ABSTRACT
Stress is an important physiological response that all animals, including fi sh, experience when they are subjected to alarm situations.
The stress impact in fi sh and its consequences was early detected and assessed in relation to fi sh transport in aquaculture (Barton 1997). Later studies on fi sh stress response have involved all potential stressors, such as the natural environmental factors, but in particular those related to husbandry practices, including the social stressors. On the other side there is extensive scientifi c literature on the chemical stressors in water (pollutants, heavy metals, pesticides). In parallel to the study of the effects of stressors, a number of studies on stress physiology and stress responses have been developed during the last few decades.
