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Osmoregulatory strategies in natural populations of the black-chinned tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron exposed to extreme salinities in West African estuaries

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Abstract

The effect of salinity was studied in natural populations of the black-chinned tilapia (Sarotherodon melanotheron) from West Africa. This euryhaline species colonizes nearly all coastal environments from bays to lagoons characterized by salinities ranging from fresh water to hypersaline water over 100 ‰. Individuals were sampled during the dry season at several locations characterized by different levels of salinity (3–102 ‰). Their osmotic status and their gills were analyzed. The branchial mitochondria-rich cells (MRC), localized at the basis of the filaments and along the lamellae in fish taken from the saline stations, showed a wide plasticity with significant differences in their number and size. The most striking results were a significant larger area (≈3x) and a higher number (≈55x) of MRC at high salinity (102 ‰) compared to low salinity (3 ‰). The major ion transporters and channels were localized by immunocytochemistry and different expression patterns have been recorded between stations. Despite an increased Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) α-subunit expression and NKA activity, pointing to an increased monovalent ion excretion, a severe osmotic imbalance was recorded in animals living in hypersaline environments.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by an INSU-EC2CO grant (ECLIPSE). We thank Dr. Julien Issartel for constructive advice and discussions. We also like to thank Mrs. Khady Diop for her technical help.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. AEO Team “Adaptation Ecophysiologique et Ontogenèse”, UMR 5119, ECOSYM (UM2, IRD, IFREMER, CNRS), cc 092, 34095, Montpellier cedex 05, France

    Catherine Lorin-Nebel, Sophie Wallon & Guy Charmantier

  2. ISEM, UMR 226 (IRD-CNRS-UM2), BP5095, 34196, Montpellier Cedex 05, France

    Jean-Christophe Avarre & Nicolas Faivre

  3. IRD, UMR 5119, ECOSYM, campus IRD/ISRA de Bel Air, BP1386, CP18524, Dakar, Senegal

    Jean-Dominique Durand

Authors
  1. Catherine Lorin-Nebel
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  2. Jean-Christophe Avarre
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  3. Nicolas Faivre
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  4. Sophie Wallon
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  5. Guy Charmantier
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  6. Jean-Dominique Durand
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Catherine Lorin-Nebel.

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Communicated by I.D. Hume.

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Lorin-Nebel, C., Avarre, JC., Faivre, N. et al. Osmoregulatory strategies in natural populations of the black-chinned tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron exposed to extreme salinities in West African estuaries. J Comp Physiol B 182, 771–780 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-012-0657-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-012-0657-8

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