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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Leetown, West Virginia » Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #369349
Research Project: Developing and Refining Technologies for Sustainable Fish Growth in Closed Containment Systems

Location: Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture Research

Title: The effects of swimming exercise and dissolved oxygen on growth performance, fin condition, and survival of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss

Author
item WALDROP, THOMAS - Freshwater Institute
item SUMMERFELT, STEVE - Freshwater Institute
item MAZIK, PATRICIA - Us Geological Survey (USGS)
item KENNEY, P. BRETT - West Virginia University
item GOOD, CHRISTOPHER - Freshwater Institute

Submitted to: Aquaculture Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/29/2020
Publication Date: 6/1/2020
Citation: Waldrop, T., Summerfelt, S., Mazik, P., Kenney, P., Good, C. 2020. The effects of swimming exercise and dissolved oxygen on growth performance, fin condition, and survival of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. Aquaculture Research. 51(6):2582-2589. https://doi.org/10.1111/are.14600.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/are.14600

Interpretive Summary: We examined the effects of swimming exercise and dissolved oxygen (DO) levels on rainbow trout growth performance, health, and welfare as fish were raised from 18 g to > 1kg mean weight. We determined that higher DO was independently associated with significantly better growth performance. Significant differences were not noted in other outcomes, namely feed conversion, condition factor, and mortality, although damage to specific fins was associated with either low exercise or low oxygen conditions. Heart health, as measured through cardiosomatic index, was significantly improved among exercised fish. These results suggest that swimming exercise and DO at saturation during the culture of rainbow trout can be beneficial to producers through improved growth performance and cardiac health.

Technical Abstract: Swimming exercise and dissolved oxygen (DO) are important parameters to consider when operating intensive salmonid aquaculture facilities. While previous research has focused on each of these two variables in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, studies examining both variables in combination, and their potential interaction, are largely absent from the scientific literature. Both swimming exercise (usually measured in body-lengths per second, or BL/s) and DO can be readily controlled in modern aquaculture systems; therefore, we sought to evaluate the effects of these variables, separately and combined, on several outcomes in rainbow trout including growth performance, fin health, and survival. Rainbow trout fry (18 g) were stocked into 12 circular 0.5 m3 tanks, provided with either high (1.5 - 2 BL/s) or low (<0.5 BL/s) swimming speeds and high (100% saturation) or low (70% saturation) DO, and grown to approximately 1 kg. By the conclusion of the study, higher DO was independently associated with significantly (p<0.05) better growth performance. Significant differences were not noted in other outcomes, namely feed conversion, condition factor, and mortality, although caudal and right pectoral fin damage was associated with low oxygen and low swimming speed treatments, respectively. Cardiosomatic index was significantly higher among exercised fish. These results suggest that swimming exercise and DO at saturation during the culture of rainbow trout can be beneficial to producers through improved growth performance and cardiac health.