensory (odor and taste) and endogenous antioxidant (tocopherol isomers and astaxanthin) assessments. As a result of the frozen storage, lipid hydrolysis was shown to develop according to the increase in FFA content (p < 0.05). However, most biochemical lipid oxidation indices (PV, TBA-i and FR) led to a low degree of rancidity development (p < 0.05) when compared to other fatty fish species under similar frozen storage conditions. The PI value decreased (p < 0.05) at month 10 but then remained unchanged until the end of the experiment. Rancid odor and taste development were shown to be low throughout the experiment, according to the biochemical indices mentioned above. However, a progressive decrease (p < 0.05) in the original fresh odor and taste of salmon fish flesh occurred with increasing frozen storage time, such that fish samples had the poorest scores by month 15. Endogenous antioxidants were remarkably stable throughout the experiment and which might contribute to the oxidative stability of frozen farmed coho salmon lipids, The research was carried out according to the Chilean-Spanish Cooperation Program ‘‘Universidad de Chile-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)’’, Projects 2003 CL 0013 and 2004 CL 0038). Mr. Marcos Trigo and Mrs. Laura Dı´az are gratefully acknowledged for technical assistance.

7 páginas, 3 figuras, 3 tablas, Two deteriorative pathways (autolysis and microbiological activity) were studied in farmed Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) for 24 days during chilled storage. These changes were assessed by nucleotide degradation (determination of adenosine 50-triphosphate and its degradation compounds) and biochemical (pH; content of total volatile base-nitrogen; trimethylamine-nitrogen, TMA-N; histamine) and microbial (total aerobe mesophiles, TAM; coliforms) indices related to bacterial activity. An important nucleotide degradation could be assessed according to the fast inosine 50-monophosphate formation, followed by degradation into inosine and hypoxanthine; the K value was found to be an accurate tool for the measurement of quality loss throughout the whole experiment. Regarding bacterial activity, contents of TMA-N and histamine and TAM counts assessment showed sharp increases after the end of the microbial lag phase (12– 17 days); however, values obtained for histamine content and TAM growth remained below acceptable security limits throughout the whole experiment., Chilean University-CSIC, Project 2003 CL 0013

Growth hormone (GH) transgenic salmon possesses markedly increased metabolic rate, appetite, and feed conversion efficiency, as well as an increased ability to compete for food resources. Thus, the ability of GH-transgenic fish to withstand periods of food deprivation as occurs in nature is potentially different than that of nontransgenic fish. However, the physiological and genetic effects of transgenic GH production over long periods of food deprivation remain largely unknown. Here, GH-transgenic coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and nontransgenic, wild-type coho salmon were subjected to a 3- month food deprivation trial, during which time performance characteristics related to growth were measured along with proximate compositions. To examine potential genetic effects of GH-transgenesis on long-term food deprivation, a group of genes related to muscle development and liver metabolism was selected for quantitative PCR analysis. Results showed that GH-transgenic fish lose weight at an increased rate compared to wild-type even though proximate compositions remained relatively similar between the groups. A total of nine genes related to muscle physiology (cathepsin, cee, insulin-like growth factor, myostatin, murf-1, myosin, myogenin, proteasome delta, tumor necrosis factor) and five genes related to liver metabolism (carnitine palmitoyltransferase, fatty acid synthase, glucose-6-phosphatase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glucokinase) were shown to be differentially regulated between GH-transgenic and wild-type coho salmon over time. These genetic and physiological responses assist in identifying differences between GH-transgenic and wild-type salmon in relation to fitness effects arising from elevated growth hormone during periods of long-term food shortage

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of transportation of marketable eel (0.15 kg) in the Netherlands with respect to welfare. Eels (Anguilla anguilla) were obtained from a commercial farm and acclimatized for 7 weeks at the laboratory. Fish were transported according to regular commercial procedures. The animals were placed in water-filled transport tanks on the trailer. Fish density increased from 72 kg m-3 (husbandry) to 206 kg m-3 (fasting) and was further increased to 270–290 kg m-3 during transport. Fish transport lasted 3 h after which the eels were returned to laboratory recirculation systems to measure parameters indicative of stress load, i.e. mortality, plasma cortisol, lactate and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) as well as gill morphology. Samples were taken at 0, 6, 24, 48 and 72 h after transport in transported fish and non-transported counterparts (controls). Transportation affected water quality within known tolerable limits. No mortality during or after transport was observed. After 6 h, plasma cortisol levels had returned to baseline. However, energy metabolism had increased suggesting that transportation of eels resulted in an increased energy demand that lasted for at least 72 h in the fasted animals. Thus, it is conceivable that exposure to adverse conditions, prior to stunning/killing, in a slaughterhouse may result in allostatic overload in eel.

Lysozyme activity is a common measurement of innate immunity. It has also been used to investigate genetic variation and an animal's responses to factors such as stress, infections and variations in diet. This research demonstrates the inherent variation in lysozyme activity in unstimulated coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). The role of maternal contribution, early life stage development and fish mass are considered. Genetic variation within and between strains of coho was found to be significant at selected life stages. Our results indicate that strain differences in lysozyme activity are more accurately measured by comparing the genetic variation after the eyed stage, when maternal effects are reduced. A positive correlation between plasma/serum lysozyme activity and fish mass is reported here. In summary, this study shows the role of maternal, developmental stage and size in lysozyme activity in fish, and emphasizes the importance of considering such variables when measuring the variability of lysozyme activity in fish.

11 páginas, 2 figuras, 4 tablas.-- The final publication is available at www.springerlink.com, The effect of a previous hydrostatic high-pressure (HHP) treatment on sensory and physical quality of chilled coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) was investigated. As a first stage, a 22 factorial design based on the response surface methodology was used for optimization of HHP conditions; for it, the effects on color uniformity, white spots appearance, elasticity, and hardness were analyzed. In a second stage, optimized HHP conditions (135 MPa for 30 s, 170 MPa for 30 s, and 200 MPa for 30 s; treatments T-1, T-2, and T-3, respectively) were applied as previous treatment to chilling, being sampling carried out on salmon muscle at days 0, 6, 10, 15, and 20. A marked effect on sensory and physical parameters was detected after HHP treatment and throughout the chilled storage. According to odor (rancid, putrid), texture (elasticity, gaping, firmness), and color (L* value) attributes, fish corresponding to T-1 condition was shown to have better-maintained quality throughout the chilled storage than fish belonging to T-2 and T-3 conditions; additionally, a quality enhancement (putrid odor, cohesivity, gaping) was found when compared with control samples. In agreement to the preliminary optimization study, it is concluded that T-1 condition can provide the most effective HHP pre-treatment to better maintain sensory and physical properties when salmon muscle is to be commercialized as a fresh product. Results obtained for the quality evolution of chilled fish attest the importance of establishing a judicious selection of previous HHP treatment parameters to minimize undesirable changes related to sensory and physical characteristics, This work was supported by the Universidad de Chile (Chile)-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Spain) program (Project 2006 CL 0034) and the FONDECYT program (Chile; project number: 1080626)

14 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, The uptake and clearance of estradiol-17β (E2) and testosterone (T) were examined during the initial stages of development of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), including eyed-eggs, newly hatched alevins and first feeding fry. Radiolabeled steroids were administered through the water in tracer amounts with or without their nonradioactive form at 400 μg l−1. Regardless of developmental stage, saturation levels were invariably attained earlier for T than for E2, thus resulting in a higher incorporation of E2. However, both steroids had similar clearance patterns. Uptake and clearance was clearly stage-dependent, being fastest in fry, intermediate in alevins and slowest in eggs. Furthermore, combined uptake and clearance patterns showed that exposure to steroid was also higher for E2 than for T and stage-dependent, but always markedly highest in alevins. Subsequently, based on the observed elimination of the estrogen, a double immersion in E2 at 400 μg 1−1, administered 2 days apart to maximize exposure during the alevin stage, was assayed for its effect on sex reversal and found to induce the production of 100% females. We suggest that the yolk, which is present in substantial amounts during the initial stages of development in salmonids, can retain the exogenously administered liposoluble steroids, thus providing developing embryos with an extended supply of, and exposure to, these steroids well after the treatment is finished. Together, these findings help to explain the previously observed high effectiveness of sex steroids administered during early development in regulating gonadal differentiation in salmonids, the higher effectiveness of E2 compared to T, and clarify the localization of the most sensitive period to the action of exogenous steroids at the alevin stage in the coho salmon

5 pages, 1 figure, 1 table, [EN] The aquaculture production of all-female triploid (sterile) populations is recognized as being of potential advantage for many species of fish where sexual maturation is not desired. All-female triploids have been produced by inducing triploidy in eggs that had been fertilized with monosex female sperm. However, monosex stocks to produce this type of sperm are currently available only for a limited number of economically important species. To circumvent this problem, an alternative method would be the direct fertilization of tripoid embryos. In Pacific salmon, pressure shocks applied shortly after fertilization have consistently resulted in high yields of tripoids, and feminization by direct estrogen treatment has also been shown to be highly effective if applied shortly after hatching. In this study, coho salmon eggs were made triploid by a pressure shock of 633 kg/cm2 for 4 min, applied 20 min after fertilization and incubation at 10 °C. Some of the resulting embryos were then feminized with estradiol-17β in single 2-hour immersion treatments at 400 μg/liter, administered 1 and 8 days after hatching. Six months later, when the fish were juveniles, analysis of the DNA content of erythrocytes by flow cytometry revealed a 100% induction of triploidy, while histological examination of the gonads showed 82% females, which were completely devoid of oocyte development and thus genetically sterile. These manipulations reduced survival during early stages of development but survival became stable later. Together, these results suggest that the production of sterile fish by direct feminization of induced triploids could be of particular advantage for those species in which all-female stocks are yet not available or difficult to obtain, [FR] La production aquacole de populations monosexes femelles et triploïdes (stériles) est reconnue comme étant un avantage potentiel pour de nombreuses espèces où la maturation sexuelle n'est pas désirée. Les triploïdes monosexes femelles étaient produites en induisant la triploïdie dans les oeufs qui avaient été fertilisés avec du sperme de femelles monosexes. Cependant, des stocks de monosexes pour produire ce type de sperme ne sont disponibles que pour un nombre limité d'espèces importantes économiquement. La féminisation d'embryons triploïdes permettrait de résoudre cette question. Chez le saumon du Pacifique, des chocs de pression appliqués peu après la fertilisation donnent des résultats satisfaisants pour des rendements importants de triploïdes; la féminisation par traitement aux estrogènes est également très efficace s'il est appliqué dès l'éclosion. Dans cette étude, les oeufs de saumon coho sont devenus triploïdes par un choc de pression de 633 kg/cm2 pendant 4 min, appliqué 20 min après la fertilisation et l'incubation à 10 °C. Certains embryons ainsi obtenus ont ensuite été féminisés par traitement à l'estradiol-17β à raison d'une seule immersion dans une solution à 400 μg/litre, administré 1 et 8 jours après l'éclosion. Six mois plus tard, chez les juvéniles, l'analyse de l'ADN des érythrocytes par cytométrie de flux révèle 100 % de triploïde induite, tandis que l'examen cytologique des gonades montre 82 % de femelles, mais sans développement ovocytaire et donc génétiquement stériles. Ces manipulations réduisent le taux de survie durant les premiers stages de développement qui devient stable plus tard

4 páginas, 2 tablas.-- póster presentado al 6th CIGR Section VI International Symposium “Towards a Sustainable Food Chain” Food Process, Bioprocessing and Food Quality Management. Nantes, France - April 18-20, 2011, Among the different recent technologies to be applied for marine food preservation, hydrostatic high pressure (HHP) processing has attracted great attention. HHP has shown to be profitable by inactivating microbial and endogenous enzyme activities; however, deteriorative problems have been encountered with chemical constituents, these leading to marked quality losses related to the general appearance of the product and a consumer acceptance lowering. The present work was focused on the sensory and physical changes of chilled fish that was previously treated with HHP technology. For it, farmed coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) was chosen, because of its increasing farming production and commercial interest. As previous treatment, three different HHP conditions (135 MPa-30 s; 170 MPa-30 s; 200 MPa-30 s; treatments T1, T2 and T3, respectively) were tested and compared to untreated fish (control). Sensory (rancid, amine, typical and putrid odours, colour, general aspect, hardness, cohesivity) and physical (gaping, firmness, deformation and colour) parameters were analysed on chilled muscle after 0, 6, 10, 15 and 20 days of storage. A 22 fractional factorial design was applied to identify the significant (p, This work was financially supported by the Universidad de Chile (Chile)-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Spain) program (Project 2006 CL 0034).

10 páginas, 3 tablas, 2 figuras.-- The final publication is available at www.springerlink.com, A packaging system combining a polyphenolrich film and vacuum (PPRF–VP) was applied to farmed coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) muscle for an 18- month storage (−18 °C). For it, two different concentrations of polyphenol compounds (namely, p-coumaric and ferulic acids) obtained from a barley husk extract were applied (PPRF–VP conditions) and compared to vacuum packaging without polyphenol presence (vacuum control; VP condition) and to packaging in the absence of vacuum and polyphenols (control; CP condition). The study was addressed to lipid hydrolysis and oxidation development and to lipid changes related to nutritional value. Both PPRF–VP conditions provided an inhibitory effect (p< 0.05) on conjugated diene and fluorescent compound formation in frozen salmon. Compared to CP condition, vacuum packaging (PPRF–VP and VP conditions) led to lower (p0.05) of polyphenol presence and vacuum packaging could be inferred on free fatty acid formation (hydrolysis development) and on polyunsaturated fatty acid retention (polyene index assessment). A low rancid odour development was observed in all kinds of fish samples, this being lower (p

3 figuras, 5 tablas, This work focuses the sensory and physical properties of canned farmed coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch); the effect of flake ice and slurry ice as previous slaughter and chilling conditions was studied. Hydrolytic chemical changes related to sensory and physical properties were also evaluated in canned salmon. Thermal treatment led to a canned muscle showing higher firmness, lower cohesivity and colour changes (higher L* and b* values; lower a* values); filling oils showed higher turbidity scores and lower L*, a* and b* values than starting oil. Additionally, oxidised and putrid odour development in canned muscle and filling oil was low. However, previous icing condition and time (up to 9 days) provided no changes in canned muscle and filling oil, except for an increasing oxidised odour and turbidity in filling oil with chilling time. Meantime, free fatty acid formation and K value were markedly affected by previous icing system and time, The work was carried out in the Chilean University (Chile)-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Spain) Program (Project 2006 CL 0034) and supported by the Secretaría Xeral de I+D (Xunta de Galicia, Spain) (Project PGIDIT05TAL00701CT)

The downstream movement of coho salmon nomads (age 0), conventionally considered surplus fry, has been an accepted characteristic of juvenile coho salmon for the past 40 to 50 yr. The fate of these nomads, however, was not known and they were assumed to perish in the ocean. Several studies and observations have recently provided new insights into the fate of nomads and the role of the stream-estuary ecotone and estuary in developing this life history strategy that promotes coho resilience. Chinook and sockeye salmon have developed the ocean-type life-history strategy to exploit the higher productivity of the estuarine environment and migrate to the ocean at age 0. Nomad coho can acclimate to brackish water, and survive and grow well in the stream-estuary ecotone and estuary, but instead of migrating to the ocean they return upstream into freshwater to overwinter before migrating to the ocean as smolts. Nomads may enter the estuarine environment from natal or non-natal streams, rear there throughout the summer, and then emigrate to a non-natal stream for overwintering and smolting in the spring. These estuarine and overwintering habitats have enabled coho to develop this unique nomad life history strategy that may help to ensure their resilience. Restoring estuarine habitats may be essential to the recovery of depressed populations of coho.

6 pages, 1 figure, 1 table, This study was conducted to investigate whether aromatization to estrogen could be the cause for the paradoxical feminization of gonads of sexually-undifferentiated fish after treatment with androgen at either high doses or for long periods. The aromatizable androgen 17α-methyltestosterone (MT) and the nonaromatizable androgen 17α-methyldihydrotestosterone (MDHT) were administered to groups of newly hatched coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in a single 2h immersion at concentrations ranging from 6.25 to 6,400µg/l. The effects of treatment were evaluated by determining the resultant proportion of males in each experimental group. The effects of steroid administration on the final mean weight, length and condition factor were also determined. An increase in all these three variables was observed in the groups treated with the higher doses of MT. Regarding the resultant sexual phenotype, the response to both androgens was similar at the majority of doses tested. However, at the highest dose, the proportion of females increased with respect to that of males for MT, but not for MDHT. Since the major difference between the two androgens tested is their capacity to be aromatized, it seems that aromatization to estrogen, rather than inhibition of the biosynthesis of endogenous androgen, may explain the paradoxical feminization encountered

The central role of transferrin (Tf) as an iron transporting protein has been extended by observations that modified versions of Tf also participate in the regulation of innate immunity. We report on the isolation of two carp Tf proteins (alleles D and G) to purity using rivanol precipitation and ion-exchange chromatography, and describe the activation of head kidney-derived carp macrophages by cleaved Tf. We demonstrate the superiority of the D-type over the G-type Tf in inducing nitric oxide (NO) and confirm previous observations that full-length Tf cannot induce NO in fish macrophages. We believe that cleaved Tf fragments should be considered to be “alarmins”. We discuss the possibility that parasites such as Trypanoplasma borreli cleave Tf and use Tf fragments to their advantage by modulating the NO induction in carp macrophages.

Stress is a potential factor causing increased susceptibility of fish to pathogens. In this study, stress-induced immunological changes that may contribute to a decreased immune status were investigated. A 3 h drop in ambient water temperature of 9 degreesC was used as a relative mild and acute stress model for carp. Effects of this stressor on the dynamics of leucocyte populations were determined with specific monoclonal antibodies. The relative number of circulating B-lymphocytes in the total leucocyte population decreased significantly within 4 h after the onset of single or multiple cold shocks. This decrease was reversible, as B-lymphocyte numbers were restored within 24 h. Most probably, a redistribution of B-lymphocytes contributed to this phenomenon. In head kidney, an increase was measured in the relative number of B-lymphocytes. Granulocyte numbers showed opposite reactions: the percentage of granulocytes in the total leucocyte population nearly doubled in circulation and decreased significantly in the head kidney. This demonstrates that in vivo, a mild stressor differentially alters the distribution of leucocytes. In stressed carp, the percentage of apoptotic lymphocytes in blood is significantly higher compared with the unstressed animals. B-lymphocytes as well as Ig(-) lymphoid cells contributed to this increased apoptosis. Labelling of blood lymphocytes with a polyclonal antiserum against the glucocorticoid receptor also showed, besides B-lymphocytes, part of the Ig(-) lymphoid cell population to be glucocorticoid receptor positive. As the distribution of B-lymphocytes was substantially affected, the effect of temperature stress on T-lymphocyte-independent (trinitrophenyl-lipopolysaccharide) and T-lymphocyte-dependent (dinitrophenyl-keyhole limpet hemocyanin) humoral antibody responses was determined. Kinetics of the primary antibody response to the T-lymphocyte-independent antigen showed lower antibody titres in stressed carp during the onset of the immune response, implying a slower development of the antibody response against the T-lymphocyte-independent antigen. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

International audience; Juvenile coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, adapted to fresh water or seawater were either acutely handled or continuously stressed by severe confinement. Chronic stress, independent of external salinity, caused a gradual increase in the concentration of circulating prolactin that persisted for 1 to 5 days but lagged behind the cortisol response which peaked much more rapidly and remained elevated. Acutely stressed fish showed a rapid, more transient increase in plasma cortisol titer with no apparent effect on prolactin. Confinement appeared to be more stressful to fish in salt water than to those in fresh water, as judged by their sodium regulatory ability, hormone profiles, and mortality. Stress always elevated plasma prolactin concentrations, regardless of medium or developmental stage.