Color vision, spectral sensitivity, accommodation, and visual acuity in juvenile masu salmon Oncorhynchus masou masou

ABSTRACT:   Color vision, spectral sensitivity, accommodation, and visual acuity were examined in juvenile masu salmon Oncorhynchus masou masou to obtain fundamental information about the visual system. Two types of S-potentials were recorded from 415 horizontal cells in isolated retinas from 34 cultured freshwater masu salmon (114–219 mm standard length, SL). Although horizontal cells recording S-potentials were not identified, the horizontal cells were confirmed because their responses were maintained while the stimulus remained. The variety of chromaticity (C)-type S-potentials indicated well-developed color vision. The analysis of the luminosity (L)-type S-potentials indicated that the peak spectral sensitivity was at 522 nm. S-potentials were also recorded in response to ultraviolet light. The direction and extent of lens movement induced by electrical stimulation was measured in 12 cultured masu salmon (99.0–142.5 mm SL). The results indicated that the visual axis was upward and forward, and that the range of accommodation was from 0.79 × SL in front of the eye to infinity. In histological analysis of the retinas of five wild smolts (100–118 mm SL), the maximum cone densities (276–345 cones/0.01 mm²) were detected in the ventral to temporal regions. The visual acuities assessed by histological methods were 0.069–0.075.     

大口黑鲈北方亚种和佛罗里达亚种及其杂交子代的遗传分析

用18对微卫星引物对大口黑鲈北方亚种(Micropterus salmoides salmoides,N)、佛罗里达亚种(M.salmoides floridanus,F)及其正交子代(N♀×F♂)和反交子代(F♀×N♂)进行遗传多样性和遗传结构分析。结果表明,18对引物扩增出的等位基因数为2~8个,平均等位基因数为5.0。检测到6对(Jzl48、Jzl68、Jzl84、MiSaTPW76、Msal21、Mdo6和Mdo7)亚种间特异性引物,其中有2对引物(Jzl48和Mdo7)可以用来鉴别大口黑鲈北方亚种、佛罗里达亚种和其杂交子代。平均有效等位基因数、平均期望杂合度和平均多态信息含量均为杂交组合F♀×N♂最高,分别为3.199 7,0.638 9和0.570 6,平均观测杂合度为杂交组合N♀×F♂最高(0.848 8)。对亲代与杂交子代间的遗传分化分析表明,正反交子代均与北方亚种的遗传分化最小(0.092和0.119 6)。基于Nei’s遗传距离构建的UPGMA系统进化树显示正交子代N♀×F♂与母本N聚为一支,反交子代F♀×N♂与父本N聚为一支。     

Visual acuity and spectral sensitivity of Jacopever Sebastes schlegeli

Understanding the behavior of Jacopever Sebastes schlegeli to visual stimulation is important and requires determination of visual sensitivity through the use of effective stimulation. In the present study, we measured the visual acuity, visual accommodation and spectral sensitivity of Jacopever. Visual acuity was calculated from the maximum cone density in the retina. In five specimens, the total length ranged from 17.6 to 24.5 cm and the calculated minimum resolving angles and visual acuities were 9.5–10.7 min and 0.09–0.11, respectively. Measurement of lens movement for visual accommodation indicated a mean distance and direction of movement of 0.31 mm and 16.0° in an upward and forward direction, respectively. The direction of accommodation and visual axis measured from the retinal area of maximum cone density were almost identical. The calculated focal distance was 0.74-fold the total length in the nearest point to infinity. We also determined the spectral sensitivity electrophysiologically by recording S-potentials from 45 specimens of total length of 15.4–47.5 cm. The S-potentials were recorded from 300 horizontal cells in the retina. All responses showed a similar spectral pattern, consisting of hyperpolarization in response to various wavelengths of stimulating light; the maximum amplitude of the response was recorded at 522 nm.     

Comparison of visual acuity and visual axis of three flatfish species with different ecotypes

ABSTRACT:   The visual acuity, visual axis and visual accommodation of pointhead flounder, slime flounder, and red halibut were determined to obtain basic knowledge for developing appropriate fishing gear and fishing methods for sustainable fisheries. Each of these species has a different ecotype in terms of habitat, depth and prey species. Thus, it was hypothesized that they may differ in terms of visual acuity, visual axis and visual accommodation. Few studies have compared these characters in flatfishes from different ecotypes. We used histological methods to determine visual acuity (i.e. cone cell density) and visual axis (i.e. cone cell distribution) in each of these species. The maximum visual acuity was 0.127 in pointhead flounder (total length, TL 344 mm), 0.092 in slime flounder (TL 372 mm) and 0.109 in red halibut (TL 336 mm). Based on the cone cell distribution in the retina, the visual axis was upward and forward in pointhead flounder, forward and downward in slime flounder, and downward in red halibut. Finally, the mean angle of lens movement was −2° in pointhead flounder, −13° in slime flounder and −32° in red halibut. This measurement of lens movement indicated that the average near-point distance was 0.87 × TL in pointhead flounder, 0.65 × TL in slime flounder and 1.02 × TL in red halibut. At similar TL (336–355 mm), the visual acuity of these species differs depending on the direction in which they are looking.     

Persistence of Florida largemouth bass alleles in a northern Arkansas population of largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides Lacèpéde

Abstract– Lake Ashbaugh, located in northeast Arkansas, was constructed in 1981, and initially stocked with Florida largemouth bass followed by supplemental stockings of northern largemouth bass. Allele frequencies of three discriminant allozyme loci (sAAT-B, sIDH-B, sMDH-B) between Florida and northern largemouth bass were determined for 414 largemouth bass collected between 1994 and 1996. F_x bass dominated our sample, with 62.3% possessing Florida largemouth bass alleles. A high incidence of Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium was observed, indicative of genetic change within the population. No significant differences were identified for frequency of age classes, relative weight, and length at age between the northern, F₁ and F_x phenotypes. Despite being located north of what is generally considered suitable for stocking Florida largemouth bass, it was demonstrated that temperature is not selective at present against bass possessing Florida largemouth bass alleles. However, caution should prevail when introducing non-native stock into native gene complexes, as introduced genes persist through many generations.     

Visual acuity and spectral sensitivity of the elkhorn sculpin <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alcichthys alcicornis</Emphasis>

ABSTRACT:   In this study, the visual acuity, visual accommodation, and spectral sensitivity of the elkhorn sculpin were determined. The elkhorn sculpin Alcichthys alcicornis is a typical groundfish that has conspicuously large eyes. They are caught by bottom gillnets, trawl nets, bottom line angling, and other fishing methods. Although fish behavior arising from visual stimuli is important in these fishing methods, there is little information available regarding the visual sensitivity of the elkhorn sculpin . Three specimens, with total lengths of 300–310 mm, were studied. Visual acuity was calculated, from the maximum cone density in the retina, to be between 0.10 and 0.14. The minimum separable angles were calculated to be 7.14–10.37 min. Measurement of lens movement in five specimens indicated that the near-point distance was between 0.87 and 1.53 times the total length. Lens direction was estimated to be 11–22° in the downward visual axis. Spectral sensitivity was also determined electrophysiologically by recording S-potentials. Three types of response were obtained from 21 specimens, including L responses that showed hyperpolarization at all wavelengths of stimulating light, and two C responses that showed wavelength-dependent hyperpolarization and depolarization. Based on these results, the elkhorn sculpin has color vision and its sensitivity is most acute in light with a wavelength of 554 nm.     

Evaluation of alternative pond production systems for raising largemouth bass,Micropterus salmoides

This study evaluated three different pond‐based production systems for raising largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, for the food fish market, using nine 0.04‐ha ponds. Treatments included traditional ponds (TP), intensively aerated ponds (IAP), and split‐pond systems (SPS). TP and SPS ponds were aerated at 9.3 kW/ha, while IAP was aerated at 18.6 kW/ha. TP was stocked at 7,500 fish per ha (three replicates per treatment), and the other two production systems (SPS, IAP) were stocked with 12,500 fish per ha. Feed‐habituated advanced fingerlings (128 ± 47.6 g mean individual weight) were cultured for 157 days. Fish were fed a formulated diet (42% protein, 16% lipid) four times a day, feeding with a maximum allowance of 3% of total body weight and readjusted to the initial body weight biweekly. Fish raised in the SPS displayed a significantly lower specific growth rate, lower individual final weight, and lower weight gain, but the biomass gained was significantly higher than TP but not IAP. Final biomass gained was 50% higher in the SPS and IAP than in the TP. Survival rate and feed conversion ratio were not significantly different among treatments and ranged from 71 to 79% and 1.64 to 2.14, respectively.     

Effects of season, maturity, and sex on lipid class dynamics in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides Lacepede)

Abstract Factors that can influence changes in lipid class concentrations in specific tissues have not been reported for largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides. We investigated patterns of lipid composition by measuring seasonal levels of total lipid and major lipid classes in the muscle and liver tissues of juvenile and adult largemouth bass and gonad tissue of adults. Fish were collected in December, February, April and July to correspond with key stages of the sexual cycle. Total lipid concentrations were substantially greater in hepatic (32.8 [female] to 56.6 [male] mg. g^?1) and gonadal tissues (34.4 [F] to 204.0 [M] mg. g^?1) than in muscle (7. 5 [F] to 11.4 [M] mg. g^?1). Muscle lipid concentrations in juveniles were significantly higher (10.9 [F] and 11.4 [M] mg. g^?1) in summer than in winter in adult muscle tissue (8.6 [F] and 9.4 [MI mg. g^?1). A 44% increase in ovary lipid was observed from preparatory to prespawn stages, followed by a 78% decline after the spawn. Additionally, seasonal hepatic lipid concentrations were substantially higher in juveniles. Concentrations of lipid classes (free cholesterol [C], triacylglycerol [TAG], free-fatty acids [FFA], esterified cholesterol [CE] and phospholipid [PL]) of all tissue types varied significantly among season, sex, and maturity categories. Changes with all lipid classes in the ovary coincided with those occurring in total ovarian lipid. Mobilization and transport of TAG and PL from the liver to the ovary appeared to occur during gametogenesis. All class concentrations in juveniles were invariably higher in liver than in muscle, but seasonally variable among hepatic and gonad tissues of adults. Juvenile males showed slightly greater hepatic C concentrations than other groups. Muscle and hepatic C were generally higher in juveniles.     

Diet of the largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides (Lacepède), in Lake Naivasha, Kenya

Abstract The major food items of adult largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides (Lacepède), in Lake Naivasha, Kenya are not markedly different from those in its native range. Although insects and their larvae are major components of the diet for both temperate and equatorial populations of juvenile bass, the equatorial population also eats Procambarus clarkii (Girard), juvenile fish and aquatic weeds. In temperate populations they also eat crustaceans, rotifers and oligochaetes. The frequency of occurrence of the major prey organisms in the stomachs of M. salmoides varies seasonally with population peaks in these organisms. Similar to North American populations, the Naivasha population feeds during the day between dawn and dusk. In contrast to temperate populations, the population of M. salmoides in this equatorial lake feeds throughout the year, with feeding intensity correlated with water temperature.