Association between swimming performance, cardiorespiratory morphometry and thermal tolerance in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)

This experiment tested the hypothesis that swimming performance in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) parr is connected to cardiorespiratory performance and morphology, as well as maximum heart rate (fHmax) related measures of thermal tolerance. Moreover, it was hypothesized that the cardiorespiratory di...

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Main Authors: Katja eAnttila, Sven Martin eJørgensen, Matthew Thomas Casselman, Gerrit eTimmerhaus, Anthony Peter eFarrell, Harald eTakle
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2014-12-01
Series:Frontiers in Marine Science
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fmars.2014.00076/full
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author Katja eAnttila
Sven Martin eJørgensen
Matthew Thomas Casselman
Gerrit eTimmerhaus
Anthony Peter eFarrell
Anthony Peter eFarrell
Harald eTakle
author_facet Katja eAnttila
Sven Martin eJørgensen
Matthew Thomas Casselman
Gerrit eTimmerhaus
Anthony Peter eFarrell
Anthony Peter eFarrell
Harald eTakle
author_sort Katja eAnttila
collection DOAJ
description This experiment tested the hypothesis that swimming performance in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) parr is connected to cardiorespiratory performance and morphology, as well as maximum heart rate (fHmax) related measures of thermal tolerance. Moreover, it was hypothesized that the cardiorespiratory differences between poor and strong swimmers will be retained in a later life stage, i.e., 15 weeks post-smoltification and seawater transfer. This experiment screened a population of 3,200 parr (11.2 ± 0.25 g) for their swimming performance, classifying them as poor and good swimmers based on their critical swimming speeds (4.4±0.1 body length s-1 and >6.8±0.1 body length s-1, respectively). Compared with poor performing parr, good swimmers had a significantly thicker compact myocardium (by 23.7%) and taller gill secondary lamellae (by 16.2%). In contrast, there was no significant difference in maximum oxygen consumption between the two groups as assessed using a ‘chase’ protocol, and the relationship between heart rate specific measures of thermal tolerance and swim performance was variable. For example, three measures did not differ between the two groups, whereas the Arrhenius breakpoint temperature for fHmax and fHmax were higher and lower, respectively, in the poor swimmers. Importantly, the identified morphological and fHmax differences at the parr stage persisted after 15 weeks of common garden rearing in seawater, and they were associated with an increase in relative ventricular mass and a small, but significant, improvement in growth rate. Therefore, it seems that an early assessment of swimming performance can effectively screen for morphological capacities related to oxygen supply and growth rate, but less so for heart rate related measures of thermal tolerance.
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spelling doaj.art-59dd662c3c4d48d583021b59820294962022-12-21T18:44:46ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452014-12-01110.3389/fmars.2014.00076115877Association between swimming performance, cardiorespiratory morphometry and thermal tolerance in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)Katja eAnttila0Sven Martin eJørgensen1Matthew Thomas Casselman2Gerrit eTimmerhaus3Anthony Peter eFarrell4Anthony Peter eFarrell5Harald eTakle6University of TurkuNofimaUniversity of British ColumbiaNofimaUniversity of British ColumbiaUniversity of British ColumbiaNofimaThis experiment tested the hypothesis that swimming performance in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) parr is connected to cardiorespiratory performance and morphology, as well as maximum heart rate (fHmax) related measures of thermal tolerance. Moreover, it was hypothesized that the cardiorespiratory differences between poor and strong swimmers will be retained in a later life stage, i.e., 15 weeks post-smoltification and seawater transfer. This experiment screened a population of 3,200 parr (11.2 ± 0.25 g) for their swimming performance, classifying them as poor and good swimmers based on their critical swimming speeds (4.4±0.1 body length s-1 and >6.8±0.1 body length s-1, respectively). Compared with poor performing parr, good swimmers had a significantly thicker compact myocardium (by 23.7%) and taller gill secondary lamellae (by 16.2%). In contrast, there was no significant difference in maximum oxygen consumption between the two groups as assessed using a ‘chase’ protocol, and the relationship between heart rate specific measures of thermal tolerance and swim performance was variable. For example, three measures did not differ between the two groups, whereas the Arrhenius breakpoint temperature for fHmax and fHmax were higher and lower, respectively, in the poor swimmers. Importantly, the identified morphological and fHmax differences at the parr stage persisted after 15 weeks of common garden rearing in seawater, and they were associated with an increase in relative ventricular mass and a small, but significant, improvement in growth rate. Therefore, it seems that an early assessment of swimming performance can effectively screen for morphological capacities related to oxygen supply and growth rate, but less so for heart rate related measures of thermal tolerance.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fmars.2014.00076/fullOxygen ConsumptionScreening fishcompact myocardiumswimming endurancegill lamellaeoptimum temperature
spellingShingle Katja eAnttila
Sven Martin eJørgensen
Matthew Thomas Casselman
Gerrit eTimmerhaus
Anthony Peter eFarrell
Anthony Peter eFarrell
Harald eTakle
Association between swimming performance, cardiorespiratory morphometry and thermal tolerance in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)
Frontiers in Marine Science
Oxygen Consumption
Screening fish
compact myocardium
swimming endurance
gill lamellae
optimum temperature
title Association between swimming performance, cardiorespiratory morphometry and thermal tolerance in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)
title_full Association between swimming performance, cardiorespiratory morphometry and thermal tolerance in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)
title_fullStr Association between swimming performance, cardiorespiratory morphometry and thermal tolerance in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)
title_full_unstemmed Association between swimming performance, cardiorespiratory morphometry and thermal tolerance in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)
title_short Association between swimming performance, cardiorespiratory morphometry and thermal tolerance in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)
title_sort association between swimming performance cardiorespiratory morphometry and thermal tolerance in atlantic salmon salmo salar l
topic Oxygen Consumption
Screening fish
compact myocardium
swimming endurance
gill lamellae
optimum temperature
url http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fmars.2014.00076/full
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