Effects of rearing density on seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax, L.) gene expression

Abstract

Animal welfare involves the subjective feeling of animals and the experience of pleasure, pain, frustration, hunger or other states and it is therefore difficult to define and to measure (Drawkins, 1990). When water quality criteria are respected and feeding restrictions are avoided, fish density may become one of the more relevant factors expected to potentially affect fish welfare. Such high density environment, may lead to a fish conditions that cannot be described or forecast simply with measurement of hematological responses (Roche and Boge, 1996), in the same time, detection of zootechnical performances, do not provide a specific indications...