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Physiology and Survival of Atlantic Salmon following Exhaustive Exercise in Hard and Softer Water: Implications for the Catch‐and‐Release Sport Fishery
Author(s) -
Kieffer James D.,
Rossiter Andrew M.,
Kieffer Christine A.,
Davidson Kevin,
Tufts Bruce L.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
north american journal of fisheries management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1548-8675
pISSN - 0275-5947
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8675(2002)022<0132:pasoas>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - salmo , fishery , zoology , fish <actinopterygii> , biology
Abstract This study examined the influence of environmental water hardness (40 mg/L versus 100 mg/L CaCO 3 ) on the physiology and survival of exhaustively exercised Atlantic salmon Salmo salar . Cannulated Atlantic salmon provided blood samples at rest and at 0, 1, 2, 4, and 8 h postexercise, whereas white muscle samples were acquired from noncannulated Atlantic salmon at rest and at 0 and 4 h postexercise. Exhaustive exercise resulted in significant metabolic, acid–base, and electrolyte disturbances in the blood and white muscle of Atlantic salmon in hard (about 95 mg/L CaCO 3 ) water, although postexercise survival was 100%. For resting Atlantic salmon, the physiological status of those in softer (about 40 mg/L CaCO 3 ) water was similar to that of those in hard water. In softer water, however, exhaustive exercise caused a significantly greater elevation in postexercise blood lactate and a larger acid–base disturbance compared with fish in hard water. Postexercise survival of Atlantic salmon in softer water was directly related to environmental water hardness, and those that succumbed failed to exhibit any postexercise correction of their extracellular acid–base disturbance. Despite these pronounced effects of water hardness on the blood compartment following exercise, the postexercise status of the muscle was only marginally different between fish in hard and softer water.