Coping with unpredictability: Dopaminergic and neurotrophic responses to omission of expected reward in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.).

Comparative studies are imperative for understanding the evolution of adaptive neurobiological processes such as neural plasticity, cognition, and emotion. Previously we have reported that prolonged omission of expected rewards (OER, or 'frustrative nonreward') causes increased aggression in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Here we report changes in brain monoaminergic activity and relative abundance of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and dopamine receptor mRNA transcripts in the same paradigm. Groups of fish were initially conditioned to associate a flashing light with feeding. Subsequently, the expected food reward was delayed for 30 minutes during two out of three meals per day in the OER treatment, while the previously established routine was maintained in control groups. After 8 days there was no effect of OER on baseline brain stem serotonin (5-HT) or dopamine (DA) activity. Subsequent exposure to acute confinement stress led to increased plasma cortisol and elevated turnover of brain stem DA and 5-HT in all animals. The DA response was potentiated and DA receptor 1 (D1) mRNA abundance was reduced in the OER-exposed fish, indicating a sensitization of the DA system. In addition OER suppressed abundance of BDNF in the telencephalon of non-stressed fish. Regardless of OER treatment, a strong positive correlation between BDNF and D1 mRNA abundance was seen in non-stressed fish. This correlation was disrupted by acute stress, and replaced by a negative correlation between BDNF abundance and plasma cortisol concentration. These observations indicate a conserved link between DA, neurotrophin regulation, and corticosteroid-signaling pathways. The results also emphasize how fish models can be important tools in the study of neural plasticity and responsiveness to environmental unpredictability

Effects of Hydrographic Variability on the Spatial, Seasonal and Diel Diving Patterns of Southern Elephant Seals in the Eastern Weddell Sea

Weddell Sea hydrography and circulation is driven by influx of Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) from the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) at its eastern margin. Entrainment and upwelling of this high-nutrient, oxygen-depleted water mass within the Weddell Gyre also supports the mesopelagic ecosystem within the gyre and the rich benthic community along the Antarctic shelf. We used Conductivity-Temperature-Depth Satellite Relay Data Loggers (CTD-SRDLs) to examine the importance of hydrographic variability, ice cover and season on the movements and diving behavior of southern elephant seals in the eastern Weddell Sea region during their overwinter feeding trips from Bouvetøya. We developed a model describing diving depth as a function of local time of day to account for diel variation in diving behavior. Seals feeding in pelagic ice-free waters during the summer months displayed clear diel variation, with daytime dives reaching 500-1500 m and night-time targeting of the subsurface temperature and salinity maxima characteristic of CDW around 150–300 meters. This pattern was especially clear in the Weddell Cold and Warm Regimes within the gyre, occurred in the ACC, but was absent at the Dronning Maud Land shelf region where seals fed benthically. Diel variation was almost absent in pelagic feeding areas covered by winter sea ice, where seals targeted deep layers around 500–700 meters. Thus, elephant seals appear to switch between feeding strategies when moving between oceanic regimes or in response to seasonal environmental conditions. While they are on the shelf, they exploit the locally-rich benthic ecosystem, while diel patterns in pelagic waters in summer are probably a response to strong vertical migration patterns within the copepod-based pelagic food web. Behavioral flexibility that permits such switching between different feeding strategies may have important consequences regarding the potential for southern elephant seals to adapt to variability or systematic changes in their environment resulting from climate change

Behavioural indicators of welfare in farmed fish

Behaviour represents a reaction to the environment as fish perceive it and is therefore a key element of fish welfare. This review summarises the main findings on how behavioural changes have been used to assess welfare in farmed fish, using both functional and feeling-based approaches. Changes in foraging behaviour, ventilatory activity, aggression, individual and group swimming behaviour, stereotypic and abnormal behaviour have been linked with acute and chronic stressors in aquaculture and can therefore be regarded as likely indicators of poor welfare. On the contrary, measurements of exploratory behaviour, feed anticipatory activity and reward-related operant behaviour are beginning to be considered as indicators of positive emotions and welfare in fish. Despite the lack of scientific agreement about the existence of sentience in fish, the possibility that they are capable of both positive and negative emotions may contribute to the development of new strategies (e. g. environmental enrichment) to promote good welfare. Numerous studies that use behavioural indicators of welfare show that behavioural changes can be interpreted as either good or poor welfare depending on the fish species. It is therefore essential to understand the species-specific biology before drawing any conclusions in relation to welfare. In addition, different individuals within the same species may exhibit divergent coping strategies towards stressors, and what is tolerated by some individuals may be detrimental to others. Therefore, the assessment of welfare in a few individuals may not represent the average welfare of a group and vice versa. This underlines the need to develop on-farm, operational behavioural welfare indicators that can be easily used to assess not only the individual welfare but also the welfare of the whole group (e. g. spatial distribution). With the ongoing development of video technology and image processing, the on-farm surveillance of behaviour may in the near future represent a low-cost, noninvasive tool to assess the welfare of farmed fish.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal [SFRH/BPD/42015/2007]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Repeated sublethal freshwater exposures reduce the amoebic gill disease parasite, Neoparamoeba perurans, on Atlantic salmon

Freshwater bathing is one of the main treatment options available against amoebic gill disease (AGD) affecting multiple fish hosts in mariculture systems. Prevailing freshwater treatments are designed to be long enough to kill Neoparamoeba perurans, the ectoparasite causing AGD, which may select for freshwater tolerance. Here, we tested whether using shorter, sublethal freshwater treatment durations are a viable alternative to lethal ones for N. perurans (2–4 hr). Under in vitro conditions, gill‐isolated N. perurans attached to plastic substrate in sea water lifted off after ≥2 min in freshwater, but survival was not impacted until 60 min. In an in vivo experiment, AGD‐affected Atlantic salmon Salmo salar subjected daily to 30 min (sublethal to N. perurans) and 120 min (lethal to N. perurans) freshwater treatments for 6 days consistently reduced N. perurans cell numbers on gills (based on qPCR analysis) compared to daily 3 min freshwater or seawater treatments for 6 days. Our results suggest that targeting cell detachment rather than cell death with repeated freshwater treatments of shorter duration than typical baths could be used in AGD management. However, the consequences of modifying the intensity of freshwater treatment regimes on freshwater tolerance evolution in N. perurans populations require careful consideration

Surface environment modification in Atlantic salmon sea-cages: effects on amoebic gill disease, salmon lice, growth and welfare

Surface environment modification is a potential parasite control strategy in Atlantic salmon sea-cage farming. For instance, a temporary low salinity surface layer in commercial-scale snorkel sea-cages has coincided with reduced amoebic gill disease (AGD) levels after an outbreak. We tested if a permanent freshwater (FW) surface layer in snorkel sea-cages would lower AGD and salmon lice levels of stock relative to snorkel cages with seawater (SW) only and standard production cages with no snorkels. Triplicate cages of each type with 2000 post-smolts were monitored in autumn to winter for 8 wk and sampled 4 times. Lower proportions of individuals with elevated AGD-related gill scores were registered in SW and FW snorkel cages compared to standard cages; however, these proportions did not differ between SW and FW snorkel cages. Individuals positive for AGD-causing Paramoeba perurans were reduced by 65% in FW snorkel relative to standard cages, but values were similar between SW snorkel cages and other types. While total lice burdens were reduced by 38% in SW snorkel compared to standard cages, they were unchanged between FW snorkel and other cage types. Fish welfare and growth were unaffected by cage type. Surface activity was detected in all cages; however, more surface jumps were recorded in standard than snorkel cages. Overall, fish in FW snorkel cages appeared to reside too little in freshwater to consistently reduce AGD levels and salmon lice compared to SW snorkel cages. Further work should test behavioural and environmental manipulations aimed at increasing freshwater or low salinity surface layer use

Assessing fish welfare in aquaculture

A framework for assessing the welfare of fish in aquaculture must have a suite of different welfare indicators that describe how well their welfare needs are met and thus their quality of life. The framework should utilise both input- and outcome-based welfare indicators. Input-based welfare indicators are parameters that describe the conditions the fish are subjected to, e.g. their environment. In many cases, input-based welfare indicators can give the farmer or assessor an early warning of deteriorating conditions, which can then be mitigated before they become too severe. However, it can be very challenging to have a complete overview of all the possible input parameters the fish are subjected to, at all times, and at all possible positions in the rearing facility that the fish may occupy. Further, their effects on welfare can also be subtle, delayed and also be dependent upon an array of complex interactions with other parameters and factors. It is, therefore, necessary to also include outcome-based indicators. These are parameters that are normally directly related to the animals, e.g. describing the animals themselves or their behaviour. A simple rule of thumb can be that as long as the fish look good, are doing well, are in good health, show normal behaviour and are thriving, it is not unreasonable to assume that the rearing system or operation is fulfilling, or has not markedly impacted upon, their welfare needs. If not, there is something wrong and this should be investigated further