Dataset on the performance of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) reared at different dissolved oxygen levels under experimental conditions

Abstract

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) cultivated in cages and net-pens are regularly exposed to natural variations in dissolved oxygen levels, occasionally experiencing events of low oxygen availability. Quantifying the impact of low dissolved oxygen levels on fish performance can help fish farmers better manage the risks associated with such events.

This article describes the zootechnical performance of Atlantic salmon reared under experimental conditions at three different dissolved oxygen levels (i.e., low: 50 % saturation; medium: 60 % saturation; high: 95 % saturation). The data was collected in the context of two in vivo trials: (i) Trial A, where fish with an initial average body weight of 312.44 ± 11.53 g were reared in indoor tanks at the different DO levels for 30 days; (ii) Trial B, where fish with an initial average body weight of 735.33 ± 40.42 g were reared in indoor tanks at the different DO levels for 26 days.

The dataset [1] is composed of spreadsheets (.xlsx format) and charts (.png format), and includes daily and hourly resolution data (e.g., dissolved oxygen, water temperature, salinity, number of fish and feed intake), sampling and laboratory data (e.g., fish weight, fork length, sex, organs weight, whole-body composition, and tail and opercular beat frequency), and zootechnical indicators calculated at the tank level and averaged per treatment (e.g., survival rate, weight gain, cumulative feed intake, feed conversion ratio and somatic indexes). The differences between treatment means were analyzed using ANOVA, followed by post-hoc testing.

The data presented here has the potential to be used in subsequent analyses, for example when analyzed together with other experimental data or through its use to parameterize mathematical models, aiming at better understand and describe the effects of dissolved oxygen on the performance of Atlantic salmon.