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Assessing Chronodisruption Distress in Goldfish: The Importance of Multimodal Approaches
Nuria Saiz1, Lisbeth Herrera-Castillo1, Nuria de Pedro1
1Department of Genetics, Physiology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
Animals : an Open Access Journal From MDPI
|August 12, 2023
Summary
Chronodisruption, from mistimed meals or continuous light, increases anxiety-like behaviors and stress in goldfish. These findings suggest circadian disruption is a significant stressor impacting fish welfare.
Area of Science:
- Animal Behavior
- Chronobiology
- Fish Physiology
Background:
- Circadian rhythm disruption is linked to physiological changes and anxiety in vertebrates.
- Understanding chronodisruption's impact on fish welfare is crucial for aquatic animal husbandry.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if chronodisruption induces anxiety-like behaviors in goldfish.
- To assess the effects of randomly scheduled feeding (RF) and continuous light (LL) on goldfish anxiety.
Main Methods:
- Anxiety-like behavior assessed via open field tests, including object approach and black/white preference.
- Locomotor activity, plasma cortisol levels, and gene expression (pomc, crf) were measured.
- Diazepam was used to validate anxiety tests.
Main Results:
- Both RF and LL protocols increased thigmotaxis and decreased object exploration, indicating anxiety.
- Continuous light (LL) elevated locomotor activity.
- Plasma cortisol rose in both RF and LL groups, confirming stress induction.
Conclusions:
- Circadian disruption acts as a stressor in goldfish, manifesting as anxiety-like behaviors.
- A multi-variable approach is recommended for accurately assessing animal discomfort and stress.
