Use of geographical information systems as a tool for predicting fish yield in tropical reservoirs: case study on Sri Lankan reservoirs

Use of geographical information systems (GIS) in inland fisheries has hitherto been essentially restricted to site evaluation for aquaculture development and assessment of limnological changes in time and space in individual water bodies. The present GIS study was conducted on the land-use pattern of the catchments of nine reservoirs in Sri Lanka, for which detailed fishery data, viz. yield, fishing intensity, landing size of major constituent species, together with selected limnological data such as conductivity and chlorophyll- a , were available. Potential statistical relationships (linear, curvilinear, exponential and second-order polynomial) of fish yield ( FY , in kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) to different land-use patterns, such as forest cover ( FC , in km²) and shrub-land ( SL , in km²), either singly, or in combination, and/or the ratio of each land type to reservoir area ( RA in km²) and reservoir capacity ( RC in km³), were explored. Highly significant relationships were evident between FY to the ratio of SL and/or FC + SL to RA and/or RC . Similarly, the above land-use types to RA and RC ratios were significantly related to limnological features of the reservoirs. The relationships of FY to various parameters obtained in this study were much better correlated than those relationships of FY to limnological and biological parameters used in yield prediction in tropical and temperate lacustrine waters previously.     

A sensitive loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method for detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum, causative agent of bacterial kidney disease in salmonids

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a novel technique for nucleic acid amplification with high specificity, sensitivity and rapidity and does not require expensive equipment or reagents. In the present study, we developed and evaluated a LAMP method for the rapid detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum causing the bacterial kidney disease in salmonids. This method was more sensitive than quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Using DNA template extracted from cultured R. salmoninarum , the LAMP method gave an amplification signal from template diluted to 10⁻⁸ while the limit of detection of qPCR was10⁻⁷. The LAMP method was also highly specific and did not amplify DNA purified from five other Gram-positive and -negative bacterial fish pathogens. The method also worked well using extracts of macrophages infected with R. salmoninarum and kidney material from rainbow trout, which were positive for R. salmoninarum by qPCR and crude R. salmoninarum culture. There was some evidence for inhibitors of the LAMP reaction in the kidney samples, which was overcome by diluting the sample.     

Comparative sensitivity of carp, Cyprinus carpio L. and rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri Richardson, to Renibacterium salmoninarum

Abstract. The pathogenicity of Renibacterium salmoninarum to carp, Cyprinus carpio L., and rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri Richardson, was investigated. All carp injected with 4·8 × 10⁸ cells/fish, or 4·8 × 10⁷ cells/fish survived for 38 days. R. salmoninarum was isolated from all moribund fish, but not from the kidney of surviving fish, although R. salmoninarum antigen was detected in several of these fish by the dot blot assay. On the other hand, mortality in rainbow trout was 95% in the fish injected with 4·8 × 10⁸ cells/fish, and 15% in those which received 4·8 × 10⁷ cells/fish. R. salmoninarum antigen was detected by the dot blot assay in all surviving rainbow trout. The number of R. salmoninarum cells was immediately decreased by carp or rainbow trout serum, and the serum bactericidal activity of carp was higher than that of rainbow trout. Carp blood leucocytes had higher phagocytic activity than those of rainbow trout.     

Linear models to predict the digestible lipid content of fish diets

Values for the digestible contents of nutrients in diets and feed ingredients are of utmost importance in nutritional strategies for fish. Prediction from dietary composition would eliminate lengthy, tedious and demanding digestibility experiments with fish. Apparent digestible lipid (DL) content [range 7.6–353.4 g kg⁻¹ dry matter (DM)] in compound diets can be predicted with high accuracy ( n  = 610; studies =127; fish species = 34; R ² = 0.9515; RMSE = 16.9504) from dietary crude lipid (CL) content (range 12.0–388.7 g kg⁻¹ DM) by the linear regression equation DL =−2.7303 + 0.9123 CL. Validation of this equation against 65 values from 15 independent studies presented R ² and mean prediction error (MPE) values of 0.9947 and 0.0671, respectively. The corresponding equation for 37 individual feed ingredients evaluated in 24 studies with 18 fish species ( n  = 180) was found to be DL = −1.5824 + 0.8654 CL ( R ² = 0.9717; RMSE = 8.3765). However, validation of the latter is currently hampered by a lack of independent values.     

Lack of relationship between virulence of Aeromonas salmonicida and the putative virulence factors: A-layer, extracellular proteases and extracellular haemolysins

Abstract The role of A-layer (A), protease (P) and haemolysin (H) as virulence factors of Aeromonas salmonicida, the aetiological agent of fish furunculosis, was a investigated using three strains of the bacterium. Strain MT004 lacked the A-Iayer (A⁻) and produced extracellular caseinase and gelatinase (P⁺) and haemolysin (T-lysin; H⁺). Strain MT028 was A⁻, P⁻ and H⁻, and strain MT048 was A⁺, P⁺ and H⁻. The pathology and LD50 produced in rainbow trout by cells or extracellular products (ECP) of each strain were determined. The ECP was produced by two different methods where the protease and haemolytic activities differed in relative levels, or when the protease of MT004 ECP was inhibited by the serine protease inhibitor PMSF. The results indicate that the presence of A-layer is not essential, at least for a moderate degree of virulence; that in vitro production of extracellular proteases is not a requisite of virulent strains; that presence of protease and haemolysin in ECP can be correlated with the development of certain lesions and a rapid time to death but cannot be correlated with the lethal toxicity of the ECP. The authors conclude that an as-yet unrecognized component of ECP is responsible for killing fish.     

Histopathology, electron microscopy and isolation of channel catfish virus in experimentally infected European catfish, Silurus glanis L.

Abstract Two groups of European catfish, Silurus glanis L., fingerlings were infected with channel catfish virus (CCV) by either intraperitoneal injection with 10⁵ TCID₅₀ of CCV, or bathing in water containing 10⁵ TCID₅₀ of CCV per 1·0 ml. The virus was isolated from spleen, intestine and brain of CCV-injected fish at day 1 and the titres ranged from 10^2·1 to 10^3·3 TCID₅₀/g. However, the tissue distribution of CCV was irregular and no virus was isolated after day 3 post-exposure. In CCV-bathed fish, the virus was isolated only from the liver of one specimen at day 3 post-exposure. No clinical signs of CCV disease developed in any of the fish. Specimens in each regime from all sampling periods showed some minor histopathological changes, but there were no differences between treatments. Lesions included oedema and focal haemorrhage in the liver and the spleen was congested. Electron micrographs of tissue samples showed the presence of a few virus particles around the nuclei of kidney, spleen and intestinal cells, and in or around a myelinated nerve within the optic lobes of infected fish during the first 4 days of infection.     

Effects of the probiotic, Lactobacillus acidophilus, on the growth performance, haematology parameters and immunoglobulin concentration in African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus, Burchell 1822) fingerling

This experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of the probiotic, Lactobacillus acidophilus , on the growth performance, haematology parameters and immunoglobulin concentration in African catfish Clarias gariepinus fingerling. Two experimental diets were formulated to contain 35 g kg⁻¹ crude protein and 10 g kg⁻¹ lipids accordingly and fed three times daily for 12 weeks to 25 C. gariepinus fingerlings per fibreglass tank in 12 replicates each. The control diet was prepared with no probiotic supplementation whereas the second diet was prepared supplemented with a probiotic, L. acidophilus , containing about 3.01 × 10⁷ colonies/g of diet. The results show that growth performance [specific growth rate (SGR) and relative growth rate (RGR)], nutrient utilization [protein efficiency ratio (PER) and feed conversion ratio (FCR)] and survival were significantly ( P <0.05) higher in fish maintained on the probiotic-supplemented diet compared with those on the control diet. Haematology parameters (packed cell volume, haemoglobin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, red blood cell and white blood cell, total serum protein, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl⁻, glucose and cholesterol) and total immunoglobulin concentrations were also significantly better in fish fed the probiotic-supplemented diet than in the control. Although the water quality parameters monitored were better in the fish fed the probiotic-supplemented diet than in the control, the parameters were not significantly different ( P >0.05). From the results of this experiment, we conclude that L. acidophilus can be used as a probiotic agent in African catfish culture, to enhance fish health, survival and better feed efficiency and growth performance.     

Effects of digestible protein levels in isonitrogenous diets on growth performance and tissue composition of juvenile Atractoscion nobilis

A study was undertaken to estimate the effects of isonitrogenous diets (ca. 604 g kg⁻¹ crude protein) containing formaldehyde-treated (FT) fish meal and graded levels of digestible protein (DP) (541, 491, 372, 347 and 247 g kg⁻¹) on growth performance and tissue composition of juveniles white seabass. Five diets were formulated to contain increasing levels of FT fish meal (from 0 to 384 g kg⁻¹) and decreasing levels of non-treated fish meal (from 480 to 96 g kg⁻¹). Each dietary treatment was fed in triplicate to apparent satiation to groups of 25 fish for 50 days. Significantly higher growth performance and feed conversion ratio were obtained in fish-fed diets containing 491 or 541 g kg⁻¹ DP, compared with all other treatments. Apparent digestibility coefficient of protein in the diets was not significantly affected by the inclusion of treated fish meal in the diets. Estimation of protein requirements using a broken-line regression analysis indicated that maximum weight gain would be obtained with a diet containing 503 ± 23 g kg⁻¹ DP. The results from this study suggest that a single-diet formulation using protein treated with formaldehyde as filler might be useful to estimate the requirement of DP for fish.     

Continuous exposure to infectious pancreatic necrosis virus during early life stages of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum)

Rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), were exposed continuously to infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) at 0, 10¹, 10³ or 10⁵ plaque forming units (pfu) L⁻¹ of water to estimate the effects of chronic IPNV exposure on early life stages. Fish density averaged 35 fish L⁻¹ (low density) or 140 fish L⁻¹ (high density), and the tank flow rate was 250 mL⁻¹ min. Virus exposure began at 6 days before hatch and continued until fish were 44 days old. Cumulative per cent mortality, analysis of survival and hazard functions, and discrete-time event analysis were used to explore the patterns of survival and mortality. In eggs and fish exposed to IPNV, mortality significantly greater than in the 0 pfu L⁻¹ exposure did not occur until IPNV concentration was 10⁵ pfu L⁻¹ at low fish density and 10³ pfu IPNV L⁻¹ at high fish density. These results suggest that in the natural aquatic environment, where rainbow trout densities are likely to be considerably lower than in this study, mortality resulting from infection with IPNV will very likely not occur when ambient concentrations of virus are ≤10³ pfu IPNV L⁻¹. In aquaculture rearing units, trout density is likely to be as high or higher than the densities used in this study. Therefore, continuous inputs of virus at concentrations greater than 10¹ pfu L⁻¹ may result in IPN epidemics in aquaculture facilities.     

Growth and digestibility effects of soya lecithin and choline chloride on juvenile Atlantic salmon

Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., fingerlings with a mean weight of 1.5 g were fed one of four casein-gelatine-based purified diets supplemented with soya lecithin (LC) and choline chloride (CH) for 84 days. The diets were supplemented with either: 0 g kg⁻¹ CH and 0 g kg⁻¹ LC, 0 g kg⁻¹ CH and 30 g kg⁻¹ LC, or 5 g kg⁻¹ CH and 0 g kg⁻¹ LC, or 5 g kg⁻¹ CH and 30 g kg⁻¹ LC. The same diets were also fed to 100-g salmon to assess the effects of LC and CH supplementation on digestibility. Fingerlings fed the diet with neither LC nor CH (0 g kg⁻¹ LC and 0 g kg⁻¹ CH) grew at a significantly slower rate than fish fed the supplemented diets. There were significant effects on growth of supplementation of both LC and CH. The results indicate that the choline requirement of Atlantic salmon fingerlings is satisfied by 4 g kg⁻¹ inclusion in a gelatine-casein-based diet, and that dietary soya lecithin can fully replace choline chloride. The digestibility study with the larger fish indicated a beneficial effect of lecithin on the digestibility of both protein and energy.