Biochemical responses of juvenile rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli) to low levels of dissolved oxygen in Gamak Bay

Gamak Bay is one of the largest aquaculture areas in the South Sea of Korea and exhibits hypoxia conditions during the summer. The harmful effects of hypoxia on aquaculture fish stock have not been elucidated. This study describes the biochemical effects of low levels of dissolved oxygen (DO) on cultivated juvenile Sebastes schlegeli in Gamak Bay. The hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) gene was induced significantly in S. schlegeli collected from low oxygen level areas, which suggests that fluctuations in the DO induces the expression of HIF1α. The level of antioxidant enzyme exhibited significantly higher activities in fish obtained from station F2 in which low levels of DO were shown in 2010 and 2011. The results of this study demonstrate that cultivated S. schlegeli are affected by the low levels of DO in Gamak Bay and superoxide dismutase enzymes operate dependently with HIF1α. The plasma glucose level did not exhibit significant difference in the fish among the sampling stations. We noted that HIF1α and the superoxide dismutase enzymes are useful biomarkers that might enable the detection of otherwise unnoticed hypoxic stress.