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Effects of L oma morhua ( M icrosporidia) infection on the cardiorespiratory performance of Atlantic cod Gadus morhua (L).
Author(s) -
Powell M D,
Gamperl A K
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of fish diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.819
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1365-2761
pISSN - 0140-7775
DOI - 10.1111/jfd.12352
Subject(s) - gadus , atlantic cod , biology , cardiorespiratory fitness , population , fishery , fish <actinopterygii> , zoology , physiology , medicine , environmental health
The microsporidian L oma morhua infects Atlantic cod ( G adus morhua ) in the wild and in culture and results in the formation of xenomas within the gill filaments, heart and spleen. Given the importance of the two former organs to metabolic capacity and thermal tolerance, the cardiorespiratory performance of cod with a naturally acquired infection of Loma was measured during an acute temperature increase (2 °C h −1 ) from 10 °C to the fish's critical thermal maximum ( CT Max ). In addition, oxygen consumption and swimming performance were measured during two successive critical swimming speed ( U crit ) tests at 10 °C. While Loma infection had a negative impact on cod cardiac function at warm temperatures, and on metabolic capacity in both the CT Max and U crit tests (i.e. a reduction of 30–40%), it appears that the Atlantic cod can largely compensate for these Loma ‐induced cardiorespiratory limitations. For example, (i) CT Max (21.0 ± 0.3 °C) and U crit (~1.75 BL s −1 ) were very comparable to those reported in previous studies using uninfected fish from the same founder population; and (ii) our data suggest that tissue oxygen extraction, and potentially the capacity for anaerobic metabolism, is enhanced in fish infected with this microsporidian.