O'Toole Christina, White Philip, Graham Conor T, Conroy Caitlin, Brophy Deirdre
Marine and Freshwater Research Centre, ATU Galway City, Atlantic Technological University (ATU), Dublin Road, Galway H91 T8NW, Ireland.
Fisheries Ecosystem Advisory Services, Marine Institute, Rinville, Oranmore, Co. Galway H91 R673, Ireland.
Conserv Physiol. 2024 Sep 19;12(1):coae065. doi: 10.1093/conphys/coae065. eCollection 2024.
Measurement of cortisol in fish scales is attracting considerable attention as a non-invasive indicator of chronic stress in wild populations. For many fish species of management and conservation interest, extensive scale collections exist that could provide extended records of individual stress responses, by combining cortisol measurements with life history information. However, it is not yet known how well cortisol is preserved in the scale during storage. To investigate the stability of scale cortisol, we accelerated potential degradation by storing scales from an individual farmed Atlantic salmon () in an oven at 50°C for between 2 and 12 weeks. We found no significant relationship between scale cortisol concentration and either storage time or storage temperature. Cortisol concentrations in scales from the same fish were consistent (18.54-21.82 ng. g; coefficient of variation (CV) = 3.6%), indicating that scale cortisol can be reliably quantified, even in scales stored for varying periods of time or under different conditions. We also examined the effects of storage in real time using Atlantic salmon scales that were stored in paper envelopes at room temperature for between 3 and 32 years and found no significant relationship between scale cortisol concentration and storage time. Scale cortisol concentrations ranged from 4.05 to 135.37 ng.g and levels of between-individual variability were high (CV = 61%). Given that scale cortisol does not degrade during long-term storage, historical scale collections and associated data describing fish life histories could potentially be used to develop bioindicators of physiological responses in fish populations. Further research is needed to understand scale cortisol variability and its biological relevance.
将鱼鳞中的皮质醇作为野生种群慢性应激的非侵入性指标进行测量，正引起人们的广泛关注。对于许多具有管理和保护价值的鱼类物种，存在大量的鱼鳞样本，通过将皮质醇测量与生活史信息相结合，这些样本可以提供个体应激反应的长期记录。然而，目前尚不清楚皮质醇在储存过程中在鱼鳞中保存得如何。为了研究鱼鳞皮质醇的稳定性，我们将一条养殖的大西洋鲑（）的鱼鳞放在50°C的烤箱中储存2至12周，以加速潜在的降解。我们发现鱼鳞皮质醇浓度与储存时间或储存温度之间没有显著关系。同一条鱼的鱼鳞中的皮质醇浓度是一致的（18.54 - 21.82 ng·g；变异系数（CV）= 3.6%），这表明即使是在不同时间段或不同条件下储存的鱼鳞，其中的皮质醇也能够被可靠地定量。我们还使用在室温下用纸质信封储存3至32年的大西洋鲑鱼鳞实时研究了储存的影响，发现鱼鳞皮质醇浓度与储存时间之间没有显著关系。鱼鳞皮质醇浓度范围为4.05至135.37 ng·g，个体间的变异性水平较高（CV = 61%）。鉴于鱼鳞皮质醇在长期储存过程中不会降解，历史鱼鳞样本以及描述鱼类生活史的相关数据有可能被用于开发鱼类种群生理反应的生物指标。需要进一步的研究来了解鱼鳞皮质醇的变异性及其生物学相关性。
