Tang Police or Tang Nazis?

[asylumdown]

Originally Posted by Youngster Dan

Interesting read.

I only have one little issue with the article, with regards to measuring cortisol levels in the fish. It was stated that there wasn't really a difference in cortisol levels between captive fish (at various tank sizes) and fish in the "field". Now, I'm assuming you have to actually handle the fish to get a blood/cortisol sample?

Wouldn't the actual act of catching the fish induce stress (ie elevated cortisol) and so this stat is completely misleading? As every fish being tested is at an artificially elevated level of cortisol, and it being nearly impossible to take a baseline measurement?

I haven't read the article yet, but in my field (primate studies) we measure cortisol in feces and urine, with urine being the ideal source (try running through the forest with a giant funnel held over your head...). It's one of the easier hormones to study because of that fact actually. Not sure how they got their sample, but it seems to reason that they can probably get it passively