No trout about it: Behavioural and transcriptional effects of long-term noise exposure in brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)

Exposure to acute noise sources can lead to negative behavioural outcomes and fitness deficits in fishes, but it is unknown if fish can habituate to chronic exposures. As underwater noise increases globally, understanding how long-term exposures can affect behavioural, morphological and transcriptional measures of stress in fish is critical. We tested responses in captive brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) immediately after acute exposure to a noise and after two weeks of chronic exposure. Behavioural tests quantified fish movements before, during, and after sound presentation, with morphological and transcriptional changes assessed through ears and whole brains samples respectively.Pre-control and pre-experimental brook trout exhibited increased swimming distance and velocity, but after the two-week exposure, post-experimental fish showed no response to noise while the post-control group remained responsive. Post-experimental fish showed significant differences in transcription levels..., , , # No trout about it: behavioural and transcriptional effects of long-term noise exposure in brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.8931zcs17](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.8931zcs17)

## Description of the data and file structure

This dataset includes raw data files for transcriptional, morphological and behaviour data for a study conducted on brook trout that were exposed to acute and chronic noise. Each file contains a “dictionary tab” defining variables found in the sheet.

### Files and variables

#### File: BrookTroutAuditoryMorphologyData.xlsx

**Description:** The file named “BrookTroutAuditoryMorphologyData” contains one sheet of data collected from the ears of fish.

**Variables** 

* Variable explanations for this data can be found on the “Dictionary” tab.

#### File: BrookTroutBehaviourData.xlsx

**Description:** The file named “BrookTroutBehaviourData” contains data from acute sound exposure trials for four behavioural response variable in fish ...,