Physiological determinants of individual variation in sensitivity to an organophosphate pesticide in Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus.

Individual variation in sub-lethal sensitivity to the organophosphate pesticide trichlorfon was investigated in Nile tilapia, using critical swimming speed (Ucrit) as an indicator. Tilapia exposed for 96h to 500µgl-1 trichlorfon at 26°C (Tcfn group, n=27) showed a significant decline in mean Ucrit, compared to their own control (pre-exposure) performance in clean water (-14.5±2.3%, mean±SEM), but also compared to a Sham group (n=10) maintained for 96h in clean water. Individuals varied in their relative sensitivity to the pesticide, with the decline in Ucrit after exposure varying from 1 to 41%. The Ucrit of the Tcfn group did not recover completely after 96h in clean water, remaining 9.4±3.2% below their own control performance. The decline in performance was associated with a significant increase in net cost of aerobic swimming, of +28.4±6.5% at a sustained speed of 2bodylengthss-1, which translated into a significant decline in swimming efficiency (Eswim) of -17.6±4.0% at that speed. Within the Tcfn group, individual Eswim was a strong positive determinant of individual Ucrit across all trials, and a strong negative determinant of individual% decline in Ucrit after pesticide exposure (P<0.001, linear mixed effect models). Trichlorfon had no effects on standard metabolic rate or active metabolic rate (AMR) but, nonetheless, individual Ucrit in all trials, and% decline in Ucrit after exposure, were strongly associated with individual AMR (positively and negatively, respectively, P<0.001). Individual Ucrit under control conditions was also a strong positive determinant of Ucrit after trichlorfon exposure (P<0.001), but not of the% decline in Ucrit performance. In conclusion, the OP pesticide impaired Ucrit performance by reducing Eswim but individual tilapia varied widely in their relative sensitivity. Intrinsic individual physiology determined effects of the pesticide on performance and, in particular, good swimmers remained better swimmers after exposure.

To boldly gulp: standard metabolic rate and boldness have context-dependent influences on risk-taking to breathe air in a catfish.

The African sharptooth catfish Clarias gariepinus has bimodal respiration, it has a suprabranchial air-breathing organ alongside substantial gills. We used automated bimodal respirometry to reveal that undisturbed juvenile catfish (N=29) breathed air continuously in normoxia, with a marked diurnal cycle. Air breathing and routine metabolic rate (RMR) increased in darkness when, in the wild, this nocturnal predator forages. Aquatic hypoxia (20% air saturation) greatly increased overall reliance on air breathing. We investigated whether two measures of risk taking to breathe air, namely absolute rates of aerial O2 uptake (MO2,air) and the percentage of RMR obtained from air (%MO2,air), were influenced by individual standard metabolic rate (SMR) and boldness. In particular, whether any influence varied with resource availability (normoxia versus hypoxia) or relative fear of predation (day versus night). Individual SMR, derived from respirometry, had an overall positive influence on MO2,air across all contexts but a positive influence on %MO2,air only in hypoxia. Thus, a pervasive effect of SMR on air breathing became most acute in hypoxia, when individuals with higher O2 demand took proportionally more risks. Boldness was estimated as time required to resume air breathing after a fearful stimulus in daylight normoxia (Tres). Although Tres had no overall influence on MO2,air or %MO2,air, there was a negative relationship between Tres and %MO2,air in daylight, in normoxia and hypoxia. There were two Tres response groups, 'bold' phenotypes with Tres below 75 min (N=13) which, in daylight, breathed proportionally more air than 'shy' phenotypes with Tres above 115 min (N=16). Therefore, individual boldness influenced air breathing when fear of predation was high. Thus, individual energy demand and personality did not have parallel influences on the emergent tendency to take risks to obtain a resource; their influences varied in strength with context.

Branchial O(2) chemoreceptors in Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus: Control of cardiorespiratory function in response to hypoxia.

This study examined the distribution and orientation of gill O(2) chemoreceptors in Oreochromis niloticus and their role in cardiorespiratory responses to graded hypoxia. Intact fish, and a group with the first gill arch excised (operated), were submitted to graded hypoxia and their cardiorespiratory responses (oxygen uptake - V˙O(2) , breathing frequency - fR, ventilatory stroke volume - VT, gill ventilation - V˙G, O(2) extraction from the ventilatory current - EO(2) , and heart rate - fH) were compared. Their responses to bolus injections of NaCN into the bloodstream (internal) or ventilatory water stream (external) were also determined. The V˙O(2) of operated fish was significantly lower at the deepest levels of hypoxia. Neither reflex bradycardia nor ventilatory responses were completely abolished by bilateral excision of the first gill arch. EO(2) of the operated group was consistently lower than the intact group. The responses to internal and external NaCN included transient decreases in fH and increases in fR and Vamp (ventilation amplitude). These cardiorespiratory responses were attenuated but not abolished in the operated group, indicating that chemoreceptors are not restricted to the first gill arch, and are sensitive to oxygen levels in both blood and water.