GALIMA, M.M.*; LOWE, C.; KELLEY, K.M.; California State University Long Beach; California State University Long Beach; California State University Long Beach: Endocrine and physiological impacts of fishing (line-catching) and confinement on the marine teleost, California sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher)

The impact of line-catching and confinement on the physiological stress response in the California sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher) was investigated with respect to glycemic status, serum concentrations of the steroid hormone, cortisol, and serum levels of lactate. The California sheephead, a monandric protogynous teleost resident along the Southern California coastline, was caught offshore near Catalina Island by angling and either blood sampled within 3 min (controls) or subjected to confinement in a circular aquarium for 15, 30, 45 and 60 min prior to blood sampling. Additional fish were caught by angling and allowed to struggle against the line for varying periods of time (5, 10, and 20 min), after which they were brought aboard the boat and blood sampled. As compared with the controls, fish in the treatment groups exhibited more than 2-fold elevations in serum glucose and lactate concentrations (p<0.05) and up to 200-fold elevations in the stress hormone, cortisol (p<0.001). Therefore, our data thus far indicate that California sheephead experience a significant physiological response to line-catching. Comparisons among different fishing techniques and data on serum IGF-I and IGFBPs will be presented. [Support by the California Sea Grant College Program grant NOAA NA06RG042 2001-02, project # R/F-192].