Changes in plasma protein patterns in smolting Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., are not dependent on changed growth rates

• Published in: Journal of Fish Biology
• Main Authors: Rourke, A. W., Saunders, R. L., Harmon, P. R.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1991
• Subjects: Atlantic salmon; Salmo salar
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.1991.tb04339.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1095-8649.1991.tb04339.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1095-8649.1991.tb04339.x

Juvenile Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., were raised under simulated natural photoperiod (SNP) and constant light (CL). SNP fish displayed typical characteristics of smolts in the spring including changes in colouration, elevated gill Na + /K + ATPase activity and ability to pass a seawater challenge. CL fish grew at rates comparable to SNP fish, but did not demonstrate any of these molt characteristics. Electrophoretic analyses of plasma proteins from both groups of fish revealed that SNP fish displayed reproducible qualitative changes in protein patterns from February to May with May patterns being the most complex. CL fish displayed patterns similar to SNP fish. The timing of the appearance of patterns was influenced by photoperiod as indicated by the fact that CL fish had a progression of pattern changes retarded by at least one month relative to SNP fish. The changes in plasma protein patterns in smolting Atlantic salmon were not dependent on changed growth rates.