Immunocytochemical identification of prolactin cells in the pituitary gland of tilapia larvae (Oreochromis mossambicus: Teleostei)

Ontogeny of osmoregulation in postembryonic fish: a review

Salinity and its variations are among the key factors that affect survival, metabolism and distribution during the fish development. The successful establishment of a fish species in a given habitat depends on the ability of each developmental stage to cope with salinity through osmoregulation. It is well established that adult teleosts maintain their blood osmolality close to 300 mosM kg(-1) due to ion and water regulation effected at several sites: tegument, gut, branchial chambers, urinary organs. But fewer data are available in developing fish. We propose a review on the ontogeny of osmoregulation based on studies conducted in different species. Most teleost prelarvae are able to osmoregulate at hatch, and their ability increases in later stages. Before the occurrence of gills, the prelarval tegument where a high density of ionocytes (displaying high contents of Na+/K+-ATPase) is located appears temporarily as the main osmoregulatory site. Gills develop gradually during the prelarval stage along with the numerous ionocytes they support. The tegument and gill Na+/K+-ATPase activity varies ontogenetically. During the larval phase, the osmoregulatory function shifts from the skin to the gills, which become the main osmoregulatory site. The drinking rate normalized to body weight tends to decrease throughout development. The kidney and urinary bladder develop progressively during ontogeny and the capacity to produce hypotonic urine at low salinity increases accordingly. The development of the osmoregulatory functions is hormonally controlled. These events are inter-related and are correlated with changes in salinity tolerance, which often increases markedly at the metamorphic transition from larva to juvenile. In summary, the ability of ontogenetical stages of fish to tolerate salinity through osmoregulation relies on integumental ionocytes, then digestive tract development and drinking rate, developing branchial chambers and urinary organs. The physiological changes leading to variations in salinity tolerance are one of the main basis of the ontogenetical migrations or movements between habitats of different salinity regimes.

Hypoosmoregulation of larvae of the turbot, Scophthalamus maximus: drinking and gut function in relation to environmental salinity

Measurement of blood osmolarity of pre-metamorphic turbot larvae demonstrated that hypoosmoregulation is well established in larvae 6 days post-hatch (121 degree-days) and older. Blood osmolarity of 121-420 degree-day larvae reared in 100% seawater was significantly greater than blood osmolarity of larvae reared in 50% seawater. Hypoosmoregulation involved drinking, but instantaneous drinking rates of 340 degree-day larvae reared in 100% seawater were only slightly more than those of similarly aged larvae reared in 50% seawater. Adaptation to environmental salinity involved changes in gut water absorption; 65-74% water absorption occurred in larvae reared in seawater compared to 30-35% water absorption in larvae reared in 50% seawater. Gastrointestinal water absorption occurred prior to the rectum. In seawater this occurred alongside a decrease in gut fluid osmolarity but desalting was apparently less significant than in adult fish. Absolute water absorption by the gut of 340 degree-day larvae reared in seawater was about 2-fold that of larvae held in 50% seawater, while the osmotic gradient between internal body fluids and environmental media differed by 4-fold, which implies changes the in water permeability of skin and/or developing gills.

Cortisol content of eggs and larvae of teleosts

The whole-animal content of the cortisol was measured in embryos and larvae of tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis), milkfish (Chanos chanos), and yellowfin bream (Acanthropagrus latus) by radioimmunoassay following the validation of an extraction method. The total cortisol content in tilapia was 50.3 +/- 19.1 pg immediately following fertilization, then decreased abruptly and maintained a lower level of 10-17 pg until larval hatching; after hatching the cortisol content increased to 47.2 +/- 11.9 pg by the seventh day. Newly hatched rainbow trout had 60.3 +/- 6.4 pg cortisol and then increased their cortisol level slowly to 83.0 +/- 7.2 pg by the fifth day after hatching. Ayu larvae contained 5.2 pg cortisol immediately following hatching. On the other hand, pelagic milkfish revealed a much lower cortisol level, being undetectable from hatching until the second day and ranging from 0.4 to 3.7 pg from the third to seventh day after hatching. Yellowfin bream, demonstrating a similarity to milkfish, were not found to have any detectable cortisol from hatching until the third day, but presented 1.6-7.7 pg from the fifth to seventh day after hatching. The presence and clearance of cortisol during early development of fertilized eggs of tilapia suggest a maternal origin of the hormone. The amount of cortisol deposited in the larval body of tilapia increased after hatching from 25% to nearly 100% of the total cortisol in whole larvae, while that in the larval yolk sac decreased to an undetectable level, implying that the increased cortisol may be produced or secreted by the larva. The possible role of cortisol in larval development is discussed.