STUDY OF TRANSPORT STRESS IN JUVENILE COHO SALMON (ONCORHYNCHUS-KISUTCH)

The mean values of eight blood parameters in a population of freshwater juvenile coho salmon were compared before and after transportation. All parameters were affected immediately following 3 h transportation with final hypoxia: haematrocrit, haemoglobin, total plasma protein, total cholesterol, and Na+ increased. Cl- and K+ decreased. The mean glucose value was not greatly modified; however, some individuals showed very high values, while others showed very low values. This peculiar finding may be due to the low nutritional level of the population (hypoglycaemic individuals probably having exhausted their glycogen stores). After 8 days the parameters had returned to their initial levels, with the exception of Na+ and cholesterol. Identical results were found 1 month later. Following a formalin-malachite green bath treatment, parameter modification resembled that observed after transportation except for Na+ and K+, which remained relatively unchanged. © 1979.