The interactive effects of a gradual temperature decrease and long-term food deprivation on cardiac and hepatic blood flows in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The aim of the present study was to determine the extent to which the fish liver is perfused with blood. Transonic® flow probes were therefore implanted around the ventral aorta and hepatic vein(s) to record baseline blood flows in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) previously held under two different feeding regimes (food-deprived or fed to satiation, 8–12 weeks). Fish from both groups were exposed to a gradual temperature decrease (12 °C to 5 °C) and physical disturbance. Cardiac output (Q), stroke volume (Sv) and hepatic venous blood flow (HVBF) were significantly reduced in food-deprived trout at 12 °C. Heart rate was not significantly affected by nutritional status, but was significantly reduced when temperature was decreased to 5 °C. Physically disturbing each fish at 12 °C and 5 °C showed that the performance capacity of the heart was not affected by food deprivation as the capacity to increase Q and Sv was not reduced in the food-deprived group. Overall this study showed that food deprivation in rainbow trout reduced cardiac and hepatic blood flows. However, long-term food deprivation did not affect the capacity of the heart to acutely increase performance.