Acclimation effect on fish behavioural characteristics: determination of appropriate acclimation period for different species

In the present study, the authors investigated the effect of acclimation duration (up to 4 h) on behavioural characteristics of taxonomically and functionally different fish species, i.e., the migratory rheophilic salmonids rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), and the non-migratory eurytopic European perch (Perca fluviatilis) and three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Specifically, the authors explored fish behavioural patterns based on specific endpoints (average, maximum and angular velocity) during the acclimation period, and determined the acclimation period suitable for the tested fish species. The performed behavioural data analysis showed that the minimum time needed to adjust fish activity to a more stable (baseline) level should be at least 2 h for O. mykiss and S. salar and 1 h for G. aculeatus. Nonetheless, P. fluviatilis behaviour did not show significant changes during the 4 h acclimation. The results of this study revealed that the effect of the acclimation duration on such rheophilic species as O. mykiss and S. salar was greater than that on the eurytopic species P. fluviatilis and G. aculeatus, indicating that acclimation period is important in managing fish stress before behavioural observations. For all species, the highest variability was found in the endpoint of maximum velocity, and the lowest in that of angular velocity. This study showed that before starting actual toxicity testing experiments, it is important to determine an appropriate, species-specific acclimation period.