Trophic pathways supporting Arctic grayling in a small stream on the Arctic Coastal Plain,Alaska

Beaded streams are prominent across the Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) of Alaska, yet prey flow and food web dynamics supporting fish inhabiting these streams are poorly understood. Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) are a widely distributed upper‐level consumer on the ACP and migrate into beaded streams to forage during the short 3‐month open‐water season. We investigated energy pathways and key prey resources that support grayling in a representative beaded stream, Crea Creek. We measured terrestrial invertebrates entering the stream from predominant riparian vegetation types, prey types supporting a range of fish size classes, and how riparian plants and fish size influenced foraging habits. We found that riparian plants influenced the quantity of terrestrial invertebrates entering Crea Creek; however, these differences were not reflected in fish diets. Prey type and size ingested varied with grayling size and season. Small grayling (<15 cm fork length (FL)) consumed mostly aquatic invertebrates early in the summer, and terrestrial invertebrates later in summer, while larger fish (>15 cm FL) foraged most heavily on ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) throughout the summer, indicating that grayling can be insectivorous and piscivorous, depending on size. These findings underscore the potential importance of small streams in Arctic ecosystems as key summer foraging habitats for fish. Understanding trophic pathways supporting stream fishes in these systems will help interpret whether and how petroleum development and climate change may affect energy flow and stream productivity, terrestrial–aquatic linkages and fishes in Arctic ecosystems.     

Maximum handling size,prey size and type selection by snakehead (Channa argus) feeding on juvenile Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis)

Laboratory predation trials were conducted to investigate maximum handling size, prey size and type selection by small (35–37 cm in total length, L_T), medium (43–46 cm L_T) and larger (58–60 cm L_T) snakehead (Channa argus) when feeding on a wide size (9–34 mm in carapace width, C_W) range of juvenile Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis). The maximum handling size of predator feeding on crabs monotonically increased with predator L_T and mouth gape width, G_W. Snakehead with at least 16.0 cm L_T or 27.7 mm G_W would be capability to consume the smallest size group of crabs, whereas the predator with 72.6 cm L_T or 63.4 mm G_W would be capability to consume all size groups of crabs in these trails. Prey‐size selection trials showed that snakehead has a high preference to the small‐sized crabs, and lower preference to the medium or large size crabs. The preference index was significantly affected by prey size and prey size × predator size interaction, however, was not affected by predator size. In prey type experiments, snakehead consumed lower proportions of juvenile crabs when fed on the crab and crucian carp than when fed on only the crab, which suggests alternative fish prey may reduce predation risk of the crab by snakehead in nature. These results could be useful for improving the fishery management and release strategies for the crab.     

Population dynamics and fishery benefits of a large legal size of a pelagic sportfish,the Talang queenfish,Scomberoides commersonnianus,in northern Australia

The life history of an increasingly important pelagic commercial and sport fish, the Talang queenfish, Scomberoides commersonnianus, was studied in northern Australia to investigate the stock status and assess current management of the species using minimum legal lengths (MLL). Estimated von Bertalanffy growth parameters were L_∞ = 1404 mm FL, K = 0.10 year⁻¹ and t₀ = −1.21 year⁻¹. There was no significant difference in growth between sexes. Ages ranged from 1 to 11 years with age composition differing between the commercial (mainly 6–7 years) and sport fishery (mainly 2–4 years). Females matured (L₅₀) at 635 mm FL and 4–5 years. Spawning occurred between August and March when mature females were estimated to produce 259,488–2,859,935 eggs per spawning. Natural mortality (M) was estimated as 0.16–0.26 year⁻¹, while the combined fishing mortality (F_current) from commercial and sport fisheries was 0.38–0.48 year⁻¹. Yield-per-recruit analyses revealed that under current MLL limits (no MLL or 45 cm TL) and natural mortality (M = 0.16, 0.2 and 0.26 year⁻¹), F_current exceeded the reference points F_max (0.15–0.22 year⁻¹) and F_0.1 (0.10–0.15 year⁻¹), suggesting the stock may be growth overfished if the current situation remains unchanged. Although a stock–recruitment relationship is unknown, spawning stock biomass-per-recruit analysis indicates the stock may also be recruitment overfished since F_current exceeded the reference points F_25% (0.19–0.24 year⁻¹) and F_40% (0.11–0.15 year⁻¹). Increasing the MLL corresponding to L₅₀ of females (70 cm TL) will greatly improve the yield and long-term sustainability of the stock, and also enhance the sport fishery by increasing the number of larger trophy fish.     

Age determination and growth of Pacific bluefin tuna, Thunnus orientalis, off Japan and Taiwan

Age determination of wild captured Pacific bluefin tuna, Thunnus orientalis, was conducted using sagittal otoliths of 806 specimens (47–260 cm in fork length) caught in the waters off Japan and Taiwan. Otoliths were transversely sectioned and the opaque and translucent zones were analyzed. Opaque zones mainly appeared on the otolith edge from April to July, indicating that the opaque zone is formed annually. The opaque zones formed during later life (age 10+) were more distinct than the earlier zones. The estimated ages of specimens ranged from 1 to 26 years. Parameters of the von Bertalanffy growth function were estimated to be 249.6 cm, 0.173, and −0.254 years for L_∞, k, and t₀, respectively. Growth of younger fish was rapid up to 5 years old attaining about 150 cm, and then growth rate decreased. After that, fish attained about 200 cm at 9 years old and about 225 cm (90% of L_∞) at 13 years old (50% of maximum age). This paper updates the biological information on length at age with a large size range to support stock assessment model analyses for this commercially valuable species.     

Assessment of the fate and effect of ivermectin in a simulated aquaculture ecosystem

As a potent anti‐parasitic agent, ivermectin (IVM) has been commonly used by the aquaculture industry. In this study, the environmental fate and effects of IVM in a simulated aquaculture ecosystem were evaluated. The simulated ecosystem was composed of water, sediment, aquatic plants, invertebrates and fish. According to the new fishery drugs manual, IVM was introduced into the water at a final concentration of 1.6 × 10^–4 mg·L^–1. The samples, including the roots and leaves of aquatic plants, the visceral mass and muscle of fish, the soft tissue of mud snails, sediment and water were collected at 0.5 hr, 1, 7, 15, 30, 45, 60 and 70 days after the treatment. Our results indicated that IVM was distributed quickly and widely into the whole ecosystem and accumulated to high levels in organisms resulting in residues that persisted for a long time. The IVM concentration in the sediment increased continuously and reached a peak (2.896 ng·g^–1) at 30 days. Moreover, the concentration of IVM in the water declined from 0.5 hr to 1 day and then increased to a peak of 0.130 ng·mL^–1 at 7 days. The IVM concentrations in the fish reached a peak in muscle (192.10 ng·g^–1) and visceral mass (259.82 ng·g^–1) at 7 days. IVM was quickly accumulated by the aquatic plants, and it was found at higher levels in the leaves than in the roots. The IVM concentration in the mud snails reached its peak with a value of 24.750 ng·g^–1 at 7 days and then decreased quickly at 15 days. It was notable that a second peak of IVM accumulated in the fish and aquatic plants after 30 days. The aquaculture ecosystem simulated in this study was feasible and effective and could be applied to assess the fate of IVM in aquatic environments.     

A comparative study of three different methods for assessing fish communities in a small eutrophic lake

Sound decisions on the management of fish stocks depend on knowledge about the species composition, number, biomass and size structure of existing populations. Accordingly, the ability to make solid population estimates is essential. In this study, a 2.15 ha lake was completely drained and the total number of fish was recorded and amounted to 180,915 individuals divided into seven species having a total weight of 1,395 kg. Before the draining, three commonly used methods in fish surveys were applied: multi‐mesh gillnets, point abundance sampling by electrofishing (PASE) and mark–recapture. Following the determination of the actual number and size distribution of each species, we evaluated the efficiency of the methods and found that gillnets caught a relatively high number of species (five out of seven) and thus proved to be the best tool for mapping species richness. However, gillnets were size selective towards larger individuals of perch (Perca fluviatilis) and did not catch roach (Rutilus rutilus) <5 cm. In contrast to gillnets, PASE was very effective at catching YOY fish in the shore zone but selected for larger‐sized roach. In sum, gillnetting proved to be the most accurate method for estimating species composition, PASE also being useful. Overall, mark–recapture provided relatively good estimates of population size but small‐sized (<11 cm) roach proved not to be well suited for mark–recapture surveys. We conclude that the best method(s) surveying fish stocks depends on various factors such as target species, size distribution and the purpose of the survey.     

Water level influences migratory patterns of anadromous brown trout in small streams

Habitats modify the population ecology of species. Here, we show how low water level influences abundance and size of adult anadromous brown trout (Salmo trutta) entering a small, South Norwegian stream for spawning. After smolting, the fish appear chiefly to feed within 10 km of the home stream. In the autumn, South Norwegian streams typically flood because of heavy rainfall, when the anadromous brown trout entered from the sea. Mean annual duration of the upstream migration period was 34 days and ended when the flooding ended and the water temperature dropped to below 4°C. During most of the migration period, on average two trout ascended the river per day. The sexes entered the spawning area concurrently, and the male:female ratio of the anadromous trout was 1.27. No fish entered when the water depth just downstream of the spawning area was below 5 cm, and mean number of fish increased with increasing water depth to ca. 30 cm, but not at higher flows when the ascent gradually decreased. Mean and maximum size of the entering spawners increased with water depth between 5 and 16 cm. Among those that had been to sea, most were recaptured in the home stream, 4% in other streams, but only two of the strays were caught close to spawning time. The present results illustrate that population traits of anadromous brown trout from a small stream differ from those in larger rivers, probably because of selection associated with water flow.     

Evaluation of four models for estimating the population size of largemouth bass in an experimental pond

The utility of four commonly used models for estimating population size in teleosts was tested. Sixty-five individually marked largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, were introduced into a concrete pond. Fishing surveys were conducted every 2 days for a period of 19 days. The collected data were then used to estimate the population size under a variety of conditions using the following models: mark/recapture (Petersen method), DeLury (first model), and two models of the software program Capture. Comparison of the actual population size with population estimates obtained using the mark/recapture method showed that the percentage of absolute error was <30% in all cases in which the number of fish caught and marked in the first survey was >30% of the population. Using the DeLury method and Model 1 of Capture, the population estimates were biased toward underestimation, but the error was <30% when the number of fish caught in all surveys was >70%. In contrast, in Model 2 of Capture, the error was relatively small when the percentage of fish caught in all surveys was <70%. These conditions for minimizing errors should be taken into account by fisheries managers when estimating the population size of largemouth bass.     

Prediction of cannibalism in juvenile black rockfish,Sebastes schlegelii (Hilgendorf, 1880), based on morphometric characteristics and paired trials

To predict the occurrence of cannibalism in the culture of larval black rockfish, Sebastes schlegelii, we developed a regression model based on morphometric measurements. First, 156 black rockfish were measured to obtain a theoretical model, that is L_{T prey} = 0.624 L_{T cannibal} + 0.835. Then, 202 trials of paired fish, together with 31 pairs of cannibalistic fish, were used to revise this model, and the practical model was constructed: L_{T prey} = 0.522 L_T cannibal + 4.908 (R² = 0.99). According to this equation, the threshold of size ratio was deduced, that is 1.30–1.69, which could be used to grade black rockfish by size and remove potential cannibals.     

The obvious heterosis and genetic characters of intergeneric cross and backcross juveniles between blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala) and topmouth culter (Culter alburnus)

In this study, we used artificial insemination to generate hybrid groups of fish [MC‐F₁(MA♀×CA♂) and MC‐F₂(MC‐F₁♀×♂)] by intergeneric crosses of Megalobrama amblycephala (MA) and Culter alburnus (CA); sequential backcrosses [CAM‐B₁ (CA♀×MC‐F₁♂) and MCC‐B₁ (MC‐F₁♀×CA♂)] were also performed. All these hybrids showed high rates of fertilization, hatching and survival (p > 0.05). For genetic traits, compared with those of the M. amblycephala and C. alburnus parental lines (Table 1), the fertilization rate, hatching rate and 7‐day survival rate of MC‐F1(MA♀×CA♂), MC‐F2(MC‐F1♀×♂), CAM‐B1 (CA♀×MC‐F1♂) and MCC‐B1 (MC‐F1♀×CA♂) by artificial insemination exhibited similar high rates (p > 0.05). The morphology of the four hybrids MC‐F₁/F_2, CAM‐B₁ and MCC‐B₁ were intermediate between those of their parents. Compared with their parents of MA and CA, weight gain rate (WG), specific growth rate (SGR) and protein efficiency ratio (PER) of hybrids MC‐F₁/F₂, CAM‐B₁ and MCC‐B₁ were significantly (p < 0.05) increased and feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly (p < 0.05) decreased after 3 months feeding. Moreover, protein content of muscle for MC‐F₁/F₂, CAM‐B₁ and MCC‐B₁ was significantly (p < 0.05) higher and carbohydrate content of muscle was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than their parents. The females and males of the four hybrids had normal gonadal development. In this study, we successfully generated intergeneric and backcross hybridization lines with fertile potential among fish of the Cultrinae subfamily and these hybrids had obvious heterosis in terms of growth performance, feed utilization and muscle quality.     

A metabolic approach to understanding adaptation to sea water by endangered Persian sturgeon,Acipenser persicus fingerlings

In this study, metabolic responses of Persian sturgeon fingerlings to hyperosmotic condition were investigated by NMR‐based metabolomics. Persian sturgeon fingerlings (n = 2010, mean total weight: 3.2 ± 0.6 g; mean total length: 8.5 ± 1.5 cm) were held in freshwater (FW) for 96 hr and then acclimated in brackish water (BW) (12 g/L) for 24 hr. Blood samples were taken before and after salinity acclimation. The major metabolite changes corresponding to salinity acclimation were related to amino acids, osmolytes and energy metabolites. The plasma glucose levels increased significantly after 24 hr acclimation in BW (p < .05). Other energetic metabolites (acetate, acetoacetate, beta‐hydroxybutyrate, phosphocreatine, creatine, glycerol) showed no significant changes after 24 hr salinity challenge (p > .05). The osmolytes (taurine, trimethylamine‐N‐oxide, choline, N,N‐dimethylglycine) and amino acids (aspartate, glutamate, glutamine, leucine, phenylalanine, β‐alanine, histidine, threonine, cysteine) declined significantly after 24 hr acclimation in BW (p < .05). However, the levels of glycine elevated after 24 hr acclimation in BW (p < .05). Other amino acids including aspargine, isoluecine, Tyrosine, Tryptophan, Valine, and Lysine showed no significant changes after salinity challenge (p > .05). The considerable decreases in almost all plasma amino acids and all osmolytes showed specific importance of these metabolites in osmotic adaptation of fish in BW. Also, it seems that Persian sturgeon fingerlings rely more on oxidation of glucose to meet energetic requirements of osmoregulation than oxidation of lipids, as we observed no detectable changes in metabolites associated with lipid oxidation during osmotic acclimation in BW. Our results may help to understand osmoregulation in a chondrostei fish species from a metabolic approach.     

How “The Blob” affected groundfish distributions in the Gulf of Alaska

We investigated the distributional shifts of groundfish in response to anomalous ocean conditions, particularly the recent anomalously warm period (2014–2016; “The Blob”), based on data from ten Gulf of Alaska bottom trawl surveys conducted by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center during 1996–2015. Six groundfish species were considered: Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus), arrowtooth flounder (Atheresthes stomias), walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus), Pacific ocean perch (Sebastes alutus), northern rock sole (Lepidopsetta polyxystra), and southern rock sole (Lepidopsetta bilineata). Ontogenetic differences were examined by dividing data for each fish species into size classes. Our study demonstrated that after accounting for size‐specific depth preferences, the spatial responses of groundfish to anomalous ocean conditions differed by species and foraging guild in the central Gulf of Alaska. Pacific cod and arrowtooth flounder showed similar responses to ocean warming, but different responses to cooling. In general, Pacific cod moved to deeper depths in warmer years and moved to shallower depths in colder years. Arrowtooth flounder also moved deeper in warmer years. However, in colder years, large arrowtooth flounder (>40 cm) shifted toward shallower depths while smaller‐sized fish shifted toward deeper depths. In warmer years, large pollock (>30 cm) moved to deeper waters while smaller pollock (10–20 cm) moved to shallower waters. Pacific ocean perch exhibited an opposite response to thermal changes in habitat compared with Pacific cod and arrowtooth flounder. They moved deeper in colder years, but there was no clear change in depth as a function of size in response to warmer habitat.     

Trait‐related variation in the reproductive characteristics of female pikeperch (Sander lucioperca)

Maternal characteristics typically affect the recruitment of an exploited fish population. The size and age at maturity, as well as the effects of maternal traits on relative fecundity and egg dry weight, were studied in six exploited pikeperch populations in Finnish lakes. The among‐lake variation in the maternal characteristics was substantial. The estimated total length at maturity (L₁₀, L₅₀, L₉₀) varied between 318–444, 403–423 and 444–527 mm, respectively, largely depending on the average growth rate and body condition of pikeperch. The estimated L₅₀ was generally close to the recently imposed national minimum size limit (42 cm). The estimated age at maturity (A₅₀) ranged from 4.2 to 6.9 year. Both relative fecundity and egg dry weight significantly increased with female size and age, indicating size‐ and age‐dependent maternal effects on egg characteristics and quantity, and emphasising the importance of large individuals for reproduction. The observed among‐population differences in the size‐dependent maternal influences highlight the need for stock‐specific management of pikeperch fisheries. The conservation of large females should be promoted to increase recruitment and reduce its variability.     

Age,growth, maturity and the overfishing of the iconic sciaenid,Argyrosomus japonicus,in south-eastern,Australia

Mulloway (Argyrosomus japonicus) occur in estuarine and coastal waters surrounding Australia, Africa, India, Pakistan, China, Korea and Japan, where they are important in fisheries. This study identified that mulloway in south-eastern Australia had similar growth rates, but matured at smaller lengths and younger ages, to those in South Africa and Western Australia. Growth of both sexes was similar to about 5 years, after which females grew faster and attained a greater maximum length than males. Female mulloway matured at 4–5 years of age with a L₅₀ of 68 cm, whereas males matured at 2–3 years of age with a L₅₀ of 51 cm. The commercial fishery in New South Wales was characterised by declining catches and a reduction in the proportion of mulloway of mature lengths in landings. During 2002–2005 commercial landings were dominated (83%) by fish within 15 cm of the current minimum legal total length of 45 cm and aged 2 and 3 years (>80%), even though mulloway can attain lengths of 200 cm and live >30 years. Estimates of the rates of instantaneous total mortality ranged between 0.34 and 0.45, whilst the rate of instantaneous natural mortality (M) was estimated to be approximately 0.12. Yield-per-recruit analyses indicated that mulloway in New South Wales are being growth overfished and substantial increases in yield could be achieved by increasing the length at first harvest. Values of the spawning potential ratio were below 0.2 under a range of mortality estimates, suggesting that mulloway are at risk of recruitment overfishing. These results suggest that the spawning stock of mulloway in south-eastern Australia has been depleted and that remedial management action is required to protect this iconic species.     

Instream cover and shade mediate avian predation on trout in semi‐natural streams

Piscivory by birds can be significant, particularly on fish in small streams and during seasonal low flow when available cover from predators can be limited. Yet, how varying amounts of cover may change the extent of predation mortality from avian predators on fish is not clear. We evaluated size‐selective survival of coastal cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii) in replicated semi‐natural stream sections. These sections provided high (0.01 m² of cover per m² of stream) or low (0.002 m² of cover per m² of stream) levels of instream cover available to trout and were closed to emigration. Each fish was individually tagged, allowing us to track retention of individuals during the course of the 36‐day experiment, which we attributed to survival from predators, because fish had no other way to leave the streams. Although other avian predators may have been active in our system and not detected, the only predator observed was the belted kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon, which is known to prey heavily on fish. In both treatments, trout >20.4 cm were not preyed upon indicating an increased ability to prey upon on smaller individuals. Increased availability of cover improved survival of trout by 12% in high relative to low cover stream sections. Trout also survived better in stream sections with greater shade, a factor we could not control in our system. Collectively, these findings indicate that instream cover and shade from avian predators can play an important role in driving survival of fish in small streams or during periods of low flow.     

Effect of short‐term fasting and re‐feeding on growth,digestive enzyme activities and antioxidant defence in yellowfin seabream,Acanthopagrus latus (Houttuyn, 1782)

An 80‐day feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the influence of different short‐term fasting and re‐feeding strategies on growth and physiological responses in yellowfin seabream, Acanthopagrus latus (2.4 ± 0.2 g) fingerlings. The fish were subjected to four different feeding regimes, and the control group fed four times daily to apparent satiation throughout the whole feeding period, while the other three groups were deprived for 2, 4 and 8 days followed by 8, 16 or 32 days of re‐feeding (F₂R₈, F₄R₁₆ and F₈R₃₂, respectively) in repeated cycles for 80 days. The fish in the control and F₂R₈ groups had the highest and the lowest total length, respectively (p < .05). Moreover, fish exposed to F₄R₁₆ had the highest hepatosomatic indices, while control fish had the lowest hepatosomatic indices (p < .05). Fish in the F₂R₈ group relatively had higher catalase and glutathione‐S‐transferase activities than other groups (p < .05). Furthermore, total protease, α‐amylase and alkaline phosphatase activities in the F₄R₁₆ and F₈R₃₂ were higher than the F₂R₄ and control groups (p < .05). Overall, this study showed that compensatory growth in weight and length and digestive enzyme activities were observed in the F₄R₁₆ and F₈R₃₂; however, the increase in the activity of antioxidant enzymes in the F₈R₃₂ group indicated that oxidative stress remained after 80 days of re‐feeding in the liver.     

Underwater evaluation of habitat partitioning in a European river between a non‐native invader,the racer goby and a threatened native fish,the European bullhead

We conducted underwater surveys using SCUBA gear to examine habitat and microhabitat competition between the Ponto‐Caspian racer goby Babka gymnotrachelus and native European bullhead Cottus gobio to assess the potential for competitive displacement of the native species by the invading species. In summer, 88 surveys were made in a tributary of the River Vistula within defined benthic areas across the entire width of the river bed. The occurrence of fish by total length class (small: <6 cm; large: >6 cm) and environmental conditions (depth, water velocity, substratum type, plant cover, shelter type) was recorded. We found a substantial separation between the species and size classes in relation to substratum, shelter type and water velocity. European bullheads were limited to lotic areas with stony bottoms, whereas racer gobies also occupied lentic areas over sand or mud. European bullheads usually took refuge under stones in contrast to a wider range of shelters used by racer goby, including tree roots and rubbish. In general, the breadth of habitat used by the racer goby was wider than that of the European bullhead, although habitat overlap between the species was not statistically significant except for the type of shelter occupied by small fish, selecting smaller stones. An inverse relationship was observed between small European bullheads and all racer gobies in areas where they co‐occurred, suggesting that invader may be having an adverse effect on the distribution and habitat use of small native bullheads, particularly in areas of moderate water velocities over small stones and gravel.     

Pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin and its metabolite ciprofloxacin in healthy and Vibrio alginolyticus-infected large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea)

The present study was designed to explore pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin and its metabolite ciprofloxacin in healthy and Vibrio alginolyticus-infected large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) after a single 10 mg/kg oral dose. Concentrations of enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin in serum, liver, kidney, muscle and skin of fish were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. Pharmacokinetic parameters were analysed based on classical compartmental model analysis. The overall changes in enrofloxacin concentration–time curves in serum and tissues of diseased fish were similar to those of healthy fish. However, the peak concentration and peak time of enrofloxacin in serum and tissues were different in healthy and diseased fish. A delay of enrofloxacin peak time in serum and all tissues appeared in the diseased fish. The peak concentrations in serum and tissues of the diseased fish were lower than those of healthy fish. In healthy fish, the area under the concentration–time curve (AUC) was in the order serum >liver > kidney >muscle > skin, while AUC was serum >live > muscle >kidney > skin in the diseased fish. The peak concentrations of ciprofloxacin in the liver, serum, kidney, muscle and skin of healthy fish were 0.93 μg/g, 0.55 μg/ml, 0.36 μg/g, 0.37 μg/g and 0.12 μg/g respectively. T_max of ciprofloxacin in the corresponding tissues was 8, 24, 12, 12 and 16 h respectively. In the diseased fish, the peak concentrations of ciprofloxacin in the corresponding tissues were 0.52 μg/g, 0.52 μg/ml, 0.41 μg/g, 0.27 μg/g and 0.13 μg/g respectively. T_max in the corresponding tissues were 0.5, 8, 12, 16 and 48 h respectively. These data indicate that the health status of fish affects drug absorption and metabolism.     

Sexual dimorphism of fast muscle fibre recruitment in farmed Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus L.)

Commercially farmed Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) were reared at the Aga Marin's facility located on Dønna (Norway) under ambient environmental conditions in duplicate 15 × 15 × 8 m netpens (May 2004 to May 2005). Twenty fish were sampled five times over a twelve month production period during which time the average body weight increased from 1.26 to 2.08 kg (n = 100 fish). Body mass, fork length (L_F), and the number and size distributions of fast muscle fibres were determined in male and female fish. All males matured during the autumn whereas no maturation was observed in females. From the point of maturation females had superior growth performance to males and body mass and the total cross-sectional area of muscle were 1.4-fold (P < 0.05) and 1.3-fold higher (P < 0.01) respectively by May 2005. The total number of fast muscle fibres per trunk cross-section at 0.55 L_F was 24.5% higher in females (7.58 × 10⁵) than males (5.80 × 10⁵) prior to sexual maturation. In females, muscle fibre recruitment slowed with short days and low water temperatures (< 6.5 °C), but had increased to 1.01 × 10⁶ by May 2005 (P < 0.001). In contrast, there was no growth and no increase in muscle fibre number in males following the onset of maturation. The distribution of muscle fibre diameters prior to maturation in males was also significantly different between male and female fish matched for L_F. The results illustrate a sexual dimorphism of muscle fibre recruitment patterns in Atlantic halibut and highlight the adverse affects of sexual maturation in males on muscle growth.     

An assessment of catches of shore sport fishing competitions along the coast of the Maltese Islands: Implications for conservation and management

Competitive shore‐based sport fishing is a popular recreational activity in the Maltese Islands. However, prior to this study, no scientific research surveys had been carried out during sport fishing competitions to investigate catches. Collaboration with Maltese sports fishermen was developed to target sustainable management. Recreational fishing catches were recorded between July 2012 and December 2015 by means of 1,633 roving‐access creel surveys, conducted during 79 sport fishing competitions, totalling a fishing effort of 7,548 hr. A total of 29,916 fish belonging to 80 species from 26 different families were caught at a mean catch‐per‐unit‐effort (CPUE) of 4.16 fish angler/hr (SD ± 3.79) and 0.18 kg angler/hr (SD ± 0.17) but with seasonal variation. Catch‐and‐release practices were implemented by all Maltese sport fishing clubs, however, the mean mortality rate stood at 35.5% (SD ± 42.1), indicating that more effort is required to improve survival of fish. The study outcomes provide conservation recommendations.