In this study, we investigated the effects of acute handling stress on serum biochemical indicators, antioxidant capacity, gill morphology, and surface slime microbial community of Seriola aureovittata. The experiment was conducted using S. aureovittata individuals (body weight: 463.86 ± 63.86 g). During the experiment, crowding-air exposure was repeated 10 times. Samples were collected before acute handling stress (C0, control group) and at 0, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h after stress. The results showed that acute handling stress significantly increased serum cortisol levels (P < 0.05). With the extended recovery time, cortisol levels initially increased and subsequently decreased, peaking at 3 h and returning to baseline at 12 h. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) content followed a similar trend to that of cortisol; however, they peaked at 6 h after handling stress. After 24 h of recovery, only CAT activity and MDA content returned to their initial levels. In addition, acute handling stress caused bending and swelling of gill lamellae, cell vacuolation, and disordered epithelial arrangement. After 24 h of recovery, gill filament morphology had not fully returned to its original state. Moreover, acute handling stress exacerbated slime microbiota dysbiosis on the body surface, significantly increasing pathogenic bacteria abundance, including Vibrio splendidus, Tenacibaculum soleae, and Tenacibaculum dicentraci (P<0.05). In conclusion, S. aureovittata requires more than 24 h to fully recover from acute handling stress. The optimal window for stress-alleviating interventions occurs within the first 6 h post-handling stress. Regulating slime microbiota balance on the body surface may represent a promising strategy for mitigating acute handling stress.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |