Dataset Information

Enriched environments enhance cognition, exploratory behaviour and brain physiological functions of Sparus aurata.

ABSTRACT: Environmental enrichment is considered as a recommended tool to guarantee or improve the welfare of captive fish. This study demonstrates for the first time that structural environmental enrichment enhances cognition, exploratory behaviour and brain physiological functions of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata). Seabream was reared in groups (n?=?15) during 60 days under two different treatments: enriched tanks with plant-fibre ropes (EE) or bare/non-enriched tanks (NE). Fish were then exposed to a purpose-built maze for 1 h every second day in four trials. Analysis of video recordings showed that seabream under EE conditions presented higher overall exploratory behaviour, spatial orientation and learning capability compared to seabream from NE conditions. Results from brain monoamines analyses may suggest increased recent dopaminergic activity in telencephalon, known to be involved in learning processes; and increased serotonergic activity in cerebellum, involved in the coordination of balance, movements and orientation. In addition, EE-reared fish showed increased antioxidant activity in whole brain, with no apparent oxidative damage. Structural EE seemed to induce an hormetic response on juvenile seabream, improving their welfare status during captivity. Application of this kind of physical structure might be feasible at fish farms as a passive and non-invasive tool to improve welfare of intensively cultured seabream.

SUBMITTER: Arechavala-Lopez P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7347547 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Enriched environments enhance cognition, exploratory behaviour and brain physiological functions of Sparus aurata.

Arechavala-Lopez P P Caballero-Froilán J C JC Jiménez-García M M Capó X X Tejada S S Saraiva J L JL Sureda A A Moranta D D

Scientific reports 20200709 1

Environmental enrichment is considered as a recommended tool to guarantee or improve the welfare of captive fish. This study demonstrates for the first time that structural environmental enrichment enhances cognition, exploratory behaviour and brain physiological functions of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata). Seabream was reared in groups (n = 15) during 60 days under two different treatments: enriched tanks with plant-fibre ropes (EE) or bare/non-enriched tanks (NE). Fish were then exposed to ...[more]

PMID: 32647185

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Project description:A longer on-land rearing period of Gilthead seabream Sparus aurata before transfer to sea-cages would allow the farmer to benefit from exercise-enhanced growth, resilience, and robustness as induced by increasing water flow in the tanks. In this study, the physiological effects of flow-conditioning were investigated by subjecting large groups of experimental fish to minimal flow or to flow regimes inducing swimming exercise at 1 or 2 body length (BL) s-1 for a period of 8 months (February-October) in 1,500 L tanks. Fish representing the three treatment groups were then used for: (1) a stress challenge netting test and plasma cortisol measurement (baseline, peaking, and recovery levels), (2) blood plasma measurements of glucose, triglycerides, lactate, cholesterol, growth hormone (GH), and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), and (3) heart and muscle gene expression of the GH and IGF1 receptors and the muscle transcriptome by deep RNA sequencing (RNAseq). Fish size after 8 months of flow conditioning was 92 ± 27 g body weight (BW) for fish under minimal flow, 106 ± 24 g BW (+15%) at 1 BL s-1, and 125 ± 27 g BW (+36%) at 2 BL s-1. Flow conditioning at 1 BL s-1 provided optimal conditions for growth and uniformity, but also stress (lowest baseline plasma cortisol), robustness (higher condition factor and larger hearts), and energy mobilization (increased plasma glucose). Although flow enhanced growth linearly with swimming speed, also the percentage of lordotic fish increased with exercise, particularly high for swimming at 2 BL s-1. The absence of important differences in plasma GH and IGF1, and expression levels of their receptors in heart and white skeletal muscle, indicated that other factors may be involved in growth enhancement. RNAseq of the white skeletal muscle showed upregulated expression of genes involved in muscle contraction, muscle development and its molecular regulation, and immune genes that may play a role in the muscle repair mechanism. An exercise regime of swimming at 1 BL s-1 can be considered as optimal for farming robust seabream although the increase of skeletal deformities should be avoided.

Project description:A longer on-land rearing period of Gilthead seabream Sparus aurata before transfer to sea-cages would allow the farmer to benefit from exercise-enhanced growth and resilience as induced by increasing water flow in the tanks. In this study, the physiological effects of flow-conditioning were investigated by subjecting large groups of experimental fish to minimal flow or to flow regimes inducing swimming exercise at 1 or 2 Body Length (BL) s-1 for a period of 8 months (Feb.-Oct.) in 1,500 l RAS tanks. Fish size after eight months of flow conditioning was 92 ± 27 g body weight (BW) for fish under minimal flow; 106 ± 24 g BW (+15%) at 1 BL s-1, and 125 ± 27 g BW (+36%) at 2 BL s-1. Although flow enhanced growth linearly with swimming speed, the number of malformed fish was significantly higher for swimming at 2 BL s-1 indicating that the mechanical load imposed by exercise was too high for a developing juvenile. Fish representing the three treatment groups were then used for: (1) a stress challenge netting test and plasma cortisol measurement (baseline, peaking and recovery levels); (2) blood plasma measurements of glucose, triglycerides, lactate, cholesterol, growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), and heart and muscle gene expression of the GH and IGF-I receptors and the muscle transcriptome by deep RNA sequencing (RNAseq). Flow conditioning at 1 BL s-1 provided optimal conditions for growth and stress coping without energetic depletion and morphological deformation. The absence of important differences in plasma GH and IGF-I, and expression levels of the receptors in heart and white skeletal muscle, indicated that other factors may be involved in growth enhancement. RNAseq of the white skeletal muscle showed that transcription regulators play an important role. Also expression of immune genes is strongly up-regulated. Whereas muscle of fish conditioned at 1 BL s-1 shows up-regulated expression of structural genes such as troponins and myosins, muscle of fish conditioned at 2 BL s-1 shows up-regulated expression of skeletal genes instead which may reflect the mechanism behind morphological deformations.

Dataset Information

Enriched environments enhance cognition, exploratory behaviour and brain physiological functions of Sparus aurata.

Publications

Enriched environments enhance cognition, exploratory behaviour and brain physiological functions of Sparus aurata.

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