Effects of Temperature on the Growth Performance, Biochemical Indexes and Growth and Development-Related Genes Expression of Juvenile Hybrid Sturgeon (Acipenser baerii♀ × Acipenser schrenckii♂)

In order to investigate the effects of temperature on the growth performance, biochemical indexes and genes expression in juvenile hybrid sturgeon (Acipenser baerii♀ × Acipenser schrenckii♂), five temperature treatment groups (18 °C, 21 °C, 24 °C, 27 °C, 30 °C) were set in this study. After 25 days of domestication, the specific growth rate (SGR) and relative weight gain rate of juvenile sturgeon increased at first and then decreased with the increase in temperature in the range of 18–30 °C and reached the highest value at 21 °C. A quadratic equation was used to fit the regression equation of SGR and temperature (T). The result showed that the temperature of the maximum SGR is 23.45 °C. Moreover, the expression level of the growth hormone (gh) and the content of blood glucose (GLU) increased significantly at 21 °C, while the expression level of the growth hormone receptor (ghr) in the liver decreased significantly. When the temperature exceeded 27 °C, the thyroid hormone levels were significantly affected, and the levels of total antioxidants (T-AOC) and reduced glutathione (GSH) were significantly higher than those in the control group. In addition, with the increase in temperature, the expression levels of hsp70 and hsp90 in the liver increased significantly, while the expression level of the luteinizing hormone (lh) in the brain decreased significantly. To summarize, the effect of temperature on the growth and development of juvenile sturgeon mainly occurs through the effects of glucose metabolism, thyroid hormone level, total antioxidant capacity and growth-related genes. Therefore, in a temperature range between 21 and 24 °C, juvenile sturgeon can obtain the maximum growth rate and survival rate.