Change in plasma cortisol and glucose levels of Oncorhynchus keta according to water temperature

Chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) is a species of anadromous salmonid inhabiting coastal rivers in the North Pacific and the Arctic in the Bering and is the most widely distributed among Pacific salmon species. It is an important fish species in Korea as the salmon releasing project is being actively carried out. This study was conducted to investigate changes in the physiological activity of O. keta according to water temperature. Three experiments were conducted according to the water temperature and period, and the plasma concentrations of cortisol and glucose were analyzed from the blood samples of the experimental groups. Experiment I is a short-term water temperature experiment, in which water temperature stimulation was given for 4 hours at water temperatures of 12°C, 16°C (control), 20°C, and 24°C, and a recovery period was given for 4 hours. Experiment II is an experiment in which water temperature stimulation was given for 24 hours, 48 hours, and 72 hours at a high temperature of 24°C, and a recovery period was given for 12 hours, respectively. Experiment III is a long-term water temperature experiment, in which the water temperature was 12°C, 16°C (control), 20°C, and 24°C for 8 weeks. As a result of the experiment, in Experiment I, there was no significant difference in the survival rate between the experimental groups, but the concentration of cortisol and glucose in the plasma according to the set water temperature showed a significant difference. In Experiment II, there was no significant trend according to the maintenance time of the high-temperature state, but as the temperature increased, the plasma cortisol and glucose levels significantly increased compared to the control group. In Experiment III, all of the experimental group C (24°C) died in the 1st week, and there was no significant difference in the plasma glucose at the 1st and 8th weeks among the remaining experimental groups.