Abstract
Acoustic transmitters equipped with accelerometer sensors are considered a useful tool to study swimming activity, including energetics and movement patterns, of fish species in aquaculture and in nature. However, given the novelty of this technique, further laboratory-derived calibrations are needed to assess the characteristics and settings of accelerometer acoustic transmitters for different species and specific environmental conditions. In this study, we compared accelerometer acoustic transmitter outputs with swimming performance and body motion of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.) in swim-tunnels at different flow speeds, which allowed us to characterize the swimming activity of this fish species of high aquaculture interest. Tag implantation in the abdominal cavity had no significant effects on swimming performance and body motion parameters. Accelerations, cost of transport and variations on head orientation (angle with respect to flow direction) were negatively related to flow speed in the tunnel, whereas oxygen consumption and frequencies of tail-beat and head movements increased with flow speed. These results show that accelerometer acoustic transmitters mainly recorded deviations from sustained swimming in the tunnel, due to spontaneous and explorative swimming at the lowest speeds or intermittent burst and coast actions to cope with water flow. In conclusion, accelerometer acoustic transmitters applied in this study provided a proxy for unsustained swimming activity, but did not contemplate the high-energy cost spent by gilthead seabream on sustained swimming, and therefore, it did not provide a proxy for general activity. Despite this limitation, accelerometer acoustic transmitters provide valuable insight in swim patterns and therefore may be a good strategy for advancing our understanding of fish swimming behavior in aquaculture, allowing for rapid detection of changes in species-specific behavioral patterns considered indicators of fish welfare status, and assisting in the refinement of best management practices.
Highlights
Understanding the basic biology of fish species is crucial for livestock production, and the integration of technological solutions can help to improve accuracy, precision and repeatability in farming operations, and to improve the decision making in aquaculture management plans
There were significant differences between tagged and non-tagged fish regarding body length (BL; ANOVA, p = 0.032) and Ucrit (BL s-1; Kruskal-Wallis, p =0.016), no differences between both fish groups were detected for body weight (BW) and the rest of estimated swimming performance parameters (ANOVA, p > 0.05) (Table 1)
This study successfully characterized the swimming activity of gilthead seabream through a multidisciplinary approach in swimtunnels, which allowed testing the effects of tag implantation at optimal and critical swimming speed
Summary
Understanding the basic biology of fish species is crucial for livestock production, and the integration of technological solutions can help to improve accuracy, precision and repeatability in farming operations, and to improve the decision making in aquaculture management plans. The ongoing technological advances are rapidly expanding the possibilities of using biotelemetry sensors to accurately assess fish swimming activity and movements as a proxy for energy use in fish (Wilson et al, 2013; Hussey et al, 2015). The accurate measurement of animal acceleration should be a good proxy for energy expenditure during activity, given that locomotion occurs when animals spend energy to contract muscles which leads to body acceleration (Halsey et al, 2009). Oxygen consumption (MO2) is usually well correlated with swimming speed and with fish movements, such as tail beat frequency (TBF), which has been used as a proxy for energy use in fish (Lowe et al, 1998). There is a growing demand for continuously monitoring swimming activity, both in fish farms and in the wild
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