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Article

Effects of Increased Temperature on Brain and Sensory Development in the Port Jackson Shark (Heterodontus portusjacksoni)

1
Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC 28403, USA
2
College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5042, Australia
3
Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
4
Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board, Murray Bridge, SA 5253, Australia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Fishes 2023, 8(12), 611; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes8120611
Submission received: 29 October 2023 / Revised: 1 December 2023 / Accepted: 6 December 2023 / Published: 17 December 2023

Abstract

Morphological differences in the peripheral (sensory) and central (brain) nervous system may confer sensory and/or behavioral variation in elasmobranchs, both across taxa and throughout ontogeny. Over the last century, sea surface temperatures have increased over 0.5 °C and are predicted to rise 1–4 °C by the year 2100, potentially affecting species’ physiological performance negatively. As the nervous system of fishes grows continually throughout their lives, it may be highly plastic in response to environmental changes. This study examined the effects of increased rearing temperature on nervous system development in Port Jackson sharks (Heterodontus portusjacksoni). Egg cases (n = 21) were collected from Gulf St. Vincent (Adelaide, SA) and placed into either ambient (17.6 °C) or 3 °C above ambient seawater conditions through hatching and reared for up to five months post-hatch. Relative volumes of the eyes and nose (olfactory rosette) were quantified using magnetic resonance imaging, and relative brain size and size of major brain regions were compared between the two treatment groups. The size of the olfactory bulbs and tegmentum varied significantly between the treatment groups, which suggest differences in primary, secondary, or tertiary sensory processing and/or motor functions at elevated temperatures. While studies on acute responses to environmental conditions cannot inform true adaptation across broad timescales, understanding the effects of increased temperature on the brain phenotype can aid in predicting how elasmobranchs may fare in response to changing ocean conditions.
Keywords: comparative neuroanatomy; climate change; thermal physiology; elasmobranchs comparative neuroanatomy; climate change; thermal physiology; elasmobranchs

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MDPI and ACS Style

Peele, E.E.; Huveneers, C.; Brown, C.; Gervais, C.R.; Yopak, K.E. Effects of Increased Temperature on Brain and Sensory Development in the Port Jackson Shark (Heterodontus portusjacksoni). Fishes 2023, 8, 611. https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes8120611

AMA Style

Peele EE, Huveneers C, Brown C, Gervais CR, Yopak KE. Effects of Increased Temperature on Brain and Sensory Development in the Port Jackson Shark (Heterodontus portusjacksoni). Fishes. 2023; 8(12):611. https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes8120611

Chicago/Turabian Style

Peele, Emily E., Charlie Huveneers, Culum Brown, Connor R. Gervais, and Kara E. Yopak. 2023. "Effects of Increased Temperature on Brain and Sensory Development in the Port Jackson Shark (Heterodontus portusjacksoni)" Fishes 8, no. 12: 611. https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes8120611

APA Style

Peele, E. E., Huveneers, C., Brown, C., Gervais, C. R., & Yopak, K. E. (2023). Effects of Increased Temperature on Brain and Sensory Development in the Port Jackson Shark (Heterodontus portusjacksoni). Fishes, 8(12), 611. https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes8120611

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