Mapping Appetite Hormones Ghrelin and CCK Along the Fish Gut | Research

The takeaway

First detailed mapping of ghrelin and cholecystokinin distribution along the gastrointestinal tract of juvenile seabream, showing responses to feeding and diet composition.

First full GIT map
Ghrelin and CCK distribution characterized along entire juvenile seabream digestive tract

What the researchers found

Spatiotemporal characterization revealed distinct ghrelin and CCK distribution patterns along the juvenile seabream GIT, with levels responding to feeding status and diet composition.

Why it matters

Understanding fish appetite hormones improves aquaculture feeding efficiency, reduces waste, and provides comparative data for understanding mammalian gut hormone biology.

How the study worked

Measurement of ghrelin and CCK peptide levels along the GIT of juvenile Sparus aurata under different feeding conditions and diet compositions.

What this study cannot tell us

Single species (seabream) study — gut hormone distribution may differ in other fish. Juvenile stage only.

How to read the evidence

Descriptive physiological study — provides novel characterization data for fish gut hormones.

When this study was published

Published in 2026; advances understanding of fish appetite regulation.

The bigger picture

Comparative endocrinology across species helps us understand the evolutionary conservation of appetite-regulating peptide systems.

Questions still open

Can gut hormone profiles guide optimal feeding schedules in aquaculture?
How do seabream gut hormone patterns compare to mammalian distribution?

Common questions

What is ghrelin?

Ghrelin is the "hunger hormone" produced in the gut that signals the brain to stimulate appetite. It is found in both fish and mammals, showing evolutionary conservation of appetite regulation.

Why study fish appetite hormones?

Understanding appetite regulation in farmed fish helps optimize feeding strategies, reduce feed waste, and improve growth rates — saving costs and reducing environmental impact in aquaculture.

Read the original research

Spatiotemporal characterization of ghrelin and cholecystokinin levels in the gastrointestinal tract of juvenile Sparus aurata: effects of feeding status and diet composition.

Frontiers in endocrinology, 17, 1734169

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Caderno, Anyell; Tang, Patrik; de Las Heras, Verónica; Gharbi, Naouel; Alarcón-López, Francisco Javier; Mancera, Juan Miguel; Martos-Sitcha, Juan Antonio; Gilannejad, Neda. (2026). Spatiotemporal characterization of ghrelin and cholecystokinin levels in the gastrointestinal tract of juvenile Sparus aurata: effects of feeding status and diet composition.. Frontiers in endocrinology, 17, 1734169. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2026.1734169