Effects of Temperature Reduction and MS‐222 on Water Quality and Blood Biochemistry in Simulated Transport Experiment of Largemouth Bronze Gudgeon, Coreius guichenoti

Abstract

The effects of temperature reduction, MS-222 (3-aminobenzoic acid ethyl ester methanesulfonate) anesthesia and the combination of these factors on water quality and the blood biochemistry of the largemouth bronze gudgeon, Coreius guichenoti, a rare, endangered, and valuable fish in the upper Yangtze River, were investigated before and after simulated long-term transport. The results showed that transport caused deterioration of water quality and elevated the concentrations of plasma cortisol (2-3.5 times) and plasma lactate (1.33-2.5 times) in C. guichenoti. Temperature reduction was found to play a major role in improving the water quality by reducing total ammonia nitrogen and oxygen consumption, while MS-222 anesthesia mainly inhibited the activity of transported C. guichenoti and suppressed the increases in plasma lactate and alanine aminotransferase. Some interactions were observed between anesthesia and temperature reduction during C. guichenoti transportation regarding improving the water quality and reducing the physiological stress. The results suggest that during the long-term transportation of C. guichenoti, the combined use of temperature reduction and MS-222 is most preferable, followed by the use of temperature reduction alone or MS-222 at a relatively high temperature. These data provide useful information regarding the transport and physiological response of C. guichenoti as well as other related stresses in this fish.

An overview of stress physiology of fish transport: changes in water quality as a function of transport duration

“…Primary neuroendocrine responses involve neuronal detection of environmental changes (Iwama et al 2006). Catecholamines (primarily adrenaline) are released from chromaffin tissue in the anterior kidney (head) of fish Zhao et al (2014) . Catecholamines (primarily adrenaline) are released from chromaffin tissue in the anterior kidney (head) of fish Zhao et al (2014) .…”

“…These neuroendocrine responses include rapid release of adrenaline (Reid et al 1998;Iwama et al 2006), stimulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal cell system in the anterior kidney, culminating in the release of cortisol in the blood of the animal. Catecholamines (primarily adrenaline) are released from chromaffin tissue in the anterior kidney (head) of fish Zhao et al (2014) . Only data from control transport conditions have been used, that is, without the addition of buffers, or ammonia quenchers, or anaesthetics.…”

“…Reduced temperature directly results in higher oxygen availability from increased oxygen solubility (Harmon 2009). Reducing temperature decreased metabolism and activity of the Coreius guichenoti, Cyprinidae during transport (Zhao et al 2014). When fish are transported in containers, it is possible to maintain the temperature of the tank.…”

“…The use of anaesthetic substances in the transport water has also been proposed as a means of reducing fish metabolism, and in consequence decreasing oxygen consumption and output of CO 2 and raised ammonia levels (Harmon 2009). Anaesthetics are commonly used to transport fish, especially MS222 (Zhao et al 2014), 2-phenoxyethanol (Singh et al 2004) and eugenol (Becker et al 2013). Anaesthetic properties of the essential oil of Lippia alba have been tested in the seahorses (Hippocampus reidi, Syngnathidae) attaining the desired reduction in the stress caused by transport, as verified by the inhibition of blood glucose increase, the decrease in the number of lymphocytes and the increase in the neutrophil count (Cunha et al 2011).…”

The influence of weight and gender on intestinal bacterial community of wild largemouth bronze gudgeon (Coreius guichenoti, 1874)

“…The fish species is benthic and potamodromous and is typically found in river with torrential flow and they always live in cluster and produce pelagic eggs in flows from March to June every year [ 3 ]. However, the species has recently dramatically declined and is close to elimination [ 4 ] due to overfishing and construction of hydroelectrically projects, which have blocked the migration routes, causing habitat fragmentation, and losses of spawning grounds and habitat destruction [ 5 , 6 ].…”