Comparison of Electroanesthesia with Chemical Anesthesia (MS222 and Clove Oil) in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) using Plasma Cortisol and Glucose Responses as Physiological Stress Indicators

This study investigates Alternating Current (AC) electroanesthesia of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in comparison with MS222 and clove oil, using plasma cortisol and glucose concentrations as stress assessment indicators. A microcontroller-based apparatus was designed and constructed to allow a programmable voltage-time Pulse-Width Modulated (PWM) electrical wave application through 19x20 cm submersible electrodes for 91 sec in a 33 cm long tank to induce loss of equilibrium and immobility with recovery after 52c27 sec. Recovery after 660c102 sec was observed in MS222-anesthetized fish (after induction for 720c72 sec) and a recovery time of 546c102 sec was observed in clove oil-anesthetized fish (after induction for 144c42 sec) both are significantly longer recovery times in comparison with electroanesthesia (p