Abstract
The effects of sparp changes of water temperature (WT) on the stree response and physiological change of the cultured olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) were examined by manipulating WT (3 patterns) in a running seawater culture system. In the first group (Exp. I), the WT was decreased from 18$^{\circ}C$ to 11$^{\circ}C$ within 6 hours and increased back to the original WT quickly. WT was decreased from 2$0^{\circ}C$ to 11$^{\circ}C$ within 5 hours and main-tained at 11$^{\circ}C$ for 10 hours. and then increased to 2$0^{\circ}C$ in the second group (Exp. II). In the third group(Exp. III) WT was decreased to 11$^{\circ}C$ within 5 hours (type A) or 10 hrs. (type B). In Exp. I and III, the level of serum cortisol was increased from 2.5$\pm$0.3 ng/ml and 2.6$\pm$0.9 ng/ml to 13.6$\pm$3.0 ng/ml and 12.4$\pm$3.2ng/ml, respectively, with WT decrease. However, no consistent tendency in the change of serum glucose level was shown according to WT decrease. In Exp. III, the glucose level of fish in type A was decreased until 5 hours and increased at 7 hours, then decreased until 12 hours where as the glucose level in type B was decreased until 5 hours and stayed at the level of 15.7 mg/dl. The serum osmolality was reduced with WT decrease and the response of serum electrolytes in this experiment conflicted, and a tendency in total protein, AST and ALT was not found following WT decrease. In conclusion, olive flounder responded to the stress caused by WT decrease and acclimated to this condition when the lower temperature was maintained. But there was no stress response in the blood of olive flounder when WT was increased. On the other hand, the degree of stress response in olive flounder was various according to the range and gradient of WT change.
