A Fine Kettle of Fish: Aspects of the Endocrine Regulation of Feeding in Fish

In vertebrates, feeding is regulated by a number of hormones produced mainly by the brain but also by peripheral tissues. In fish, homologs of mammalian appetite regulating hormones have been identified and for the most part, appear to have similar appetite-regulating effects. However, fishes are extremely diversified with regards to habitat (e.g. marine vs. freshwater, tropical vs. cold-water) as well as feeding habits (e.g. omnivore vs. carnivore), which suggest that the endocrine control of feeding in fish might occur through species-specific molecules and mechanisms. This presentation will give a brief overview of the endocrine regulation of feeding and describe some of the known appetite regulators (e.g. orexins, CART) in selected fish models, including freshwater (e.g. goldfish, cavefish) and marine (e.g. cunner, flounder) species.