Importance of environmental signals for cardiac morphological development in Atlantic salmon.

The hearts of salmonids display remarkable plasticity, adapting to various environmental factors that influence cardiac function and demand. For instance, in response to cold temperature, the salmonid heart undergoes growth and remodeling to counterbalance the reduced contractile function associated with dropping temperatures. Alongside heart size, the distinct pyramidal shape of the wild salmonid heart is essential for optimal cardiac performance, yet the environmental drivers behind this optimal cardiac morphology remain to be fully understood.