A Novel Miniaturized Biosensor for Monitoring Atlantic Salmon Swimming Activity and Respiratory Frequency

The advanced development of sensor technologies has led to the emergence of fish biosensors that are currently used for research and commercial purposes. AEFishBIT is a miniaturized biosensor attached to fish operculum that measures physical activity and respiration frequencies. In this study, we de...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Animals
Main Authors: Jelena Kolarevic, Josep Calduch-Giner, Åsa M. Espmark, Tor Evensen, Javier Sosa, Jaume Pérez-Sánchez
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11082403
https://doaj.org/article/8eb054a6c5f2433d8f5e3d3455fda0c3
Description
Summary:The advanced development of sensor technologies has led to the emergence of fish biosensors that are currently used for research and commercial purposes. AEFishBIT is a miniaturized biosensor attached to fish operculum that measures physical activity and respiration frequencies. In this study, we determined the effect of the tagging method and evaluated the use of this biosensor to monitor post-smolt Atlantic salmon in a tank-based system. The use of piercing fish tag had a negative impact on the gills and operculum, unlike the identical protocols used in gilthead sea bream and European sea bass. In contrast, a surgical thread did not show any apparent tissue damage. Two data recording schedules were considered to monitor immediate early reaction to fish handling and light regime changes (records every 15 min over 2 days) or adaptation to new light conditions (records every 30 min over 4 days). Data showed stabilization of physical activity 8 h post-tagging, with different steady states for the activity/respiratory ratio after changes in light intensity that reflected a different time course adaptation to new light conditions. High correlations were observed between AEFishBIT and video recording data. These findings supported the use of AEFishBIT as a promising tool for smart sensing of Atlantic salmon.