Alternative stress indicators in sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax, L.

Stress indicators (plasma cortisol, glucose and lactate) were evaluated in sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax submitted to different pre-slaughter conditions, and cortisol levels in plasma were found to correlate with those detected in mucus, gut contents and muscle. The results demonstrate new possibilities for monitoring stress status in fishes in which blood sampling is difficult or impossible. (c) 2008 The Authors Journal compilation (c) 2008 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.