Use of formulated diets as replacements for Artemia in the rearing of juvenile American lobsters (Homarus americanus)

American lobsters, Homarus americanus, have been successfully reared in hatchery operations for over a century, yet formulated diets have never been commercially produced. In recent years, commercial Artemia replacement (CAR) diets have been developed and marketed for use in aquaculture production of marine shrimp. Three separate experiments assessed the utility of rearing American lobsters on these shrimp CAR diets. First, survival and growth of stage IV American lobsters fed one of three CAR diets (Artemac 5, CAR1; Economac 4, CAR2; and Progression 3, CAR3) were compared to those of animals fed frozen adult n-3 fatty acid enriched Artemia. Survival to 3 months was highest for animals fed CAR3 (85%), while animals fed Artemia had the greatest weight gain (> 6 % day^− 1). A cost / benefit ratio analysis showed that CAR2 was the most cost efficient for juvenile production because of its low overall purchase cost. Second, stage IV lobsters were fed either CAR2 or frozen adult n-3 fatty acid enriched Artemia exclusively, or in combination (2 : 5, and 5 : 2). Again, CAR2 was a cost effective feed to use, even as a partial replacement for Artemia. Survival was higher in diets that included CAR2, and feeding it two days per week compensated for low quality Artemia. Finally, 1.5 year old lobsters fed a gelatin-bound mix of 80% CAR2 and 20% frozen Artemia for five months survived and grew equally well compared to lobsters fed gelatin-bound frozen adult Artemia, and better than a custom formulated maintenance diet. The benefits of incorporating formulated feeds into American lobster rearing programs to increase the effectiveness of enhancement programs is discussed.     

Influence of artificial insemination on the reproductive performance of Farfantepenaeus paulensis in conventional and unisex maturation systems

The application of artificial insemination techniques as a way to overcome the lack of mating of the closed thelycum Farfantepenaeus paulensis under large scale conditions is reported. The performance of artificially inseminated females (49.4±11.6 g) maintained in conventional versus unisex maturation systems was compared. Groups of unilaterally eyestalk-ablated females were artificially inseminated with one compound spermatophore soon after molting. The percentage of fertilized spawns increased from 26% before the use of artificial insemination to 57% afterwards. The reproductive performance of inseminated females held in conventional or unisex maturation systems showed no significant differences. Artificial insemination was considered a practical approach to overcome the lack of mating of F. paulensis under large-scale conditions with acceptable reproductive performance. The results also indicate the possibility of holding females separately from males, which could mean significant improvements in maturation systems through the increase in the stocking density of spawning females.     

Effect of a size-based selection program on blood metabolites and immune response of Litopenaeus vannamei juveniles fed different dietary carbohydrate levels

Blood metabolites in wild and seventh-generation cultivated shrimp were measured to determine how size-based selection could alter the nutritional and immunological conditions of Litopenaeus vannamei. Wild L. vannamei juveniles and a sample of seventh-generation cultured shrimp were acclimated under identical conditions. During 55 days, shrimp were fed a high (HCHO: 44%) or a low (LCHO: 3%) carbohydrate diet for 55 days. Wild shrimp showed a direct relation between dietary CHO and lactate, protein and hemocyte levels indicating that dietary CHO was used for protein synthesis via transamination pathways. In seventh-generation cultured shrimp these parameters were inversely proportional to dietary CHO level, indicating the capacity to synthesize protein from dietary CHO was repressed in cultured shrimp. Farmed shrimp showed a limited capacity to respond to LCHO diets demonstrating high protein dependence in their metabolism and immune response. These results demonstrate that during size-based breeding programs other metabolic process than CHO catabolism can be selected. The incapacity of shrimp to use dietary CHO could limit protein reduction of diets and limit the efforts of the shrimp industry to be ecologically and environmentally profitable.     

育苗水中添加微生物对河蟹苗成活率的影响

在中华绒螯蟹的育苗过程中，采用添加微生物的方法调节育苗水体的水质，结果表明：与对照池相比，试验池中的氨氮明显下降，溶氧量增加，pH值变化不大；河蟹各期幼体的成活率提高，从SouⅠ期幼体至大眼幼体，试验池的成活率为13.9%，对照池仅8.1%。因此，在河蟹的育苗生产上，利用添加有益微生物的水质循环装置，能有效地提高育苗产量，节约成本。     

Effect of Artificial Diets on Growth,Survival and Condition of Adult Cuttlefish, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sepia officinalis</Emphasis> Linnaeus, 1758

The effects of artificial diets on growth and body condition of adult cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis were tested in two experiments. Supplemented prepared diets (fish myofibrillar protein concentrate) were fed during a 30-day and a 21-day experiments. Growth, feeding rate and food conversion of group-reared cuttlefish were analyzed. The first of these experiments tested four artificial diets, made with increasing levels of lysine, on adult cuttlefish. According to the chemical analysis, diets 1–3 had limiting concentrations of lysine and other essential amino acids (compared to mantle composition of the cuttlefish), while diet 4 was the only one where almost all essential amino acids were present in concentrations similar or higher than the ones present in cuttlefish mantle. A second experiment was conducted by isolating 16 adult cuttlefish individually, and feeding them the same four artificial diets, in order to obtain individual data. During Experiment 1, only the diet with the best chemical score (diet 4) produced growth (p < 0.05), with a mean instantaneous growth rate (MIGR) of 0.30% wet body weight (BW) d⁻¹. Similarly, individually reared cuttlefish fed diet 4 produced the highest IGR’s (0.26, 0.38 and 0.48% BW d⁻¹) and grew larger (p < 0.01). Comparison of cuttlefish fed the artificial diets vs. thawed shrimp and unfed cuttlefish indicated that cuttlefish fed the artificial diets were in an intermediate state. Growth rates obtained with the artificial diets (<0.4% BW d⁻¹) were considerably lower compared to natural prey, live or frozen, reported by other authors.     

猪苓生长土壤中微生物区系初探

通过比较猪苓生长土壤与自然土壤（非猪苓生长土壤）中微生物区系,从猪苓生长土壤和自然土壤中各自分离得到6种主要类型的菌,猪苓生长土壤中细菌、纤维素分解菌和固氮菌的菌落数较多,霉菌次之,放线菌、酵母菌较少。自然土壤中细菌的菌落数较多,放线菌、酵母菌、霉菌次之,固氮菌和纤维素分解菌较少。猪苓生长土壤中纤维素分解菌的菌落数比自然土壤高3个数量级,固氮菌高2个数量级,霉菌高1个数量级,而放线菌、酵母菌和细菌则低1个数量级。而后又从2种土壤中各自分离纯化出5种已知的霉菌,分别为青霉属、交链孢霉属、毛霉属、根霉属、曲霉属,以及未鉴定出的其他霉菌,并且猪苓生长土壤中各霉菌数量都高于自然土壤,青霉属最为明显。猪苓生长土壤中合理的微生物比例,对猪苓人工种植产量和品质的提高均具有积极意义。     

Comparison of arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase and melatonin receptor type 1B immunoreactivity between young adult and aged canine spinal cord

Melatonin affects diverse physiological functions through its receptor and plays an important role in the central nervous system. In the present study, we compared immunoreactivity patterns of arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT), an enzyme essential for melatonin synthesis, and melatonin receptor type 1B (MT2) in the spinal cord of young adult (2~3 years) and aged (10~12 years) beagle dogs using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. AANAT-specific immunoreactivity was observed in the nuclei of spinal neurons, and was significantly increased in aged dog spinal neurons compared to young adult spinal neurons. MT2-specific immunoreactivity was found in the cytoplasm of spinal neurons, and was predominantly increased in the margin of the neuron cytoplasm in aged spinal cord compared to that in the young adult dogs. These increased levels of AANAT and MT2 immunoreactivity in aged spinal cord might be a feature of normal aging and associated with a feedback mechanism that compensates for decreased production of melatonin during aging.     

江黄颡鱼人工繁殖的初步研究

对江黄颡鱼（Pseudobagrus uachelli Richardson)的人工繁殖进行了初步试验，先用LRH-A2预备针催熟，再用1mgPG 2.5mgDOM 3.5μgLRH-A2混合催产，水温24-27℃下，效应时间为20-24h，产卵率可达97%，采用等渗液稀释磨碎的精巢，经人工授精，受精率达70%，采用塑料网片粘卵，在卵化环道内孵化，孵化率达94%，此外，对江黄颡自然繁殖的生态条件进行了探讨。     

扁吻鱼人工繁殖试验

在扁吻鱼极度濒危,采捕、储运极其恶劣的环境中,利用人力拉行的三层流刺网和自行设计、制作的“水道活鱼储运变形布箱”和“活口筒形布袋”在河道中采捕扁吻鱼成鱼112尾,成活76尾,加上原有成鱼,现有扁吻鱼成鱼92尾。扁吻鱼的性腺发育的再成熟需两周年以上,经过三年的精心饲养、已有10尾雌体的性腺发育到Ⅳ期初和有10尾以上的成熟雄鱼,为2006年生产性人工繁殖打下物质基础。2005年4月25日采捕到成熟亲鱼,经过人工采卵受精,获得约5万粒受精卵,受精率为91.47％；孵化率为80．10％,出苗36 779尾。由于遭到小瓜虫等寄生虫的侵袭,饲养到5月21日的成活率为43．64％,培育到10月25日,平均体重为6．5g、成活率为40．80％。     

黄颡鱼人工繁殖的几个关键问题

近年来,随着黄颡鱼养殖的不断发展,黄颡鱼苗种的供应日趋紧张.为了解决和突破这一制约黄颡鱼养殖的"瓶颈"问题,生产更多更优质的黄颡鱼苗种,保证黄颡鱼养殖稳步而快速的发展,对黄颡鱼的人工催产繁殖各地都做了大量的研究工作.