Activity assessment of individual fish in a sea-cage could provide valuable insights into the behavior, but also physiological well-being and resilience, of the fish population in the cage. Acceleration can be monitored continuously with internal acoustic transmitter tags and is generally applied as a real-time proxy for activity. The objective of this study was to investigate the activity patterns of Gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) by transmitter tags in a sea-cage and analyze correlations with water temperature, fish size and tissue weights. Experimental fish (N = 300) were transferred to an experimental sea-cage of which thirty fish (Standard Length SL = 18.3 ± 1.7 cm; Body Weight BW = 174 ± 39 g) were implanted with accelerometer tags. Accelerations were monitored for a period of 6 weeks (Nov.–Dec.) and were analyzed over the 6 weeks and 24 h of the day. At the end of the experimental period, tagged fish were again measured, weighed and dissected for tissue and filet weights, and correlations with accelerations were analyzed. Daily rhythms in accelerations under the experimental conditions were characterized by more active periods from 6 to 14 h and 18 to 0 h and less active periods from 0 to 6 h and 14 to 18 h. This W-shaped pattern remained over the experimental weeks, even with diurnal accelerations decreasing which was correlated to the dropping temperature. The increase in activity was not during, but just before feeding indicating food-anticipatory activity. Activity patterning can be useful for timing feeding events at the start of active periods, in this study between 6 and 11 h, and between 18 and 22 h. Acceleration was negatively correlated to heart and mesenteric fat mass, which was the exact contrary of our expectations for sustainedly swimming seabream. These results suggest that acceleration is a proxy for unsteady swimming activity only and research is required into the accelerations occurring during sustained swimming of seabream at various speeds.

在海笼中对单个鱼的活动评估可以提供有关笼中鱼种群行为，生理健康和复原力的宝贵见解。加速度可以使用内部声学发射器标签进行连续监控，通常用作活动的实时代理。这项研究的目的是调查金头鲷的活动模式（灵芝）放在海笼中的发射器标签上，并分析与水温，鱼类大小和组织重量的相关性。实验鱼（ñ= 300）转移到实验性海笼中，其中的30条鱼（标准长度SL = 18.3±1.7 cm；体重BW = 174±39 g）被植入加速计标签。监测加速度为期6周（11月至12月），并在一天的6周和24小时内进行分析。在实验期结束时，再次测量贴有标签的鱼，称重并解剖组织重量和鱼片重量，并分析与加速度的相关性。在实验条件下，加速度的每日节律的特征是活跃期从6到14 h和18到0 h，活跃期从0到6 h和14到18 h。这种W形模式在实验周内保持不变，即使昼夜加速度下降，这与温度下降也相关。活动的增加不是在 但在进食前表明有预期的食物活动。在本研究中，活动模式可用于在活动期开始时定时喂养事件，在本研究中介于6至11小时之间以及18至22小时之间。加速度与心脏和肠系膜脂肪量呈负相关，这与我们对持续游泳鲷鱼的期望完全相反。这些结果表明，加速度仅代表不稳定的游泳活动，并且需要研究以各种速度持续游泳鲷鱼期间发生的加速度。这与我们对持续游泳鲷鱼的期望完全相反。这些结果表明，加速度仅代表不稳定的游泳活动，并且需要研究以各种速度持续游泳鲷鱼期间发生的加速度。这与我们对持续游泳鲷鱼的期望完全相反。这些结果表明，加速度仅代表不稳定的游泳活动，并且需要研究在以各种速度持续游泳鲷鱼期间发生的加速度。