Changes in swimming activity can reflect the perception and the response to environmen- tal varia... more Changes in swimming activity can reflect the perception and the response to environmen- tal variations from a fish perspective. Thus metrics such as Ucrit, recovery test and muscu- lar activity measured via electromyogram (EMG) were explored for their potential use as welfare indicators. Aquaculture experiments conducted on European sea bass demonstra- ted the usefulness of the Ucrit to set the baseline of the swimming activity metrics. While the recovery test allowed to evaluate the impact of stress as a sign of possible physiological impairment. The sensitiveness of the EMG indicator was demonstrated by the underpin of the effects of different stocking densities on the sea bass welfare, when operationally monitored on-farm, using physiological telemetry (EMG-tag). In these trials EMG pro- files enabled to detect that the fish reared at higher density used on average 25% more energy than at lower stocking density. Synchronous monitoring of red and white muscle electromyograms highl...
ABSTRACT Groups of adult sea bass were reared at either low (10 kg m−3) or high (50 kg m−3) stock... more ABSTRACT Groups of adult sea bass were reared at either low (10 kg m−3) or high (50 kg m−3) stocking densities respectively for 84 and 116 days. To monitor the red muscle activity, about 20 fish from both densities were surgically implanted with EMG (Electromyograms) radio transmitters, after EMG calibration during exhaustive swimming exercise (Ucrit test). Blood samples and morphometric measurements were also taken. EMG showed that the muscle activity of fish reared at 50 kg m−3 was on average twofold higher than fish kept at lower density. Cortisol was significantly more elevated at higher density and haemoglobin, haematocrit and RBCC (red blood cells count) showed the same trend, while lysozyme decreased. Patterns for glucose and lactate were less clear. The results showed that the contemporary use of functional (EMG) and physiological (haematological and biochemical) profiles could give a more comprehensive view of the fish status validating the diagnosis of fish stress induced by culture practices.
Changes in swimming activity can reflect the perception and the response to environmen- tal varia... more Changes in swimming activity can reflect the perception and the response to environmen- tal variations from a fish perspective. Thus metrics such as Ucrit, recovery test and muscu- lar activity measured via electromyogram (EMG) were explored for their potential use as welfare indicators. Aquaculture experiments conducted on European sea bass demonstra- ted the usefulness of the Ucrit to set the baseline of the swimming activity metrics. While the recovery test allowed to evaluate the impact of stress as a sign of possible physiological impairment. The sensitiveness of the EMG indicator was demonstrated by the underpin of the effects of different stocking densities on the sea bass welfare, when operationally monitored on-farm, using physiological telemetry (EMG-tag). In these trials EMG pro- files enabled to detect that the fish reared at higher density used on average 25% more energy than at lower stocking density. Synchronous monitoring of red and white muscle electromyograms highl...
ABSTRACT Groups of adult sea bass were reared at either low (10 kg m−3) or high (50 kg m−3) stock... more ABSTRACT Groups of adult sea bass were reared at either low (10 kg m−3) or high (50 kg m−3) stocking densities respectively for 84 and 116 days. To monitor the red muscle activity, about 20 fish from both densities were surgically implanted with EMG (Electromyograms) radio transmitters, after EMG calibration during exhaustive swimming exercise (Ucrit test). Blood samples and morphometric measurements were also taken. EMG showed that the muscle activity of fish reared at 50 kg m−3 was on average twofold higher than fish kept at lower density. Cortisol was significantly more elevated at higher density and haemoglobin, haematocrit and RBCC (red blood cells count) showed the same trend, while lysozyme decreased. Patterns for glucose and lactate were less clear. The results showed that the contemporary use of functional (EMG) and physiological (haematological and biochemical) profiles could give a more comprehensive view of the fish status validating the diagnosis of fish stress induced by culture practices.
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