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Feed intake, growth and osmoregulation in Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.), transferred from freshwater to saltwater at 8°C during summer and winter

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Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to examine seasonal changes in seawater tolerance and growth performance of anadromous Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus L.) held at the same temperature (8°C) during winter and summer. Charr (20–27 cm), previously reared in freshwater under natural photoperiod, were transferred either directly (DT) from freshwater to seawater (35 ppt), from freshwater to brackish water (20 ppt), or were gradually adapted (GT) to seawater over a period of 10 days. Control fish were held in freshwater. Feed intake and osmoregulatory ability were then monitored on three occasions during the following 59 days. Two experiments were carried out, one during winter (December–January) and the other during summer (June–July). In both experiments fish mortality was low. Plasma osmolalities recorded in fish transferred to seawater were within normal ranges, but osmolalities on day 10, were significantly lower in summer (313 mOsm/kg (DT), 328 mOsm/kg (GT)) than in winter (323 mOsm/kg (DT), 352 mOsm/kg (GT)). In winter, feed intake and growth rates were high in fish kept in fresh and brackish water, but charr transferred directly to seawater ate little and lost weight. Fish that were gradually adapted to seawater occupied an intermediate position. During summer the observed differences in feed intake were small and all fish had relatively high growth rates. These results suggest that Arctic charr display seasonal changes in feed intake and growth performance that parallel seasonal changes in hypoosmoregulatory capacity. The ability to survive and hypoosmoregulate in full strength seawater does not, however, seem to be a particularly good indicator of successful seawater adaptation with respect to the ability to display high rates of feed intake and growth. During winter, a gradual transfer to seawater appeared to lead to improved feeding and growth compared to direct transfer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Norwegian Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture, P.O. Box 2511, N-9002, Tromsø, Norway

    Arne M. Arnesen & Malcolm Jobling

  2. Norwegian College of Fishery Science, University of Tromsø, Dramsveien 201, N-9037, Tromsø, Norway

    Even H. Jørgensen & Malcolm Jobling

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  1. Arne M. Arnesen
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  2. Even H. Jørgensen
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  3. Malcolm Jobling
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Arnesen, A.M., Jørgensen, E.H. & Jobling, M. Feed intake, growth and osmoregulation in Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.), transferred from freshwater to saltwater at 8°C during summer and winter. Fish Physiol Biochem 12, 281–292 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00004413

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