Anoxia survival in common carp and crucian carp is related to high zinc concentration in tissues

ABSTRACT:   Ten lots of common carp and six lots of crucian carp (each lot of 100 fish) were treated under anoxia for five days at water temperatures of 25–31°C. The average per group mortality of common carp was 17%, but none of the 600 crucian carp died. The digestive tract tissues of the common carp that died had significantly lower zinc concentrations than those that survived (59 ± 41 vs 142 ± 60 μg/[g fresh tissue], P  < 0.001). The digestive tract tissues of the crucian carp had mean zinc concentrations of 652 ± 458 μg/(g fresh tissue). One lot of common carp that had low tolerance for anoxia was fed a high zinc diet (2000 mg zinc/kg diet) for 1, 2 or 6 months and then subjected to 5 days anoxia. The survival rates of those fed the high zinc diet 1 and 2 months increased from 0 to 50%, respectively; all of fish that had fed a high zinc diet for 6 months survived. Thus, anoxia survival in common carp and crucian carp is closely related to the high concentrations of zinc in their tissues.     

3月龄草鱼种免疫器官组织学及其免疫后免疫基因的转录差异

为研究处于同一时期但养殖条件不同的草鱼(Ctenopharyngodon idellus)鱼体规格与发育状态间是否具有一致性,观察压塘3月龄草鱼与普通3月龄草鱼头肾、中肾、肠道和脾脏的显微结构,并对压塘3月龄草鱼与普通3月龄草鱼进行腹腔注射疫苗处理,实时荧光定量PCR检测免疫7 d后、14 d后各期草鱼头肾、中肾、肠道和脾脏中IgM与MHCⅠ的表达量。结果显示,压塘3月龄草鱼各组织发育较普通3月龄草鱼迟缓。压塘3月龄草鱼与普通3月龄草鱼在免疫后,头肾、中肾、肠道与脾脏中IgM和MHCⅠ的表达量均有上升,且IgM与MHCⅠ的相对表达量峰值均出现在普通3月龄草鱼免疫14 d后的中肾中(IgM为74.51倍;MHCⅠ为56.02倍。结果表明,草鱼出血病活疫苗可以增强草鱼头肾、中肾、肠道和脾脏中IgM和MHCⅠ的表达,且在3月龄时期进行注射免疫效果最佳。     

Characteristics of Blood in Common Carp,Cyprinus carpio,Exposed to Low Temperatures

Changes in blood hemoglobin, hematocrit, leucocrit, osmolarity, lactate, glucose and cortisol concentrations were monitored in common carp, Cyprinus carpio, exposed to decreasing temperatures (from 24°C to 4°C). Two experiments [rapid change (acute) and slow change (chronic)] were conducted. In the acute experiment, it took 3 days for the decrease of water temperatures from 24°C to 4°C. In the chronic experiment, it took 33 days for the decrease of water temperatures from 24°C to 4°C. Blood lactate and hemoglobin concentrations, hematocrit, and leucocrit significantly (P < 0.05) decreased in the cold-treated common carp in both experiments. Hemoglobin concentrations did not decrease until the temperature reached 4°C. Plasma glucose and cortisol levels increased in common carp in acute exposure to 4°C. The levels of plasma chloride and osmolarity did not change significantly (P > 0.05) in the cold-treated common carp in both acute and chronic exposure. Data indicate that levels of blood lactate, hematocrit, hemoglobin, and leucocrit were consistently responsive to the stress of low temperatures in common carp.     

Physiological responses of over-wintering common carp (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cyprinus carpio</Emphasis>) to disturbance by Eurasian otter (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lutra lutra</Emphasis>)

Using a tame animal, the impact of otter (Lutra lutra) disturbance on over-wintering carp (Cyprinus carpio) was monitored in two experiments, 133 and 140 days, respectively, over two consecutive winters (November–April). The level of stress in over-wintering carp exposed to various intensities of disturbance by otters was quantified using biological indicators of stress (cortisol, cortisone, indices of nitrogen, carbohydrate, lipid and mineral metabolism and activity of basic blood plasma enzymes) taken from blood plasma of stocked carp at the end of the winter seasons (when the photoperiod was 12 light:12 dark, respectively, 13L:10D). Moreover, condition (Fulton’s coefficient of condition and fat content in muscles) and mortality rate of that carp were measured after over-wintering and also after the subsequent vegetation period. The analysis of blood and tissue samples of experimental fish showed changes in nitrogen, carbohydrate and mineral metabolism as well as levels of hormones and fat reserves. Higher response to stress in metabolism of carp with lower intensity of disturbance by otter suggests that high level of disturbance can lead to metabolic adaptation of carp to stress. The effect of stress on the mortality rate of carp during the over-wintering is not clear. Nevertheless, the negative effect of stress on survival, condition and growth rate of carp in the subsequent vegetation period was not observed.     

我国主要淡水养殖鱼类精浆的元素组成

本文测定了草、鲢、鳙、鲤、因头鲂等鱼类精浆中钠、钾、钙、镁、铜、铁和锌的含量,并简要阐述了各元素的生理作用。     

Change in blood stress and antioxidant markers and hydromineral balance of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) anaesthetized with citronellal and linalool: Comparison with eugenol

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of anaesthesia with citronellal and linalool on stress, antioxidant and hydromineral responses of common carp. Eugenol was used as control anaesthetic, as it is a common anaesthetic in aquaculture. The fish (110 ± 5.65 g) were exposed to 406 mg/L citronellal, 982 mg/L linalool or 43 mg/L eugenol within 5 min (short‐term anaesthesia) or 10 and 20 mg/L of each anaesthetic for 3 hr (long‐term exposure), before blood sampling. The results showed that the short‐term anaesthesia had no significant effects on plasma lactate, sodium, chloride and phosphorus levels and blood catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase activities. The short‐term anaesthesia with linalool led to higher stress responses (increased cortisol and glucose levels) and oxidative stress (increased malondialdehyde [MDA] level and decreased total antioxidant capacity [TAC] and glutathione peroxidase [GPx] activity) compared to the eugenol and citronellal. Citronellal group had significantly higher cortisol and lower TAC level and GPx activity compared to eugenol group. Under the long‐term exposure, increase in anaesthetic concentration led to significant increase in plasma cortisol, glucose and phosphorus levels. The linalool‐treated fish had significantly higher cortisol and MDA levels compared to the other groups. The eugenol group had significantly higher lactate and phosphorus and lower TAC levels compared to the other groups. Although citronellal causes slight increase in plasma cortisol level, it induces lower tissue damages compared to eugenol. Thus, citronellal might be an alternative anaesthetic for carp anaesthesia based on the present tested parameters.     

Increased stocking density influences the acute physiological stress response of common carp Cyprinus carpio (L.)

The physiological response of common carp, Cyprinus carpio (L.) to increased stocking density and an additional acute net confinement stressor was investigated. Stocking densities were increased from 28.4 to 56.8 or 113.6 kg m^?3 by the use of crowding screens and fish were sampled from the crowded groups after 15, 39 and 87 hours of crowding (hc). A transient elevation of plasma cortisol was found in the higher density group after 15 hc before values returned to control levels. Increased stocking density also increased plasma levels of glucose, free fatty acids (FFA) and lactate during the experimental period. No effect was found on oxygen radical production in the blood, haemoglobin or haematocrit levels, but leucocrit values were lower after 39 hc in both groups. Net confinement resulted in a significant increase in plasma cortisol levels in all groups. However, after 15 hc, cortisol and FFA levels in both crowded plus confinement groups were higher than in the control and confined groups. Confinement resulted in increased oxygen radical production in the crowded plus confined groups at all times. Results indicate that although carp responded with a mild stress response to increased stocking density and adaptation occurred by 87 hc, the crowded fish were more sensitive to an additional acute stressor.     

Immunogene expression in head kidney and spleen of common carp (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cyprinus carpio</Emphasis> L.) following thermal stress and challenge with Gram-negative bacterium, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aeromonas hydrophila</Emphasis>

To evaluate the effect of thermal and microbial stress on the immune response of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.), relative mRNA expression level of pro-inflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-1β] and other genes related to immune or stress response [inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), superoxide dismutase one (SOD1), and glucocorticoid receptor (GR)] was measured by quantitative PCR (qPCR). In addition, total protein and total immunoglobulin level in blood plasma of experimental common carp was also assayed. All the above parameters were estimated 24 h post-challenge with Gram-negative bacterium, Aeromonas hydrophila. Common carp (54.89?±?6.90 g) were initially exposed to 20 °C (control group) and 30 °C (thermal stress group) water temperature for 30 days, followed by experimental challenge with 2.29?×?10⁸ colony forming unit/mL (CFU/mL; LD₅₀ dose) of A. hydrophila. Exposure of fish to thermal stress and subsequently challenge with A. hydrophila significantly (P?<?0.05) increases the IL-1β mRNA expression in head kidney and spleen of common carp by ~?39.94 and ~?4.11-fold, respectively. However, TNF-α mRNA expression in spleen decreased ~?5.63-fold in control fish challenged with A. hydrophila. Thermal stress and challenge with bacterium suppresses the iNOS and GR mRNA expression in spleen of common carp. Moreover, significant (P?<?0.05) increase in total protein content of blood plasma (~?43 mg/g) was evident in fish exposed to thermal stress and challenged with A. hydrophila. In conclusion, our study highlights the importance of elevated temperature stress and microbial infection in differential regulation of expression of several immunogenes in common carp.     

Reduction of stress response in carp,Cyprinus carpioL., held under deteriorating environmental conditions, by oral administration of bovine lactoferrin

Bovine lactoferrin (LF) was evaluated for its ability to suppress stress reactions in carp, Cyprinus carpio L., held under deteriorating environmental conditions. Three test diets containing different levels of LF (0.01, 0.1 and 1%) were fed at 2% of fish body weight per day, i.e. LF at 2, 20 and 200 mg kg(-1) body weight day(-1) was administered orally to carp for 14 days at 20 °C. In the fish reared at a density of 2 individuals 10 l(-1) , plasma cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline decreased in the groups fed with 0.1 and 1% LF content diets. In the fish held at a density of 10 individuals 10 l(-1) for 3 days, plasma cortisol, adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine and glucose were higher than those at 2 individuals 10 l(-1) in both the control and LF-treated groups. The extent to which these parameters were elevated in the fish held at the same density was reduced with increasing LF content of the diet. Twenty-four hours after exposure to hypoxic conditions (dissolved oxygen level, 2.5 mg l(-1) ), haemoglobin, haematocrit, plasma cortisol, adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine increased significantly in all groups. The responses of hypoxic fish fed with 0.1 and 1% LF diets for 14 days were smaller than those of the controls. These results suggest that LF has an ability to reduce the stress response of carp held under deteriorating environmental conditions.     

Effects of surgically implanted dummy ultrasonic transmitters on physiological response of bighead carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis

The study assessed the effects of surgically implanted dummy ultrasonic transmitters on physiological response of bighead carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis in April 2011. Before the surgery, 15 blood samples were extracted randomly from 195 bighead carp samples, and then the rest of the fish were divided into three groups: (1) control group, handing but no tagging, (2) sham group, surgical procedure without implantation of transmitter and (3) surgery group, surgical implantation of transmitters. In 3 h, 24 h, 7 days and 14 days after surgery, 15 fish were extracted randomly from the three groups, respectively, for sampling. Then the plasma samples were analyzed, and physiological measures of stress response (cortisol, glucose), tissue damage [alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)] and nutritional status [total protein, globulin, albumin, triglyceride, cholesterol, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP)] were compared. The result showed that there was no significant difference between sham and surgery groups in 3 h, 24 h, 7 days and 14 days after surgery. When compared to the control group, there were significant increases in concentrations of plasma cortisol, glucose, ALT, AST, total protein and globulin of sham and surgery groups in 3 h after surgery. After 24 h, the levels of plasma cortisol, ALT, AST, total protein, globulin and ALP were elevated in both sham and surgery groups, whereas the levels of plasma glucose had declined to normal level and plasma albumin, cholesterol and triglyceride were significantly decreased in both sham and surgery groups. After 7 days, the levels of plasma glucose, albumin and cholesterol continued to decline, while the level of plasma ALT, globulin and ALP had declined but still remained higher for sham and surgery groups than control group; however, the plasma total protein level had returned to normal. After 14 days, there was no significant difference between the three groups. The above results showed that surgical implantation of ultrasonic transmitters had indeed caused significantly negative effects on the physiological response of bighead carp. However, all the negative influences on stress response, tissue damage and nutritional status had disappeared in 14 days after surgery, and the presence of transmitters had no significant negative impact. Therefore, the bighead carp should be temporary cultured at least 14 days for the recovery of physiological response and then released into the free water for the ultrasonic telemetry research.     

拥挤胁迫对草鱼非特异性免疫功能的影响

在实验室条件下利用放养密度和放养时间构建组间差异,模拟养殖过程中草鱼所面临的拥挤胁迫。胁迫第7、14、30、60d后采样测量免疫指标。结果表明,高密度组(80g·L-1)的血清溶菌酶活性在胁迫后开始升高,并于14d时达峰值,以后逐渐下降,呈倒"U"型趋势。血清杀菌活性随放养密度的剧增而锐减(P<0.005)。白细胞比容在各组间未显示明显差异。而在30d和60d所测的高密度组草鱼的头肾巨噬细胞吞噬百分率和吞噬指数结果显示,高密度组低于对照组(P<0.05)。60d后用嗜水气单胞菌进行攻毒实验,高密度组死亡率高达75.0%,中密度组也达到了63.6%,而对照组只有25.0%。同期所测的脾脏脏器系数显示无论高密度组还是中密度组均显著低于对照组(P<0.01),且经解剖和正常鱼对比,发现其脾脏已明显萎缩。各实验组血清皮质醇浓度均在胁迫初期达到最大值,随后降低,至实验后期基本恢复到正常水平。     

Confinement stress in sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) depresses peritoneal leukocyte cytotoxicity

Fish respond to stressful conditions via neuroendocrine responses (primary response) which result in increased levels of plasma cortisol which is considered immunosuppressive. Sea bass were confined at low (10 kg/m³) and high (60 kg/m³) density for 3–48 h. Plasma cortisol and glucose were evaluated and two principal cellular immune responses were assayed. A significant increase in plasma cortisol and glucose levels, as well as osmolarity, was found following stress. In addition, phagocytic activity, as shown by reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by challenged head kidney phagocytes and cytotoxic activity of eosinophilic granule cells from peritoneal cavity against K562 tumour cell lines appeared to be suppressed. Plasma levels of cortisol, glucose, osmolarity were correlated with cellular immunity, by the linear regression method. The suppression of cytotoxic activity was found to be significantly correlated with high plasma cortisol and glucose levels. These parameters could affect the eosinophilic granule cells of the peritoneal cavity.     

草鱼、银鲫和青鱼捕捞后的应激反应

分别评价了捕捞对草食性(草鱼)、杂食性(银鲫)和肉食性(青鱼)鲤科鱼类血液指标(血浆史质醇、葡萄糖和乳酸浓度)、肝糖原含量和两种肝脏糖酵解酶(己糖激酶和丙酮酸激酶)活性的影响。结果显示:草鱼、银鲫和青鱼捕捞后血浆史质醇、葡萄糖和乳酸浓度均显著升高;草鱼和青鱼捕捞后2 h时肝糖原含量呈下降趋势,但银鲫捕捞前、后肝糖原含量未出现显著变化;捕捞前、后青鱼血糖浓度显著高于草鱼和银鲫。银鲫肝糖原含量显著高于草鱼和青鱼,其捕捞后血浆葡萄糖和乳酸浓度增加幅度较小,这意味着捕捞后银鲫应激反应强度相对较低。草鱼和银鲫捕捞后肝脏己糖激酶和丙酮酸激酶活性未发生显著变化,青鱼捕捞后2 h己糖激酶活性显著下降,这意味着捕捞应激后血糖升高未导致草鱼、银鲫和青鱼的肝脏糖酵解酶活性增强。     

Alpinia galanga oil—A new natural source of fish anaesthetic

This study explores the anaesthetic activity of Alpinia galanga oil (AGO) in fish. Cyprinus carpio (koi carp) was used as a fish model. It was found that the induction time to stage 3 anaesthesia and the recovery time of the fish after exposure to AGO were exponentially and polynomially correlated to AGO concentrations. The viability of normal blood cells of koi carp anaesthetized with 500 mg/L AGO was found to be higher than 90% for normal red blood cells and white blood cells and 89% for peripheral blood nuclear cells indicating nontoxicity of AGO to the fish. A concentration of 300 mg/L of AGO was the most suitable for anaesthetizing koi carp due to the safety and effectiveness aspects as being ideally fitted to anaesthetic criteria. This concentration gave the induction time of 205.55 ± 5.07 s and the recovery time of 202.50 ± 9.30 s. Determination of stress biomarker such as blood cortisol and glucose as well as gene expression showed that the blood cortisol level of the fish anaesthetized with AGO was similar to normal levels. Moreover, blood glucose level was significantly less increased than those anaesthetized with tricaine methanesulfonate. Gene expressions of the fish cortisol receptor, cytochrome oxidase subunit1, heat shock protein 70 and Na⁺/K⁺‐ATPaseα₃ were significantly reduced after exposure to AGO indicating the advantages of AGO on fish stress reduction. Thus, AGO is a promising natural source for an alternative fish anaesthetics.     

Alternative matrices for cortisol measurement in fish

Plasma cortisol is the most commonly used indicator of stress in fish but, as the blood sampling procedure itself can be a source of stress, it would be helpful to measure cortisol using less invasive matrices. It is also necessary to find alternative matrices as stress indicators in dead fish in which blood sampling is impossible. In the present study, we investigated transport stress in three aquaculture species, European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.), common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum), by cortisol determination (radioimmunoassay) in plasma and other matrices (skin mucus, gut content, lateral muscle and caudal fin). Cortisol significantly increased after transport in all species and matrices, except in the sea bass gut content, where it remained unchanged. The three species responded to transport stress by producing different cortisol levels. In conclusion, the significant correlation found between plasma cortisol and most of the other matrices opens up the possibility of using them to evaluate stress in fish: mucus sampling is a less invasive method than blood sampling, and in addition to muscle and fin sampling, it can be used in postmortem fish.     

Dietary zinc requirement of juvenile grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) based on growth and mineralization

A growth trial was conducted to estimate the optimum requirement of dietary zinc (Zn) for grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). Triplicate groups of grass carp (3.97 ± 0.05 g) were fed diets containing graded levels (13, 25, 34, 53, 89 and 135 mg kg^?1) of Zn for 8 weeks. Grass carp fed with dietary Zn levels higher than 34 mg kg^?1 significantly increased final body weight, weight gain and specific growth rate (P < 0.05). For body composition, fish fed with dietary Zn levels higher than 53 mg kg^?1 significantly decreased the moisture contents but increased the lipid contents of whole body and liver. Whole body, scales, vertebrae and liver mineralization were all affected significantly (P < 0.05) by dietary Zn levels. Zn contents in whole body, scales, vertebrae and plasma were linearly increased up to the 53 mg kg^?1 dietary Zn and then remained stable beyond this level. Grass carp fed with dietary Zn levels higher than 53 mg kg^?1 significantly increased triacyglyceride and total cholesterol contents and plasma alkaline phosphatase activity in plasma (P < 0.05). Broken‐line analysis indicated that 55.1 mg kg^?1 dietary Zn was required for maximal tissue storage and mineralization as well as optimal growth of grass carp.     

Cortisol-induced changes in oxygen consumption and ionic regulation in coastal cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki clarki) parr

The influence of cortisol on oxygen consumption and osmoregulatory variables was examined in coastal cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki clarki) parr kept in fresh water (FW) and transferred to seawater (SW). Intraperitoneal implants containing cortisol (50 g g^–1) in vegetable oil resulted in elevated plasma cortisol titres similar to those observed in fish following a 24h SW exposure. Cortisol treatment significantly increased the oxygen consumption and plasma glucose levels of trout in FW, consistent with the glucocorticoid role of cortisol. Cortisol treatment did not cause any changes in plasma ion concentrations or gill Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase activity in FW after 10 days. Cortisol-implanted fish exposed to SW for 24h showed slightly improved ion regulatory ability compare to non-implanted controls. The results of this study suggest that during SW transfer in juvenile salmonids, increases in cortisol may act as both a mineralocorticoid and a glucocorticoid, depending on the developmental state of the fish (e.g., smolt versus parr). Furthermore, the relative energetic costs of osmoregulation and that of the stress associated SW transfer cannot be discerned using whole-animal oxygen consumption rates.     

Physiological responses during stress and subsequent recovery at different salinities in adult pejerrey Odontesthes bonariensis

Mortality and physiological responses (plasma cortisol, glucose, osmolality, ions Na⁺ and Cl⁻ and hematocrit values) were examined in adult pejerrey Odontesthes bonariensis subjected to transport or crowding and subsequent recovery for 1 week at 0, 5 and 20 ppt NaCl. Two experiments were conducted using fish from different hatcheries; the following responses were consistent for both stocks. Mortality was observed only during post-stress recovery at 0 and 20 ppt NaCl but not at 5 ppt. During recovery, blood cortisol and glucose were generally higher, whereas osmolality and blood electrolytes (Na⁺ and Cl⁻) were lower at 0 ppt than at the other salinities. A salinity of 5 ppt NaCl could not prevent the rise in cortisol and glucose levels caused by the stress of transport, but during recovery, it prevented further increases in these features and/or accelerated their return to basal levels. This salinity also helped maintain stable blood electrolyte levels. During recovery at 20 ppt NaCl, osmolality and blood ions increased, whereas plasma cortisol and glucose generally decreased. Hematocrit values were lower at 20 ppt than at the other salinities. These results suggest that freshwater is not an adequate medium for post-stress recovery and that the presence of NaCl in the water either decreases the secretion of cortisol or promotes its clearance in O. bonariensis.     

团头鲂促肾上腺皮质激素释放激素受体基因序列特征及表达分析

促肾上腺皮质激素释放激素受体(corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor,CRHR)是鱼类下丘脑–垂体–头肾调控轴上的重要应激调节因子。本研究通过c DNA末端快速扩增(RACE)技术成功克隆出团头鲂(Megalobrama amblycephala)CRHR1 m RNA全长序列,应用生物信息学方法对其序列特征进行解析;同时采用荧光定量PCR技术分析了团头鲂CRHR1的组织分布图谱及外源性皮质醇注射模拟应激处理下团头鲂CRHR1 m RNA的表达变化。研究结果表明,CRHR1 m RNA序列开放阅读框(open reading frame,ORF)为1290 bp,编码429个氨基酸。团头鲂CRHR1氨基酸序列与鲤科鱼类的CRHR1氨基酸序列同源性最高;该受体具有7次横跨膜结构和氨基端激素受体结构域。CRHR1在垂体中表达量最高,其次为下丘脑,在心脏、肝、脾等组织中表达丰度较低。经外源性皮质醇注射后,实验组血糖和血清皮质醇显著高于对照组,在处理2 h后达到峰值;实验组血清ACTH水平与对照组差异总体不显著,但呈现先升高后下降。应激处理后,CRHR1转录水平在4种组织中的表达变化存在差异;垂体中CRHR1在早期出现明显的表达抑制,在下丘脑中则呈现先缓慢升高后缓慢下降的趋势,而心脏和头肾中CRHR1在早期则表现出表达迅速上调而后缓慢下降的趋势。本研究进一步丰富了CRHR在鱼类研究方面的基础资料,为鱼类应激调控提供了理论基础。     

Effects of Pro-Tex on zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae,adult common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and adult yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi)

Aquaculture practices bring several stressful events to fish. Stressors not only activate the hypothalamus–pituitary–interrenal-axis, but also evoke cellular stress responses. Up-regulation of heat shock proteins (HSPs) is among the best studied mechanisms of the cellular stress response. An extract of the prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus indica), Pro-Tex, a soluble variant of TEX-OE^®, may induce expression of HSPs and reduce negative effects of cellular stress. Pro-Tex therefore is used to ameliorate conditions during stressful aquaculture-related practices. We tested Pro-Tex in zebrafish (Danio rerio), common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) and yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) exposed to aquaculture-relevant stressors (thermal stress, net confinement, transport) and assessed its effects on stress physiology. Heat shock produced a mild increase in hsp70 mRNA expression in 5-day-old zebrafish larvae. Pro-Tex increased basal hsp70 mRNA expression, but decreased heat-shock-induced expression of hsp70 mRNA. In carp, Pro-Tex increased plasma cortisol and glucose levels, while it did not affect the mild stress response (increased plasma cortisol and glucose) to net confinement. In gills, and proximal and distal intestine, stress increased hsp70 mRNA expression; in the distal intestine, an additive enhancement of hsp70 mRNA expression by Pro-Tex was seen under stress. In yellowtail kingfish, Pro-Tex reduced the negative physiological effects of transport more efficiently than when fish were sedated with AQUI-S^®. Overall, our data indicate that Pro-Tex has protective effects under high levels of stress only. As Pro-Tex has potential for use in aquaculture, its functioning and impact on health and welfare of fish should be further studied.