Behaviour, physiology and carotenoid pigmentation in Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus

Abstract

The behaviour during an exploration task and the response to a confinement stress of Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus were evaluated. Behaviour of individuals during 90 min of exploration was classified into high and low activity. High-activity individuals had higher plasma cortisol levels following stress compared to low-activity individuals. This indicates that high- and low-activity individuals correspond to reactive and proactive stress-coping styles. Further, a pigmentation analysis showed that high-activity individuals had a higher number of carotenoid spots cm(-2) than low-activity individuals. Thus, carotenoid pigmentation, as melanin pigmentation in other salmonids, could be linked to stress-coping style in S. alpinus. (C) 2013 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles

Keywords

activity; confinement stress; stress-coping style

Published in

Journal of Fish Biology
2014, volume: 84, number: 1, pages: 1-9
Publisher: WILEY-BLACKWELL

SLU Authors

• Brännäs, Eva

  • Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Nilsson, Jan

  • Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Magnhagen, Carin

  • Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Backström, Tobias

  • Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Ecology
Forest Science

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.12240

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/56289