Wild-caught and aquacultured teleosts are often transported long distances in closed plastic bags or tanks for home and public display, as well as for aquaculture. Stressors and resultant physiological responses along “the chain,” which includes many or all these phases: collection or culture, holding, transport, quarantine, acclimation, and introduction of teleosts to their final place of care, may contribute to post-transport morbidity and mortality. This loss is often referred to as shipping loss or Delayed Mortality Syndrome (DMS). Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), defined as “the nonspecific result of any demand (i.e., a stressor) upon the body,” provides a helpful concept for understanding many causes of morbidity and mortality. Reducing losses requires awareness of stressors and the stress response, management of physiological stress levels, mitigation of the consequences of the GAS, and mitigation of other challenges, including physical damage along the chain. Homeostasis is challenged along the chain as fish perceive and/or are subjected to independent, sometimes concurrent, and/or synergistic perceived threats or stressors that contribute to physiological stress. The magnitude and duration of the physiological response depend on the perceived magnitude and duration of the stressor (s). We will discuss the general physiological reactions to the perception of challenges or stressors in teleosts before, during, and after transport. E We will briefly consider overlooked, easy-to-remedy stressors along the transport chain and how to reduce the impact of transport-associated physiological stress, focusing on mitigation measures that can be implemented before and during transport.