Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement

Perspective: Opportunities for advancing aquatic invertebrate welfare

Welfare considerations and regulations for invertebrates have lagged behind those for vertebrates, despite invertebrates comprising more than 95% of earth's species. Humans interact with and use aquatic invertebrates for exhibition in zoos and aquaria, as pets, research subjects, and important...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Analgesia, Anesthesia & Sedation, Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Cephalopod, Crustacean, Invertebrate

Citation: Wahltinez, S. J., Stacy, N. I., Hadfield, C. A. et al. 2022. Perspective: Opportunities for advancing aquatic invertebrate welfare. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 9, 973376.

Infrared thermography for non-invasive measurement of social inequality aversion in rodents and potential usefulness for future animal-friendly studies

Infrared thermography is a method that detects thermal radiation energy and can measure the body surface temperature of animals from a distance. While rectal temperature has traditionally been used to measure animals' core temperature, thermal imaging can avoid the stress...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Emotion, Pain, & SentienceAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Watanabe, S. 2023. Infrared thermography for non-invasive measurement of social inequality aversion in rodents and potential usefulness for future animal-friendly studies. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 17, 1131427.

Skin cortisol and acoustic activity: Potential tools to evaluate stress and welfare in captive cetaceans

As people's focus broadens from animals on farms to zoos and aquaria, the field of welfare science and the public's concern for animal welfare continue to grow. In captive animals, stress and its causes are topics of interest in welfare...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Vocalization, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Marine Mammal

Citation: Wong, C.-H., Tsai, M.-A., Ko, F.-C. et al. 2023. Skin cortisol and acoustic activity: Potential tools to evaluate stress and welfare in captive cetaceans. Animals 13(9), 1521.

Preliminary investigation into developing the use of swabs for skin cortisol analysis for the ocean sunfish (Mola mola)

The ocean sunfish (mola; Mola mola) is the heaviest bony fish in the world. This slow-moving fish often is injured by fishing boats that use drift gillnets attributing to its listing as Vulnerable by the IUCN. The Monterey Bay Aquarium...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish

Citation: Santymire, R. M., Young, M., Lenihan, E. et al. 2022. Preliminary investigation into developing the use of swabs for skin cortisol analysis for the ocean sunfish (Mola mola). Animals 12(20), 2868.

Refining restraint techniques for research pigs through habituation

Pigs are common research models and are strong animals that can be difficult to restrain. Improper restraint can put pigs and research personnel at risk for injury and induce stress, which can affect research outcomes. This study aimed to refine...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Animal Training, Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, RestraintAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: O'Malley, C. I., Hubley, R., Tambadou, H. et al. 2022. Refining restraint techniques for research pigs through habituation. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 9, 1016414.

What is it like to be a bass? Red herrings, fish pain and the study of animal sentience

Debates around fishes' ability to feel pain concern sentience: do reactions to tissue damage indicate evaluative consciousness (conscious affect), or mere nociception? Thanks to Braithwaite's research leadership, and concerns that current practices could compromise welfare in countless fish, this issue's...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Emotion, Pain, & SentienceAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish, Salmon, Tilapia, Trout, Zebrafish

Citation: Mason, G. J., Lavery, J. M. 2022. What is it like to be a bass? Red herrings, fish pain and the study of animal sentience. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 9, 788289.

Housing conditions affect adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) behavior but not their physiological status

Zebrafish is a valuable model for neuroscience research, but the housing conditions to which it is exposed daily may be impairing its welfare status. The use of environmental enrichment and the refinement of methodology for cortisol measurement could reduce stress,...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Jorge, S., Félix, L., Costas, B. et al. 2023. Housing conditions affect adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) behavior but not their physiological status. Animals 13(6), 1120.

Morphometrics of Xenopus laevis kept as laboratory animals

Morphometric data that provide information on body conditions can be used to monitor the health and well-being of animals. In laboratory animals, they can help to evaluate the stress due to experiments or treatments, following the 3R principles. The aim...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Amphibian, Frog & Toad

Citation: Böswald, L. F., Matzek, D., Mohr, H. et al. 2022. Morphometrics of Xenopus laevis kept as laboratory animals. Animals 12(21), 2986.

Camera-based respiration monitoring of unconstrained rodents

Animal research has always been crucial for various medical and scientific breakthroughs, providing information on disease mechanisms, genetic predisposition to diseases, and pharmacological treatment. However, the use of animals in medical research is a source of great controversy and ongoing...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Breuer, L., Mösch, L., Kunczik, J. et al. 2023. Camera-based respiration monitoring of unconstrained rodents. Animals 13(12), 1901.

An affordable and easy-to-use tool for automatic fish length and weight estimation in mariculture

Common aquaculture practices involve measuring fish biometrics at different growth stages, which is crucial for feeding regime management and for improving farmed fish welfare. Fish measurements are usually carried out manually on individual fish. However, this process is laborious, time-consuming,...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish

Citation: Tonachella, N., Martini, A., Martinoli, M. et al. 2022. An affordable and easy-to-use tool for automatic fish length and weight estimation in mariculture. Scientific Reports 12(1), 15642.