Cortisol and finfish welfare

Ellis, Tim; Yavuzcan, Hijran; López Olmeda, José Fernando; Spedicato, Maria Teresa; Tort, Lluis; Overli, Oyvind; Martins, Catarina

Publication:
Cortisol and finfish welfare

dc.contributor.author	Ellis, Tim
dc.contributor.author	Yavuzcan, Hijran
dc.contributor.author	López Olmeda, José Fernando
dc.contributor.author	Spedicato, Maria Teresa
dc.contributor.author	Tort, Lluis
dc.contributor.author	Overli, Oyvind
dc.contributor.author	Martins, Catarina
dc.contributor.department	Fisiología
dc.date.accessioned	2024-02-09T11:37:24Z
dc.date.available	2024-02-09T11:37:24Z
dc.date.issued	2012
dc.description	©<2012>. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ccby/4.0/ This document is the acepted version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in [Fish Physiology and Biochemistry]. To access the final edited and published work see [https://doi.org/ 10.1007/s10695-011-9568-y]
dc.description.abstract	Previous reviews of stress, and the stress hormone cortisol, in fish have focussed on physiology, due to interest in impacts on aquaculture production. Here, we discuss cortisol in relation to fish welfare. Cortisol is a readily measured component of the primary (neuroendocrine) stress response and is relevant to fish welfare as it affects physiological and brain functions and modifies behaviour. However, we argue that cortisol has little value if welfare is viewed purely from a functional (or behavioural) perspective—the cortisol response itself is a natural, adaptive response and is not predictive of coping as downstream impacts on function and behaviour are dose-, time- and context-dependent and not predictable. Nevertheless, we argue that welfare should be considered in terms of mental health and feelings, and that stress in relation to welfare should be viewed as psychological, rather than physiological. We contend that cortisol can be used (with caution) as a tractable indicator of how fish perceive (and feel about) their environment, psychological stress and feelings in fish. Cortisol responses are directly triggered by the brain and fish studies do indicate cortisol responses to psychological stressors, i.e., those with no direct physicochemical action. We discuss the practicalities of using cortisol to ask the fish themselves how they feel about husbandry practices and the culture environment. Single time point measurements of cortisol are of little value in assessing the stress level of fish as studies need to account for diurnal and seasonal variations, and environmental and genetic factors. Areas in need of greater clarity for the use of cortisol as an indicator of fish feelings are the separation of (physiological) stress from (psychological) distress, the separation of chronic stress from acclimation, and the interactions between feelings, cortisol, mood and behaviour.
dc.format	application/pdf	es
dc.format.extent	31
dc.identifier.citation	Fish Physiology and Biochemistry 38, 163–188 (2012)
dc.identifier.doi	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-011-9568-y
dc.identifier.issn	Print: 0920-1742
dc.identifier.issn	Electrónico: 1573-5168
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10201/139097
dc.language	eng	es
dc.publisher	Springer
dc.relation	This review paper represents an output from the COST Action 867 ‘Welfare of Fish in European Aquaculture” supported by the EU Commission.	es
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess	es
dc.rights	Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internacional	*
dc.rights.uri	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/	*
dc.subject	Stress
dc.subject	Psychological
dc.subject	Feelings
dc.subject	Brain
dc.subject	HPI axis
dc.subject.other	CDU::5 - Ciencias puras y naturales::57 - Ciencias biológicas en general
dc.title	Cortisol and finfish welfare	es
dc.type	info:eu-repo/semantics/article	es
dspace.entity.type	Publication	es