The stress response in fish
Open accessAbstract
The stress response in teleost fish shows many similarities to that of the terrestrial vertebrates. These concern the principal messengers of the brain-sympathetic-chromaffin cell axis (equivalent of the brain-sympathetic-adrenal medulla axis) and the brain-pituitary-interrenal axis (equivalent of the brain-pituitary-adrenal axis), as well as their functions, involving stimulation of oxygen uptake and transfer, mobilization of energy substrates, reallocation of energy away from growth and reproduction, and mainly suppressive effects on immune functions. There is also growing evidence for intensive interaction between the neuroendocrine system and the immune system in fish. Conspicuous differences, however, are present, and these are primarily related to the aquatic environment of fishes. For example, stressors increase the permeability of the surface epithelia, including the gills, to water and ions, and thus induce systemic hydromineral disturbances. High circulating catecholamine levels as well as structural damage to the gills and perhaps the skin are prime causal factors. This is associated with increased cellular turnover in these organs. In fish, cortisol combines glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid actions, with the latter being essential for the restoration of hydromineral homeostasis, in concert with hormones such as prolactin (in freshwater) and growth hormone (in seawater). Toxic stressors are part of the stress literature in fish more so than in mammals. This is…
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In chronic stress, relying on plasma cortisol alone as a stress measure can be misleading due to potential acclimation to prolonged environmental warming or inhibition of the typical cortisol response from chronic overstimulation of the stress axis.
“In the case of chronic stress, relying on plasma cortisol alone as a stress measure can be misleading due to potential acclimation to prolonged environmental warming or inhibition of the typical cortisol response from chronic overstimulation of the stress axis (Wendelaar Bonga, 1997).”
From Insights into thermal sensitivity: Effects of elevated temperature on growth, metabolic rate, and stress responses in Atlantic wolffish (<i>Anarhichas lupus</i>) (2025) · cites this paper as Wendelaar Bonga, 1997
Basal plasma glucose levels can vary substantially among teleost fish.
“Similar to plasma cortisol levels, basal plasma glucose levels can vary substantially among teleost fish (Wendelaar Bonga, 1997).”
From Insights into thermal sensitivity: Effects of elevated temperature on growth, metabolic rate, and stress responses in Atlantic wolffish (<i>Anarhichas lupus</i>) (2025) · cites this paper as Wendelaar Bonga, 1997
In teleost fish, the HPI axis results in production of cortisol as the primary stress response.
“In teleost fish, one of the most important endocrine stress responses is mediated by the hypothalamus‐pituitary‐interrenal (HPI) axis, which results in the production of the glucocorticoid hormone cortisol (the primary stress response; Wendelaar Bonga, 1997).”
From Insights into thermal sensitivity: Effects of elevated temperature on growth, metabolic rate, and stress responses in Atlantic wolffish (<i>Anarhichas lupus</i>) (2025) · cites this paper as Wendelaar Bonga, 1997
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“However, plasma glucose is generally expected to increase following stress, facilitated by the release of catecholamines into the blood, as an adaptive response to meet increased metabolic demands by mobilizing energy stores (Wendelaar Bonga, 1997).”
BackgroundAbdel-Latif, H. M. R., El-Ashram, S., Yilmaz, S., Naiel, M. A. E., Abdul Kari, Z., Hamid, N. K. A., Dawood, M. A. O., Nowosad, J., & Kucharczyk, D. (2022) · Aquaculture Reports · doi:10.1016/j.aqrep.2022.101135 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Jeffrey, J. D., Hasler, C. T., Chapman, J. M., Cooke, S. J., & Suski, C. D. (2015) · Integrative and Comparative Biology · doi:10.1093/icb/icv022 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Zebrafish dax1 Is Required for Development of the Interrenal Organ, the Adrenal Cortex Equivalent
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Aravena-Canales, D., Aedo, J. E., Molina, A., & Valdés, J. A. (2021) · Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cbpb.2021.110565 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Boerrigter, J. G. J., van de Vis, H. W., van den Bos, R., Abbink, W., Spanings, T., Zethof, J., Martinez, L. L., van Andel, W. F. M., Lopez-Luna, J., & Flik, G. (2014) · Fish Physiology and Biochemistry · doi:10.1007/s10695-014-9916-9 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Hinchcliffe, J., Roques, J. A. C., Ekström, A., Hedén, I., Sundell, K., Sundh, H., Sandblom, E., Björnsson, B. T., & Jönsson, E. (2025) · Journal of Fish Biology · doi:10.1111/jfb.16017 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
- Authors
- Wendelaar Bonga, S. E.
- Affiliations
- Department of Animal Physiology, University of Nijmegen, TheNetherlands.
- Venue
- Physiological Reviews
- Publisher
- American Physiological Society
- Published
- 1997-07-01
- Volume
- 77
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 591-625
- ISSN
- 0031-9333 (ISSN-L)
- 1522-1210
- OpenAlex
- W2136061619
- Cited by
- 4,188
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 120 · 2025: 152 · 2024: 158 · 2023: 170 · 2022: 189 · 2021: 194 · 2020: 239 · 2019: 225 · 2018: 175 · 2017: 197 · 2016: 151 · 2015: 165 · 2014: 226 · 2013: 205 · 2012: 183
- FWCI
- 15.91
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Licence
- other-oa
- Locations
- Physiological Reviews (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Aquaculture disease management and microbiota
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Physiology › Reproductive biology and impacts on aquatic species
- Keywords
- stress response, teleosts, neuroendocrine-immune interaction, cortisol, gill permeability, catecholamines, gill damage, energy mobilization, immunosuppression, aquatic contaminants, prolactin, growth hormone, water pH, calcium
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Energy Metabolism, Fish Diseases, Fishes, Hypothalamus, Immune System, Kidney, Pituitary Gland, Reproduction, Stress, Physiological, Sympathetic Nervous System, Neurotransmitter Agents, Chromaffin Cells
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