Coping with marine heatwaves: Tissue‐specific neuroendocrine and immune adjustments in small‐spotted catsharks

Rising ocean temperatures disrupt neuroendocrine-immune interactions in vertebrates. Neuroendocrine gene expression in the liver, spleen, intestine, blood cells and epigonal organ was examined in small-spotted catsharks (Scyliorhinus canicula) exposed to a 30-day simulated marine heatwave. Correlations among neuroendocrine genes, immune- and iron-related genes, plasma biochemistry and leukocyte assays revealed tissue-specific expression patterns, reduced inter-individual variability and coordinated transcriptional modulation across tissues. Overall, catsharks exhibited integrated adjustments to thermal stress, most likely to balance metabolic demands with immune resilience.