Descriptions, development and pathogenicity of myxozoan (Myxozoa: Myxosporea) parasites of juvenile cyprinids (Pisces: Cyprinidae)

Approximately 5000 young of the year (0+) cyprinids comprising roach, chub, dace, minnow, bleak, bream, barbel and gudgeon were examined histologically for the presence of myxozoan infections. Thirteen myxozoans were identified to species, the majority being Myxobolus spp. In addition, two species of Myxidium and of Sphaerospora were recorded. All organs were examined, with the majority of infections being found in the gills, musculature and kidney. However, isolated spores were occasionally found in other tissues. Whilst roach contained the highest number of myxozoan species, it was chub that showed the greatest host response to sporogonic forms. Data are provided on spore morphology, pathogenic responses and tissue and host specificity of the myxozoans recorded.     

Influence of pH upon the activity of glycosidases and proteinases of intestinal mucosa,chyme and microbiota in fish

It is shown that amylolytic and proteolytic activity of the intestinal mucosa, the chyme and the intestinal flora in the fishes, zander Zander lucioperca (L.), perch Perca fluviatilis L., bream Abramis brama (L.) and roach Rutilus rutilus (L.), belonging according to their feeding habits to different ecological groups at the same pH values as well as in the pH range from 5.0 to 10.0 considerably varies. The glycosidase pH optimum of the mucosa and intestinal microbiota is 7.0, whereas that of the chyme varies from 6.0 (in roach) to 8.0 (in bream). pH optimum of the mucosa proteinases in all fish species is 10.0, whereas that of the chyme and the bacterial flora can be observed in all the range of pH values.     

Histopathology, immunohistochemistry and ultrastructure of the intestine of Leuciscus cephalus (L.) naturally infected with Pomphorhynchus laevis (Acanthocephala)

The histopathology, immunohistochemistry and ultrastructure of the alimentary canal of chub, Leuciscus cephalus (L.), from the River Brenta, naturally infected with the acanthocephalan Pomphorhynchus laevis Müller, 1776, was studied and described. Of 62 chub examined, 54 (87%) were infected with P. laevis ; the intensity of infection ranged from five to 130 parasites per host, and a density of 8 P. laevis per cm² was common. Examination of histological material of infected chub revealed that both male and female acanthocephalans deeply penetrated all layers of the gut wall by means of their slender neck, bulb and proboscis. As a result, a capsule was formed around the bulb and proboscis on the external surface of the host intestine. In parasitized chub, four main types of reaction against the body of the acanthocephalan were recognized. Pomphorhynchus laevis caused local damage to the intestinal wall, eliciting catarrhal-erosive enteritis in the lumen and a fibroblastic-collagenous and fibro-epithelioid encapsulation in its thickness with tissue zonation according to the depth of parasite penetration. Furthermore, eosinophilic granular cells (EGC) within the inflammatory tissue were identified by immunohistochemical methods and transmission electron microscopy.     

Models for comparing average first-year growth in length of freshwater fish

Abstract  Logistic curves of the average growth in length were elaborated for young-of-the-year perch, Perca fluviatilis L., zander. Stizostedion lucioperca (L.), ruffe, Gymnocephalus cernua (L.), bream, Abramis brama (L.), and roach, Rutilus rutilus (L.), using data from 62 localities. Mean relative deviation from this average growth (MRDAG) is proposed as a simple and reliable indicator of growth rate. The MRDAG for perch, zander, bream and roach showed a significant negative linear relationship with the geographical latitude.     

Eimeria scardinii Pellérdy and Molnár, 1968 in the kidneys of Rutilus rutilus (L,) and Scardinius erythrophthalmus (L.) from northern Greece

Abstract. The occurrence of Eimeria scardinii in roach, Rutilus rutilus (L.), and rudd, Scardinius erythrophthalmus (L.), from a lake in northern Greece is reported. The coccidium was found in the renal haemopoiettc tissue, mainly in the form of mature sporulated oocysts. The morphology and dimensions of the parasite, as well as the host reaction, were very similar in both species of fish examined. The overall prevalence of infection in roach and rudd was 6·67% and 6·3%, respectively. The prevalence of infection of roach was higher during summer (22·22%) but less than 5% in other seasons.     

Inter- and size-specific patterns of fish seasonal migration between a shallow lake and its streams

Abstract –  This study used passive telemetry (passive integrated transponders) to evaluate winter migration in three species of cyprinids (roach ( Rutilus rutilus (L.)), white bream ( Blicca bjoerkna (L.)) and rudd ( Scardinius erythrophthalmus (L.))) and their potential predators (pike ( Esox lucius (L.)) and perch ( Perca fluviatilis (L.))) between a shallow lake and its streams. Migration patterns were investigated from October to June, and a substantial part of the roach (40%) and white bream (55%) populations tagged in the lake during autumn migrated during winter into the streams, whereas only very few piscivores (<2%) migrated. In contrast to roach and white bream, only few rudd (<6%) migrated, which is likely a consequence of different overwintering strategies, e.g., rudd overwintering in shallow highly structured habitats. Small rudd migrated more than larger rudd, whereas there were no size-differentiated migration patterns for roach or white bream. Migration of the cyprinid fishes was generally initiated in late October and ended in May, and specific synchronised bursts of migration were observed in December, January and April, suggesting that migration is triggered by one or more proximate environmental cues. The cyprinid fishes generally entered the streams in late afternoon or in the morning, depending on season, but overall migration patterns varied between the three streams. We suggest and discuss that our results have great implications for lake management as well as for the interpretation of seasonal trophic dynamics in shallow lakes.     

Long-term development of fish populations in the Římov Reservoir

Abstract  The inshore fish community of the Římov Reservoir in the Czech Republic was evaluated over 21 years using shore seining at night. The development of the fish community was divided into two separate phases: a highly dynamic and unstable phase dominated by perch, Perca fluviatilis L., was replaced by an extremely stable cyprinid phase dominated by roach, Rutilus rutilus (L.), and bream, Abramis brama (L.). The abundance of both these species oscillated during the cyprinid phase, but with decreasing amplitude. The proportion of piscivorous fish species such as asp, Aspius aspius (L.), pike, Esox lucius L., and pikeperch, Sander lucioperca (L.), increased slightly with time but remained low. The biomass of large Cladocera was negatively correlated with fish biomass only during the perch phase. The Shannon–Weaver index of diversity increased during the fish community succession, mainly because of greater evenness amongst the species.     

Long-term effects of human influence on fish community structure and fisheries in Berlin waters: an urban water system

Commercial catch and fisheries monitoring data were compared with hydrological and water course characteristics conditions to identify the cause of changes in fisheries production in Berlin water courses since the 1950s. The urban parts of Berlin are densely populated, and the waters are under pressure from shipping, hydraulic engineering, pollution and recreation use. Most Berlin waters are polytrophic or hypertrophic, with an annual nutrient input of 595 t of total phosphorous and 8640 t of total nitrogen. A total of 34 fish species were recorded, eight of which were introduced. According to historical records, seven native fish species are extinct or missing. At present, the fish community is dominated by a few eurytopic species, i.e. roach, Rutilus rutilus (L.), common bream, Abramis brama (L.), silver bream, Blicca bjoerkna (L.), and perch, Perca fluviatilis L., which contribute 85% of all individuals caught. Two 'faunal breaks' were identified. The first was the changing of river character from a barbel to bream zone caused by damming and river regulation. This started in the thirteenth century and ended at the beginning of the twentieth century with the extinction of anadromous fishes. The second break was during the 1960s and 1970s, with the eutrophication of Berlin waters and the near total loss of submerged macrophytes. All phytophilic fish species declined greatly and a mass development of eurytopic species started. The catch of pike, Esox lucius L., common carp, Cyprinus carpio L., and tench, Tinca tinca (L.), became negligible, and at present, eel, Anguilla anguilla (L.), and pikeperch, Stizostedion lucioperca (L.), are the main commercial fish species. Concomitantly, the profitability of the fisheries declined and was linked to a decrease in the number of people employed in fisheries by more than 75% compared with 1950.     

The use of two nature-like fishways by some fish species in the Swedish River Emån

Abstract –  We studied the use of two nature-like fishways by 15 fish species ( N  = 240) in the River Emån in southern Sweden. Use of the fishways for both passage and as a habitat was studied by electrofishing, trap catches and PIT telemetry. Of the 187 PIT-tagged fish, 52 individuals from 10 different species ascended one of the fishways for a total passage efficiency of 74%. For the five species that most frequently ascended the fishways, the passage efficiency was 100% for tench ( Tinca tinca L.) and perch ( Perca fluviatilis L.), 86% for chub ( Leuciscus cephalus L.), 60% for burbot ( Lota lota L.) and 50% for roach ( Rutilus rutilus L.). Individuals that failed to pass the fishways were typically small cyprinids or species that were assumed to have taken up residence in the fishways, such as juvenile brown trout ( Salmo trutta L.) and burbot. The nature-like fishways have re-established longitudinal connectivity for most of the studied species and also functioned as rearing and winter habitat for a number of species.     

The influence of diel period on fish assemblage in the unstructured littoral of reservoirs

Abstract Diel changes in littoral fish assemblage were studied in four reservoirs in the Czech Republic (Central Europe). The sampling was performed by beach seining in an unstructured littoral zone. Perch, Perca fluviatilis L., roach, Rutilus rutilus (L.), bream, Abramis brama (L.), carp, Cyprinus carpio L., ruffe, Gymnocephalus cernua (L.), pikeperch, Sander lucioperca (L.), eel, Anguilla anguilla (L.) and A. brama × R. rutilus hybrids exhibited higher densities at night. Only bleak, Alburnus alburnus (L.) exhibited higher densities during the day. The number of species was higher in night hauls, and mean body size of roach and bleak was also higher at night. Diel changes in fish densities resulted in the change in species composition between day and night. The study has implication for the sampling design to assess littoral fish assemblages using beach seine netting and recommends night sampling for a representative assessment or sampling during both diel periods for a robust assessment.     

A Comparative Index for Quantifying Growth in Length of Fish

Standard growth curves for bream, roach, chub and dace were constructed using published data for the British Isles. Comparison of length for age of fish from any habitat with these standard curves enables a growth index to be calculated where slow, normal and fast growth give indices less than, equal to and greater than 100, respectively.     

Functional vs scenic restoration – challenges to improve fish and fisheries in urban waters

Abstract Two rehabilitation projects were compared to determine their feasibility for successfully improving habitat for fish in urban waters. The first re‐meandering project involved channel reconstruction in the Müggelspree upstream of Berlin to create an aesthetically pleasing, stable, meandering channel. The second project addressed a typical habitat bottleneck for fish found in urban waterways; that of nursery habitats lost due to river engineering works. Rehabilitated and control sites were sampled before and after in the Müggelspree and once in the urban Spree River. A total of 30 303 fish belonging to 27 species were collected. The fish assemblage was dominated by generalist species with 81% roach, Rutilus rutilus (L.), and perch, Perca fluviatilis L. Species diversity did not improve in either the rural or urban stretch. In the Müggelspree, the loss of riverine habitats was mirrored by significant declines in the densities of chub, Leuciscus cephalus (L.), ide, Leuciscus idus (L.), gudgeon, Gobio gobio (L.), rheophilic and lithophilic species. By contrast, densities of rheophilic species around the artificial structures created in the urban Spree River, although the main effect was an overwhelming increase in roach and perch. The results suggest that if underlying bottlenecks can be identified, artificial structures can provide functional fish habitat that replaces the natural equivalent in urban river stretches. Consequently, even the most heavily degraded waters provide opportunities to improve fish diversity and fisheries using artificial habitat structures.     

The influence of parasitism on fish population success

Abstract The influence of parasitism on first‐year growth and recruitment success of two cyprinid species in the Yorkshire Ouse catchment, England, was investigated using a 14‐year dataset. This study demonstrated a significant role of parasitism in growth and recruitment success of roach, Rutilus rutilus (L.), and European chub, Squalius cephalus (L.) populations. Muscle infections by Bucephalus polymorphus Baer (Digenea), Myxobolus pseudodispar Gorbunova (Myxozoa) and Myxobolus pfeifferi Thélohan were considered important, with significant relationships between these parasites and year‐class strength and age‐0 fish length. Other parasites, such as Phyllodistomum sp. and Goussia sp., were implicated in host success to a lesser extent. Parasitism may be a major factor in recruitment and account for a high proportion of the variation in year‐class strength, although this varied among locations.     

Recruitment patterns of six species of cyprinid fishes in the lower River Trent, England

Abstract – Fisheries data were collected for six species of 0-group cyprinid fishes from eight sites in the lower reaches of the River Trent, England, between May and October 1999 inclusive, using a micromesh seine net. Recruitment and growth patterns were observed via monthly length–frequency histograms and estimations of mean length. In the cases of roach and dace, growth was approximately linear through the summer, before declining in September and October. In the cases of chub and gudgeon, and to a lesser extent bream and bleak, however, there were suggestions of multiple recruitment events. It is argued that some of the fish species examined in the present study adopt fractional or protracted spawning strategies in the lower River Trent.     

Characterization of protease inhibitors of seminal plasma of cyprinids

Anti-proteinase activity was demonstrated in the seminal plasma of cyprinid fish species (bream, chub, ide, dace, asp, goldfish, roach, common carp) using electrophoretic techniques combined with a detection method based on inhibition of bovine trypsin. We found species-specific protease inhibitors in the seminal plasma of cyprinids. At least three bands of protease inhibitors with different migration rates could be identified by native PAGE. Higher variability was characterized for bands with slower migration rates. Visualization of inhibitors after SDS-PAGE under non-reducing conditions allowed estimation of their molecular weights. Apparent molecular weights were within the range of 51–59 and 47–54 kDa for the bands with slower and moderate migration rates, respectively. The molecular weight of fast migration bands for roach and common carp were estimated to 23 and 30 kDa, respectively. Inhibitors of common carp seminal plasma differed in their affinity toward serine proteases. Three inhibitors in common carp seminal plasma could be visualized using cod and bovine trypsin, but only two inhibitors (of high molecular weight) were recognized with chymotrypsin. There were differences in anti-proteinase activity and seminal plasma protein concentration in relation to the origin of common carp seminal plasma (breeding lines) and time of milt collection (spawning vs. post-spawning season).     

Susceptibility of marine fish species to a megalocytivirus, turbot iridovirus, isolated from turbot, Psetta maximus (L.)

Turbot iridovirus (TBIV), a member of the genus Megalocytivirus in the family Iridoviridae, was isolated from diseased turbot, Psetta maximus (L.), in Korea in 2003. In this study, experimental infection of turbot, Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus (Temminck & Schlegel), and rock bream, Oplegnathus fasciatus (Temminck & Schlegel), with TBIV was performed to evaluate the viral susceptibility of these fish species. After virus exposure, the mortalities of turbot reared at 22 and 25 degrees C were 60% and 100%, respectively, suggesting that TBIV is the causative agent of the mass mortality of turbot that occurred in Korea in 2003. Moreover, TBIV was detected in Japanese flounder and rock bream by polymerase chain reaction after experimental infection (26 days post-inoculation) despite no viral pathogenicity in these fish, suggesting that these two fish species are also susceptible to the virus. It is possible that horizontal transmission of TBIV occurs among these three fish species because turbot is routinely cultured with Japanese flounder and rock bream in Korea.     

A test of crayfish predatory and nonpredatory fish species as bait in crayfish traps

The effectiveness of different crayfish: predatory (pike, Esox lucius L., perch, Perca fluviatilis L.) and nonpredatory [roach, Rutilus rutilus (L.) , and bream, Abramis brama (L.)] fish species as bait for noble crayfish, Astacus astacus L., was tested. Trapping was conducted in two lakes in Norway and Lithuania. Nonpredatory bream and roach were superior as noble crayfish bait compared with predatory perch and pike. In the Norwegian lake bream was also superior to roach. Pike- and perch-baited traps tended to catch larger crayfish than bream- and roach-baited traps. An alarm or avoidance response to different live or dead fish predators (e.g. pike or perch) might exist and could be more pronounced in smaller crayfish, thus explaining that pike and perch as bait catch fewer and larger crayfish. Another explanation could be that the odour of pike and perch flesh is simply less attractive or diffuses more slowly through the water. Selecting the most efficient bait will increase the catch per unit effort (CPUE); in this study there was a four-fold variation in CPUE between the best and worst bait type. In test-fishing/monitoring surveys it is important to standardize the bait type used.     

Swimming ability and differential use of velocity patches by 0+ cyprinids

Abstract– The ability of chub, dace and roach to resist displacement in a laboratory channel was not only controlled by species-specific swimming ability, but also by the fishes'ability to locate areas of reduced velocity. Dace were better able to withstand high velocities than roach. Chub were better at locating slow flowing patches than either roach or dace throughout their early development. Only chub larvae shifted towards slower flowing patches as velocity increased. All juveniles shifted to slower flowing patches at high velocities.     

Can feeding of European catfish prevent cyprinids from reaching a size refuge?

Abstract – The size structure of a predator population can cause differences in the relative survival of different prey length classes whereby the biggest prey may reach a safe size because of the size-dependent character of predation. In the present study, the diet of European catfish was investigated to examine if catfish feeding can prevent cyprinids from reaching such a size refuge. In the lake studied, catfish was stocked for biomanipulation purposes to reduce unwanted roach and bream populations. Crayfish and roach were the most important prey items of catfish. If only species composition in the diet was considered, no clear changes were recorded in relation to catfish size. However, the length of roach as prey significantly increased with catfish length. Catfish were significantly larger than the other piscivorous fish in the lake, but took relatively smaller roach in comparison with similar-sized pike or pikeperch. Nevertheless, because of the high mean length of catfish, roach cannot reach a size refuge. For unknown reasons, the expected and intended predation on bream was not observed. Catfish took smaller prey than could be expected from mouth gape data. By extending the relationship between catfish as predator and roach as prey beyond the predator length range currently found in the lake, it could be shown that even catfish of 150 cm length will probably feed upon only 65% of all available bream length classes. Therefore, stocking with catfish cannot prevent a size refuge for the bream.     

Individual movements,home ranges and habitat use by native rheophilic cyprinids and non‐native catfish in a large regulated river

The mobility patterns of two native species, barbel, Barbus barbus (L.) and chub, Squalius cephalus (L.), and of one non‐native fish species, the catfish Silurus glanis (L.), were assessed on a 35.5‐km reach of the Upper Rhône River, a strong flowing river with notable thermal regime alterations. An active acoustic tracking technique adapted to large rivers allowed (1) the identification of longitudinal home ranges, movements and preferred habitat at large scale, and (2) the analysis of the influence of discharge and water temperature on the movement patterns of the fish. The active fish‐tracking system recorded 1,572 fish localisations over 7 months on a weekly basis for 80% of the tagged fish (37 barbel, 23 chub and 13 catfish). Compared with the catfish, barbel and chub showed wider longitudinal home ranges, more movements >1 km and higher interindividual variability. The catfish preferred artificially heated habitats with less morphological diversity. The three species were more often localised in river sections with high density of woody debris. The results suggest that habitat degradation is more damaging for cyprinids in large modified rivers, while the catfish seemed less, impacted.