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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Mar. Sci.
Sec. Aquatic Physiology
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmars.2024.1443710
This article is part of the Research Topic Endocrine Regulation and Physiological Adaptation of Stress Response in Aquatic Organisms, Volume II View all 11 articles

Lumpfish physiological response to chronic stress

Provisionally accepted
Tiago Lopes Tiago Lopes 1,2,3*Benjamin Costas Benjamin Costas 2,4Lourenço Ramos-Pinto Lourenço Ramos-Pinto 2Patrick Reynolds Patrick Reynolds 1Albert K. Imsland Albert K. Imsland 5,6Cláudia Aragão Cláudia Aragão 7,8Jorge M. Fernandes Jorge M. Fernandes 3*
  • 1 Gildeskål Research Station (GIFAS), Inndyr, Norway
  • 2 Interdisciplinary Center for Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Matosinhos, Porto, Portugal
  • 3 Faculty of Life Sciences and Aquaculture, Nord University, Bodø, Nordland, Norway
  • 4 Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
  • 5 Department of Biological Sciences , University of Bergen, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway
  • 6 Akvaplan niva AS, Tromsø, Troms, Norway
  • 7 University of Algarve, Faro, Faro, Portugal
  • 8 Center of Marine Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    In this study, we explored the effects of chronic stress on lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) physiological, immune response, health, and plasma free amino acids. 3 groups of lumpfish were exposed to 1-minute air exposure. 1 group was exposed to stress once per week, a second group exposed 2 times per week, and a third group exposed 4 times per week. The present study revealed significant alterations in immunity and increased nutritional demands, particularly the branched chain amino acids and lysine. Cortisol levels fluctuated, with significantly higher levels halfway through the experiment on the groups that were stressed more often. Though, by the end of the experiment, there were no significant differences in cortisol levels between groups. Regardless of stress exposure, cataract developed in virtually all sampled fish, pointing towards a potential dietary imbalance. A transient immunomodulation of stress was visible. While in early stages stress had an immune enhancing effect, as seen by the increase in plasma nitric oxide and peroxidase in the group most frequently exposed to stress, these differences were not apparent by the end of the experiment. Additionally, the worst health condition was found in this group. Our results underscore the complex interplay between stress, immunity and nutrition, highlighting the need for tailored dietary strategies and improved rearing practices.

    Keywords: Cleaner fish, Lumpfish, Salmon Farming, stress, Health, welfare, Amino Acids

    Received: 04 Jun 2024; Accepted: 22 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Lopes, Costas, Ramos-Pinto, Reynolds, Imsland, Aragão and Fernandes. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Tiago Lopes, Gildeskål Research Station (GIFAS), Inndyr, Norway
    Jorge M. Fernandes, Faculty of Life Sciences and Aquaculture, Nord University, Bodø, 8049, Nordland, Norway

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.