Sustained swimming mitigates stress in juvenile Brycon amazonicus reared in high stocking densities

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of stocking density associated with the swimming exercise on the stress responses of Brycon amazonicus. During 70 days, fish were subjected to three stocking densities: LD, low density of 88 fish per cubic meter; ID, intermediary density of 176 fish per cubic meter; and HD, high density of 353 fish per cubic meter. These densities were combined with static water (non-exercised group) or moderate-speed water (exercised group). Chronic stress was observed in HD, and plasma cortisol and glucose increased with the stocking densities. In HD, levels of plasma cortisol were significantly lower in exercised fish (135 ng mL^-1) than in non-exercised ones (153 ng mL^-1). The greatest hepatic glycogen bulks occurred in fish kept in ID and sustained swimming. Hepatic free amino acids (FAA) increased with the stocking density, particularly in non-exercised fish. The contents of FAA in the liver and of free fatty acids (FFA) in the liver and muscle were mobilized to meet the metabolic demands imposed by exercise and stocking density. The hematological parameters remained stable. The results show that Brycon amazonicus is more resistant to stress when subjected to sustained swimming and high stocking density than to static water.