Feeding behaviour, brain serotonergic activity levels, and energy reserves of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) within a dominance hierarchy

Abstract

The relationships between feeding activity, brain serotonergic activity level, and energy reserves in eight groups of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) were evaluated using self-feeders in combination with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags. Serotonin concentrations were measured in the brain stem, telencephalon, and hypothalamus. Energy reserves were measured, as fat levels, in muscle and mesenteric tissue. The self-feeding activity level was found to correlate positively (P < 0.05) with the growth rate and negatively (P < 0.05) with the serotonergic activity levels in the brain stem and telencephalon. No significant relationship was found, however, between the number of trigger activations and the muscle or mesenteric tissue lipid level. One or, in some cases, two fish in each group clearly dominated the activation of the trigger, and showed the highest growth rates and lowest stress levels, measured as brain serotonergic activity. Subordinate fish (one to three individuals) hardly ever activated the trigger, but showed relatively high growth rates and brain serotonergic activity levels that did not differ significantly from those of dominant fish. The remaining individuals showed very little feeding activity and low growth rates. In addition, brain serotonergic activity levels were significantly higher than in fish in the former two categories, indicating that the subordinate fish suffered from stress and had a low social rank.