The three‐spined stickleback as an environmental sentinel: effects of stressors on whole‐body physiological indices

Abstract

Indicators of a generalized stress response (changes in cortisol, glucose, RNA: DNA ratio and total protein) when measured in whole‐body preparations of individual three‐spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus displayed significant alterations in response to acute (hours) and chronic (days) disturbances and food withdrawal. In addition, changes in alkali‐labile phosphorous, a specific biomarker of exposure to oestrogenic contaminants, could be detected in whole‐body preparations of oestrogen‐exposed three‐spined sticklebacks confirming that the measurement of biomarkers normally assessed in a specific tissue can be equally possible in whole fish.