Effects of size, age and photoperiod on hypoosmoregulation in brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis
Citable URI
https://hdl.handle.net/1912/2750Location
Riviere a la Truite, QuebecMatamek River
DOI
10.1575/1912/2750Keyword
Osmoregulation; Extracellular fluid; Brook troutAbstract
Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) raised from eggs under two
photoperiod and two feeding regimes were tested for physiological
changes preparatory for transition from freshwater to seawater. Size,
age, growth rate, photoperiod, and diel rhythms were examined for
possible influences on plasma osmolarity, [Na+], [Cl-], [K+],
[Mg2+], thyroxine concentration, hematocrit, and gill
Na+,K+-ATPase activity of brook trout in freshwater. Significant
diel cycles were found in plasma osmolarity, (Na+] and thyroxine
concentration. Significant size and/or age related changes occurred
for plasma osmolarity, [Na+], [K+] and hematocrit, but could
explain little of their total variation (0.02 < r2 <0.18). A
sexually dimorphic response to photoperiod was observed in hematocrit
for both mature and immature fish, with hematocrit of mature females
declining in autumn and hematocrit of immature males increasing in
autumn. Gill Na+,K+-ATPase activity did not respond to
photoperiod or feeding treatment and showed no change with size or
age. Plasma thyroxine levels responded to feeding and photoperiod
treatment. There was a significant correlation between the percent
mean difference in plasma thyroxine and the mean difference in growth
rate between high and low feed fish (r2 = 0.51), suggesting a
relationship between thyroxine and growth.
In 11 experiments over 1.5 yrs, brook trout were gradually exposed
to 32 ppt seawater for 20 d to investigate the ontogeny of salinity
tolerance. A single experiment examined daily changes in plasma
osmolarity, [Na+], [Cl-], [K+], [Mg2+], thyroxine, hematocrit
and gill Na+,K+-ATPase during adaptation to 10 ppt, 20 ppt and 32
ppt. Size was the primary determinant of seawater survival (r2 =
0.77); the effect of size on seawater survival slowed after fish
reached a fork length of 14 cm. The effect of age on seawater.
survival (r2 = 0.65) was through its covariance with size.
Photoperiod affected seawater survival only through its influence on
the timing of male maturation, which decreased salinity tolerance.
Hypoosmoregulation of plasma osmolarity, [Na+], [Cl-], [K+],
[Mg2+] and hematocrit increased linearly with size over the entire
range of sizes (6-32 cm). Gill Na+,K+-ATPase activity after 20 d
in seawater decreased with increasing size of brook trout, possibly
reflecting decreased demand for active ion transport in larger fish.
Plasma thyroxine concentrations generally declined in seawater, but no
definitive role of this hormone in seawater adaptation was found.
Size dependent survival and osmoregulatory ability of brook trout is
compared to other salmonids and a conceptual model is developed.
Decreased salinity tolerance and hypoosmoregulatory ability was
found in mature male brook trout and was not found in females or
immature males. Lowered salinity tolerance of adult males becomes
acute during autumn photoperiod when normal spawning occurs. Plasma
[Cl-], [Mg2+], osmolarity and hematocrit are significantly higher
in mature males after transfer to seawater, relative to mature
females. It is postulated that reduced adult male hypoosmoregulatory
ability explains skewed sex ratios in anadromous populations, limits
the extent of anadromy, and was a significant phase in the evolution
of extended salmonid migration.
Anadromous brook trout of Riviere a la Truite, Quebec, were
examined for physiological changes associated with salmonid
smoltification, and compared to non-anadromous brook trout of the
Matamek River. There were no significant differences in plasma
thyroxine concentration, gill Na+,K+-ATPase activity, hematocrit
or osmoregulatory ability of anadromous and non-anadromous brook
trout. Moisture content was significantly different between fish from
the two river systems, but had the same pattern of declining moisture
content as summer progressed. Silver coloration of brook trout in
Riviere a la Truite was significantly associated with larger fish and
higher gill Na+,K+-ATPase activity, but not with changes in plasma
thyroxine, moisture content, hematocrit or condition factor. Silver
coloration was absent in Matamek River brook trout. Brook trout at
high salinity estuarine sites had significantly greater gill
Na+,K+-ATPase activity and hypoosmoregulatory ability than brook
trout at low salinity sites. Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in high
salinity estuarine sites had significantly higher plasma thyroxine and
gill Na+,K+-ATPase activity than brook trout. The results
indicate that smoltification is relatively undeveloped in brook trout
and that estuarine residence is important in salinity adaptation and
eventual seaward migration.
Description
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution August 1983
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Suggested Citation
Thesis: McCormick, Stephen Daniel, "Effects of size, age and photoperiod on hypoosmoregulation in brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis", 1983-08, DOI:10.1575/1912/2750, https://hdl.handle.net/1912/2750Related items
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