Effect of egg incubation temperature on the occurrence of skeletal deformities in Solea senegalensis

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2012

Authors

Dionisio, G (Author) Other; Campos, C (Author) Other; Valente, LMP (Author) ICBAS; Conceicao, LEC (Author) Other; Cancela, ML (Author) Other; Gavaia, PJ (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Journal of Applied Ichthyology

Vol. 28

Pages: 471-476

ISSN: 0175-8659

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 33 Citations

Scopus - 41 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Agrarian Sciences > Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-002-9K3

DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0426.2012.01996.x

Abstract (EN): Temperature is a factor known to have a marked influence on metabolism and consequently on development, inducing ontogenetic plasticity in fish larvae. In this study, three different temperatures (15, 18 and 21 degrees C) were assayed during Solea senegalensis embryonic development prior to hatching. After hatching all larvae were reared at the same temperature (21.0 +/- 0.1 degrees C) until 30 days. We observed that lowering the incubation temperature from 21 to 15 degrees C reduced the incidence of skeletal deformities from 80 to 60%. Intermediate incubation temperature (18 degrees C), resulted in larvae that displayed a rate of abnormalities close to that observed at 15 degrees C (64%). A similar typology of deformities was observed in fish from all rearing temperatures, with caudal vertebra being the most affected structures and with a low incidence of cranial and appendicular deformities. The effect of temperature in developmental plasticity will lead to osteological abnormalities mainly affecting the caudal vertebrae at 18 degrees C (30%) and particularly the preural vertebra at 15 degrees C (55%). Our results, clearly demonstrate a significant effect of water temperature during egg incubation on the skeletal development of Senegalese sole, indicating that 18 degrees C is the most appropriated temperature. These findings highlight the importance of tightly controlling temperature regimes during the early development of S.senegalensis, and the need for optimizing rearing protocols in order to avoid skeletal disorders or impaired growth.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 6