Measurement of fish steroids in water—a review

• Published in: General and comparative endocrinology Vol. 153; no. 1; pp. 392 - 400
• Main Authors: Scott, Alexander P, Ellis, Tim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.08.2007
• Subjects: 11-Ketotestosterone; Animals; Body Weight - physiology; Clinical Laboratory Techniques; Cortisol; Data Interpretation, Statistical; Drug Stability; Endocrinology & Metabolism; Fish; Fishes - anatomy & histology; Fishes - blood; Fishes - metabolism; Non-invasive; Pisces; Research Design; Sensitivity and Specificity; Steroids; Steroids - analysis; Steroids - blood; Steroids - isolation & purification; Steroids - metabolism; Water; Water - chemistry; Water; Fish; Cortisol; Non-invasive; 11-Ketotestosterone; Steroids
• ISSN: 0016-6480; 1095-6840
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2006.11.006

Abstract Measurement of fish steroids in water provides a non-invasive alternative to measurement in blood samples, offering the following advantages: zero or minimal intervention (i.e. no anaesthetic, bleeding or handling stress); results not being biased by sampling stress; repeat measurements on the same fish; the possibility of making non-lethal measurements on small and/or rare fish; integrating the response of many (or of single) fish; and allowing concurrent monitoring of behaviour or physiology. The procedure is relatively new and, although applications are still fairly limited, there are several themes and potential problem areas that are worthy of review.