Chemical and Thermal Properties of Freshwater Prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) Meat

Chemical compositions and thermal properties of cultured freshwater prawn meat (FPM) were studied. FPM contained 83.2% protein (dry basis), 62.7% of which was myofibrillar protein. Pepsin-soluble collagen (PSC) and insoluble collagen (ISC) contents were 0.63 and 0.32%, respectively. Both collagens were similar to type V collagen from porcine placenta. Glutamic acid/glutamine, arginine, aspartic acid/?asparagine, and lysine were abundant amino acids in FPM. Glycine, proline, hydroxyproline, and aspartic acid/?asparagine were predominant in both collagens. FPM exhibited thermal transition temperatures (T_max) of 48.3 and 64.7°C, whereas T_max of PSC and ISC were 43.0 and 46.0°C, respectively. Textural changes in FPM during post-mortem storage on ice are plausibly dependent upon its compositional and thermal properties.     

Effects of dietary carbohydrate/lipid ratios on growth performance,body composition and glucose metabolism of fingerling blunt snout bream Megalobrama amblycephala

This study aimed to investigate the optimum dietary carbohydrate/lipid (CHO/L) ratio for fingerling blunt snout bream Megalobrama amblycephala (average initial weight: 6.61 ± 0.03 g). Six isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets were formulated to contain various CHO/L ratios ranging from 1.62 to 24.20. Each diet was tested in four replicates for 10 weeks. Specific growth rate (SGR), feed conversion ratio and nitrogen and energy retention all improved significantly (P < 0.05) as dietary CHO/L ratios decreased from 24.20 to 5.64 but showed little difference (P > 0.05) as dietary CHO/L ratios ranged from 2.45 to 5.64. Hepatosomatic index increased significantly (P < 0.05) as dietary CHO/L ratios increased, whereas intraperitoneal fat ratio showed an opposite trend (P < 0.05). Opposite to moisture content, lipid content of whole body and carcass all increased significantly (P < 0.05) as dietary CHO/L ratios decreased. Liver lipid content showed little difference (P > 0.05) among all the treatments, while liver glycogen content increased significantly (P < 0.05) with increasing CHO/L ratios. High dietary carbohydrate enhanced the activities of liver hexokinase, pyruvate kinase and glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase but did not induce hyperglycaemia. Based on the second‐order polynomial regression analysis of SGR, the optimal dietary carbohydrate and lipid contents for fingerling blunt snout bream were 291.7 and 81.4 g kg⁻¹, respectively, with a corresponding dietary CHO/L ratio of 3.58.     

Effects of dietary 60 g kg−1 dried distiller's grains in least‐cost practical diets on production and gut allochthonous bacterial composition of cage‐cultured fish: comparison among fish species with different natural food habits

Dried distiller's grain (DDG) is considered as an alternative ingredient of dietary feed due to its high contents of protein, fibre and fat. In this study, 60 g kg^‐1 of DDG was used to feed grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), bluntnose black bream (Megalobrama amblycephala), gibel carp (Carassius gibelio) and black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) for 8 weeks, and its effect on fish production and gut allochthonous microbiota was investigated for the development of a suitable fish feed high in nutrients and low in cost for polyculture freshwater fish. DDG supplementation resulted in the less weight gain and higher feed conversion ratio of black carp (P < 0.05), but had no significant effects on other fish or parameters. PCR–denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis indicated that all four fish species had some common and unique bacteria in their digestive tracts, and the gut microbiota of bluntnose black and gibel carp fed the control diet and DDG diets were very similar (Cs > 91%); of them, the total counts of intestinal bacteria studied by qPCR increased in grass carp (P < 0.05) and depressed in black carp (P < 0.05) when fed dietary DDG. Thus, we assumed that dietary DDG modulated production and gut microbiota of fish in a host‐specific way.     

Effects of dietary supplementation of fructooligosaccharide on growth performance,body composition,intestinal enzymes activities and histology of blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala) fingerlings

A feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary fructooligosaccharide (FOS) on growth performance, body composition, intestinal enzymes activities and histology of fingerling Megalobrama amblycephala. A total of 1200 fish (1.42 ± 0.01 g) were fed diets containing graded levels of FOS (0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 8 g kg⁻¹ diet) for 8 weeks in a recirculating system indoor. The weight gain, specific growth rate (SGR) and survival rate were all improved in dietary supplementation of FOS fed fish. Increasing FOS levels resulted in both higher whole‐body lipid and lower moisture contents, whereas ash and protein contents showed no significant differences among all the treatments. Intestinal amylase, protease, Na⁺, K⁺‐ATPase, alkaline phosphatase, γ‐glutamyl transpeptidase and creatine kinase activities all increased with dietary FOS levels up to 4 g kg⁻¹ (P < 0.05). Transmission electron microscopy analysis indicated that microvilli length in the mid‐intestine was significantly increased with increased dietary FOS levels (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation of FOS could confer benefits on growth performance, intestinal digestive and absorptive ability, histology of fingerling Megalobrama amblycephala.     

Biochemical and fatty acid dynamics during larval development in the razor clam Ensis arcuatus (Bivalvia: Pharidae)

This article reports on the changes in gross biochemical and fatty acid composition of the razor clam Ensis arcuatus larvae throughout development. Protein was the largest component of dried larval tissues. The energy required for embryogenesis in E. arcuatus oocytes was obtained from stored proteins and carbohydrates, while total lipids increased significantly. Lipids and carbohydrates have an important role as energy contributors from day 1 to day 8. During larval development the strategy was to indistinctly store energy reserves (protein, lipid and carbohydrate) to surpass metamorphosis. During embryonic development there was a gain in fatty acids of neutral and polar lipids. A depletion of fatty acids in neutral lipids was observed from day 1 to day 8 in E. arcuatus larvae, mainly due to the decrease in 16:0 and EPA. NMID fatty acids were present in amounts similar to those of some PUFAs in polar lipids, especially 22:2NMID.     

Responses of yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco Richardson) to low‐protein diets and subsequent recovery

A 4‐week growth trial was conducted to investigate the effect of low‐protein diets on the growth and amino acid (AA) composition of yellow catfish, and subsequent recovery when the fish were then switched back to the control diet for a further 4 weeks. Three isolipidic and isocaloric diets containing 390 g kg^?1 (Control), 320 g kg^?1 (D320) and 260 g kg^?1 (D260) graded protein levels were evaluated. During the protein restriction period, specific growth rate (SGR) of D320‐and D260‐treated fish was significantly reduced by 20.79% and 29.21% compared to the control fish, respectively (P < 0.05), while significant improvements in protein retention efficiencies were observed in fish fed with the D320 (12.82%) and D260 (19.58%) diets (P < 0.05). The D260‐treated fish had significantly lower (0.87%) whole‐body essential amino acid (EAA) and significantly higher (0.74%) non‐essential amino aci (NEAA) concentrations compared to the control fish. After a 4‐week realimentation, significant increases in the SGR of the protein‐restricted fish were observed. However, no significant differences in the whole‐body EAA or NEAA concentrations among groups were observed (P > 0.05). The results indicate that previously protein‐restricted yellow catfish can compensate completely in terms of final body weight, growth rate and whole‐body AA concentrations.     

Fish assemblages in the Southern California Current: relationships with climate, 1951–2008

We examined the dominant patterns of variability in the fish fauna of the southern California Current based on a principal component (PC) analysis of the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations ichthyoplankton data set, 1951–2008. Eighty‐six taxa were analyzed, including all ecologically dominant fish species, both exploited and unexploited. The first three PCs accounted for 20.5, 12.4 and 6.8% of the variance of the data, respectively (total: 39.7%). Each was dominated by taxa from particular adult or larval habitats. PC 1 predominantly represented the coherent response of 24 mesopelagic taxa from 10 families and was most highly correlated with long‐term trends in midwater oxygen levels. PC 2 was dominated by six of the seven most abundant ichthyoplankton taxa in the region, predominantly California Current endemics including key pelagic species (northern anchovy, Pacific sardine and Pacific hake), rockfishes (genus Sebastes) and two midwater taxa. It was correlated primarily with sea surface temperature and exhibited a significant declining trend. PC 3 was dominated by coastal and reef‐associated fishes with predominantly southerly affinities. It was positively correlated with sea surface temperature and sea level height, a proxy for diminished flow of the California Current. The taxa dominating PCs 2 and 3 mostly spatially co‐occur as ichthyoplankton. These results suggest that fish assemblages in the California Current are predominantly influenced by environmental forcing of their ocean habitats as adults or larvae, or both.     

野生斑节对虾卵巢发育过程中不同组织的氨基酸组成

测定了海南岛南部海域野生斑节对虾（Penaeus mofbodon）亲虾在卵巢发育不同阶段的全虾、肝胰腺和卵巢的氨基酸组成。结果表明,在卵巢发育初级阶段（含I期和Ⅵ期）、中级阶段（含Ⅱ期、Ⅲ期和Ⅳ期）和高级阶段（V期）斑节对虾全虾样品中,牛磺酸（Tau）质量分数差异显著（P〈0．05）,由高到低为中级阶段〉高级阶段〉初级阶段;而其他的氨基酸质量分数、氨基酸总量和必需氨基酸总量略有变化,但差异不显著（P〉0．05）。肝胰腺和卵巢氨基酸总量随着性腺发育逐渐上升,临产时（V期）下降,但差异不显著（P〉0．05）。中级阶段卵巢中的天门冬氨酸（Asp）、谷氨酸（Glu）、脯氨酸（Pro）、酪氨酸（Tyr）和赖氨酸（Lys）等5种氨基酸质量分数处于峰值。     

南海北部马鲛流刺网渔获组成初步分析

为了明确南海北部马鲛（Scomberomorus）流刺网的渔获组成、主要种类的生物学特征、幼鱼比例等情况,2012年4月2113～24日在海南岛东北部渔场进行了调查研究,并对主要渔获种类的刺挂部位作了初步探讨。结果表明,马鲛流刺网的主要渔获种类为康氏马鲛（S．commersoni）、白b鲔（S．guttatus）和乌鲳（Formioniger）,其相对重要性指数（IRI）分别为10969．80、5502．49和1937．34;优势体长（叉长）组分别为701～800mm、501～600mm和231～250mm。建议尽快制定主要渔获种类的最佳开捕长度,进行渔具选择性试验,制定并出台最小网目尺寸等相关管理措施,以促进马鲛刺网渔业的可持续发展。     

黧蒴栲木材材性、化学组分及热值株内纵向变异模式研究

选取湖南省怀化市33年生黧蒴栲(Castanopsis fissa)人工林,利用树干解析,采集木材圆盘样,进行木材材性、化学组分及热值的测定。分别对木材密度、纤维长、纤维宽、纤维长宽比、热值、纤维素含量和酸不溶木素含量等的株内纵向变异规律进行了研究。结果表明：木材密度随树高的增加而逐渐下降,平均值为0.421 g/cm3,变异范围为0.356~0.497 g/cm3,纵向上的差异达到显著水平;而木材纤维长、纤维素含量和酸不溶木素含量都是随树高的增加先增大后减小,平均值分别为1174.529 μm、53.177%和23.661%,变异范围分别为1063.653~1278.946 μm、47.135%~56.654%、21.99%~26.226%,纵向上的差异均达到显著水平;木材热值是随树高的增加而逐渐增大的,平均值为17474.76 kJ,变异范围为16036.06~18491.86 kJ。