Impact of temperature on survival and spinal development of golden pompano Trachinotus ovatus (Linnaeus 1758)

Abstract This study investigated the impact of water temperature on survival, skeletal development and the molecular mechanism of temperature-induced spinal deformity in golden pompano Trachinotus ovatus. Fish larvae were subjected to three temperatures (26, 29 and 32 °C) from 0 to 32 days post-hatch (DPH). On 32 DPH, significant higher growth rate was observed in fish cultured at 32 °C, but the survival rate and RNA/DNA ratio were significantly lower than fish culture at 26 and 29 °C. At the end of this study, the highest spinal deformity rate was observed in fish cultured at 32 °C. The ambient temperature should be kept at or below 29 °C for the best growth performance. The levels of BMP2, BMP4, BMP5, Sox9, twist and vimentin were significantly regulated by ambient temperature. High temperature may up-regulate the expression of a series of signaling factors during bone formation and down-regulate the expression of sox9, affecting the production of ECM components, thereby affecting the development of bone and cartilage and leading to spinal deformities. The results from the present study provide new evidence to understand the molecular mechanism of spinal deformities and bone development golden pompano.