Pacific Whiteleg Shrimp Alter Gill Plasticity and Hemolymph Properties to Cope with Changing Environment Stress
Yu Ling Shirly-Lim (1*), Mazlan Abd Ghaffar (1,2,3), Hon Jung Liew (1)

1Higher Institution of Center Excellence (HICOE), Institute of Tropical Aquaculture Fisheries
*shirlylim_[at]hotmail.com
2Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, 3Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia

Abstract

The rising atmospheric temperature and greenhouse gases increased the ocean temperature acidification scenario, which negatively impacts ocean life and farming species. To cope with this condition, animals must compromise their physiological need via microstructural organ modification. This study was planned to investigate the interactive effect of high temperature and low pH gill plasticity and hemolymph electrolytes status on Pacific whiteleg shrimp. This experiment was designed with 2x2 factorial [(temperature 28 C and 34 C) vs. pH (Control, pH 8- low pH 6)] with combination conditions as 28 C+ pH 8 (N28), 34 C+ pH8 (N34), 28 C+ pH6 (A28) and 34 C+ pH6 (A34). All shrimps were exposed to desired conditions for four weeks and fed with commercial shrimp feed. Our results showed that the severity of gill plasticity was observed in the shrimps exposed to low pH (A28 & A43) and high temperature (N34) through histology and scanning electron microscope (SEM) examination. Thus, this led to high hemolymph glucose, total hematocyte number and electrolytes compared to shrimp cultured under N28. This study revealed that Pacific whiteleg shrimp is sensitive to changing environment temperature and acidic pH that led to gills microstructure modification and hemolymph properties adjustment to cope with this scenario.

Keywords: Aquaculture- Climate change- Gill plasticity- Hemolymph- Physiology- Shrimp

Topic: Sustainable Aquaculture and Fisheries