Long-term effects of photoperiod, temperature and their interaction on growth, gill Na+, K+-ATPase activity, seawater tolerance and plasma growth-hormone levels in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar

This study was undertaken to examine the long-term effects of photoperiod, temperature and their interaction on growth, gill Na+,K+-ATPase (NKA) activity, seawater tolerance and plasma growth-hormone levels in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar pre-smolts and smolts. The fish (mean +/- s.e. initial body mass=159 +/- 04g) were reared on two photoperiods (continuous light, LL, and simulated natural photoperiod, LDN, 60 degrees 25 ' N) and two temperatures (83 and 127 degrees C) from June to May of the following year. Mean body mass was affected by photoperiod, temperature and their interactions. Both temperature groups on LL developed peak levels in gill NKA activity from October to November, 4-5months prior to the natural season for the parr-smolt transformation. Fish at 12 degrees C showed peak levels in NKA activity 4-6weeks before the fish at 8 degrees C. Fish in all four experimental groups showed maximum NKA activity within a similar size range (113-162g). The present findings further indicate that smoltification in S. salar is to some extent driven by size, and that S. salar will develop smolt characteristics, e.g. a marked increase in NKA activity, within a similar size range. Faster-growing S. salar will, thus, reach this size threshold at a relatively younger age. (C) 2013 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles