CONDITIONING IMPROVES PERFORMANCE OF JUVENILE CHINOOK SALMON, ONCORHYNCHUS-TSHAWYTSCHA, TO TRANSPORTATION STRESS

A positive conditioning approach was used, where a dewatering stressor was associated with feeding, to help moderate the severity of the res ponse of juvenile chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, to transpo rtation, Not only did this procedure attenuate the physiological respo nse to transportation stress, as evidenced by more rapid recovery of p lasma cortisol, glucose and lactate concentrations following the stres sful experience, but it also enhanced survival during transport, eleva ted resistance to the pathogen Aeromonas salmonicida, increased seawat er adaptability, and helped the animals to cope with other stressors r elative to control groups, Fish given prior exposures to stressors not associated with feeding performed intermediately between positively c onditioned fish and controls in most tests.