Safety and efficacy of emamectin benzoate administered in-feed to Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., smolts in freshwater, as a preventative treatment against infestations of sea lice, Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Krøyer)

The safety and efficacy of emamectin benzoate, administered in-feed to Atlantic salmon smolts, Salmo salar L., held in freshwater, was evaluated as a preventative treatment against sea lice, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, following transfer of fish to seawater.

In the safety study, salmon smolts held in freshwater were fed with diets containing emamectin benzoate at nominal doses of 0 (control), 50 (recommended dose) and 250 (5× recommended dose) μg kg⁻¹ fish day⁻¹ for 7 days (days 0–6). Actual dose rates, based on measured concentrations of emamectin benzoate in feed, differences in fish weight, and feed consumed, were 0, 54, and 272 μg kg⁻¹ day⁻¹, respectively. On day 9, fish were transferred to seawater and observed for 14 days. No differences in feeding response, coordination, behaviour, gross and histological appearance were observed between control fish and those that received 54 μg kg⁻¹ day⁻¹. Among smolts that received 272 μg kg⁻¹ day⁻¹, approximately 50% exhibited darker coloration, and one fish (1%) exhibited uncoordinated swimming behaviour. No pathognomonic signs of emamectin benzoate toxicity were identified.

In the efficacy study, smolts held in freshwater were fed an unmedicated ration (control group) or emamectin benzoate at 50 μg kg⁻¹ day⁻¹ (treated group) for 7 days (days 0–6). On day 9, fish were re-distributed to eight seawater tanks, each holding 30 control and 30 treated fish. On days 28, 56, 77 and 109, respectively, control and treated fish in two tanks were challenged with L. salmonis copepodites. When lice in each group reached chalimus stage IV, fish were sampled and the numbers of lice were recorded. Fish challenged at day 109 were sampled for the second time when lice were at the adult stage. Efficacy was calculated as the reduction in the mean number of lice on treated fish relative to the mean on control fish. Treatment with emamectin benzoate resulted in an efficacy of 85.0–99.8% in fish challenged at days 28–77, from the start of treatment, and lice counts were significantly lower (P<0.001) on treated fish than on controls. When fish challenged at day 109 were sampled at day 128, efficacy was 44.3%, but survival of chalimus to adult lice on treated fish was lower, and at day 159, efficacy had increased to 73%. These results demonstrate that treatment of salmon smolts with emamectin benzoate in freshwater was well tolerated and highly effective in preventing sea lice infestation following transfer of fish to seawater.     

Structure and Management Issues of the Emerging Ornamental Fish Trade In Eritrea

Following independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea resumed exploiting Red Sea and Arabian fish species for the ornamental trade in 1995 as a means to earn foreign exchange from sparsely exploited marine resources. This paper describes the findings of research conducted in 1997, in collaboration with the Eritrean Ministry of Fisheries. The capture, transport and export of aquarium fish were reviewed and potential impacts and the status of management were investigated through liaison with stakeholders and researchers. From 1995 to 1997 two companies exported approximately 60,000 fish per year, mainly to the USA, worth US$65,000 (export value). Seventy-five species (from 22 families) were exported. Damselfishes made up two-thirds of total exports but more valuable families (angelfishes and butterflyfishes) were more economically significant. To earn revenue for Eritrea, a 20% export tax was imposed, although this was calculated from declarations by the operators. The emerging nature of the trade allowed detailed monitoring by the Ministry of Fisheries. However, management efforts were constrained by a lack of capacity for enforcement and baseline research. Several potential effects of the trade exist but other, land-based impacts may be more pressing concerns for Eritrea's reefs. Research priorities for management are discussed as well as the implications of mariculture of Eritrean species by other nations.     

Pigmentation, carotenoids, lipid peroxides and lipid composition of skin of red porgy (Pagrus pagrus) fed diets supplemented with different astaxanthin sources

A feeding experiment was carried out to determine the efficiency of different commercial sources, chemical forms and levels, of dietary astaxanthin, to appropriately pigment the red porgy (Pagrus pagrus) skin. According to this, total carotenoid content, profiles and chemical forms present in the skin were determined. In order to establish the potential for antioxidant protecting role of astaxanthin supplemented diets, peroxide levels and lipid composition of skin were also determined.

Red porgy alevins were fed six dietary treatments in triplicate; a basal diet (B) without carotenoids; two diets (N25 and N50) formulated to supply either 25 or 50 mg kg^− 1 of an esterified source of astaxanthin (Haematococcus pluvialis, NatuRose™); two diets (CP25 and CP50) with either 25 or 50 mg kg^− 1 of unesterified astaxanthin (Carophyll® Pink); and a positive control diet (B + S) proved as a successful pigmenting-diet in previous experiences (B + S, 88% basal diet:12% frozen shrimp) [Cejas, J., Almansa, E., Tejera, N., Jerez, S., Bolaños, A., Lorenzo, A., 2003. Effect of dietary supplementation with shrimp on skin pigmentation and lipid composition of red porgy (P. pagrus) alevins. Aquaculture 218, 457–469].

All fish fed carotenoid supplemented diets displayed a pink-coloured skin after 4 months of feeding in contrast to the greyish appearance displayed by fish fed the basal diet not supplemented with carotenoids (B). Furthermore, astaxanthin diesters were the major carotenoid in the skin of pink fish. A second carotenoid, tentatively identified as tunaxanthin diester, was also detected. The best results in terms of skin natural reddish hue, total carotenoid and astaxanthin contents were found by using the esterified forms of dietary astaxanthin (N25, N50 and B + S). Interestingly, the lowest levels of lipid peroxides were found in the fish fed these three treatments. However, no effect of treatment on lipid composition was found. In conclusion, red porgy alevins are able to efficiently utilise dietary natural or synthetic astaxanthin, and deposit this pigment in its esterified form to acquire an acceptable pink-coloured skin compared to that of the wild fish.     

黄海北部发现的中华白海豚Ⅰ.外形和内脏器官的测定结果

中华白海豚(SousaChinensis)属于国家Ⅰ级重点保护野生动物,在中国主要分布于广西、海南、广东、香港、澳门、台湾、福建、浙江沿岸,向北可达长江口。2003年5月9日在黄海北部(北纬39°35′01″,东经122°51′50″),由于渔业生产误捕的中华白海豚,是迄今为止该种发现的最北记录,笔者报告了对该海豚的外形和内脏器官测定结果。     

The high biodiversity and vulnerability of two Mediterranean bathyal seamounts support the need for creating offshore protected areas

1. Seamounts host some of the most important deep-sea ecosystems. The unique environmental characteristics of seamounts sustain rich biological hot spots, which, in recent times, have suffered the effects of intense fishing pressure.
2. Biodiversity and vulnerability data are extremely scarce for Mediterranean seamounts, and this, in addition to the complex socio-economic and juridical status of offshore sites, results in difficulty in identifying the best management strategies.
3. An extensive remotely operated vehicle (ROV) survey was used to characterize the megabenthic assemblages of the summits of two upper bathyal seamounts, Ulisse and Penelope (Ligurian Sea, north-west Mediterranean Sea). The biogeographic implications of these findings and the possible environmental factors favouring the occurrence of these communities are discussed.
4. High densities of abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear (mainly longlines) and a reduction in the average size of the fragile and slow-growing habitat-forming gorgonian Callogorgia verticillata indicate the occurrence of high levels of anthropogenic impacts on the summit regions, which are fishing grounds for artisanal and recreational fishers.
5. The recovery of fishing data describing the first catches in the 1970s proved to be useful in inferring the short- and long-term effects of fishing practices in these previously unexploited offshore areas. In particular, the local extinction of demersal top predators, subjected to exceptional catches nearly 50 years ago, highlights the slow recovery rate of such species.
6. Criteria defining vulnerability are discussed for the two study areas, and specific conservation actions, including the creation of regulated protected areas, are proposed.

     

Predicting summer fin whale distribution in the Pelagos Sanctuary (north-western Mediterranean Sea) to identify dynamic whale–vessel collision risk areas

1. Mediterranean fin whales aggregating in the Pelagos Sanctuary in summer to feed are exposed to vessel collision risk, particularly from high-speed ferries.
2. This study developed models to predict summer fin whale distribution using a generalized additive model (GAM) and MaxEnt, with the aim of providing a tool to identify potential high whale–ferry collision risk areas along ferry routes within the Pelagos Sanctuary during summertime.
3. Models were trained using sightings data collected in the summer months of 2009–2018 on board ferries crossing the central area of the Pelagos Sanctuary. Environmental predictors were bathymetry and mean sea surface chlorophyll concentration of the annual spring bloom period.
4. The predictive ability of GAM and MaxEnt was assessed using existing knowledge of summer fin whale distribution in the region. GAM (deviance explained = 20.2%) predictions matched documented distributions more closely than that of MaxEnt, with highest predicted fin whale occurrence in deep offshore waters (>2000 m) encompassing the central north-western and western regions, and in the south-eastern region, consistent with known fin whale habitats within the Pelagos Sanctuary. Inter-annual variability was evident, influencing collision risk areas.
5. Collision risk was estimated as a function of the overlap between the predicted probability of fin whale occurrence and ferry density estimated from Automated Identification System data. Ferry routes that cross the northern and eastern regions of the Pelagos Sanctuary presented relatively higher collision risk.
6. Areas with changes in risk intensity between the years were temporally and spatially dynamic: some appeared intermittently throughout the study period while others persisted over consecutive years or recurred in different years.
7. Due to the vastness of the Pelagos Sanctuary, vessel speed reduction maybe a more practical measure to manage collision risk than re-routing shipping lanes. A combination of Seasonal Management Areas and Dynamic Management Areas approaches could be adopted for high-risk areas.

     

Modelling the transport of particles in the North Sea with reference to sandeel larvae

The transport of particles representing sandeel larvae in the North Sea is simulated with a three-dimensional circulation model for the years 1976 to 1990. A great year-to-year variability in drift patterns is demonstrated. The results may explain some of the observed differences in recruitment between the main sandeel areas in the North Sea. In the northern sandeel area it seems that strong year classes are unlikely if the retention due to unfavourable currents is poor, and that a high retention in the summer may favour a good year class. In the southern sandeel area no clear coupling between year class strength and larval drift is found, possibly because the retention always seems large enough for a potentially good year class. For more quantitative use of such models in relation to sandeel recruitment, more biological knowledge is obviously needed on larval vertical distribution and timing of sandeel hatching and settling.     

平鲷胚胎发育及仔,稚,幼鱼的形态观察

本文介绍以人工繁殖所获得的平鲷受精卵进行孵化,培育的结果。连续观察并描述该种鱼的胚胎发育过程及仔、稚、幼鱼的形态。     

东海区发展水产资源增养殖的设想

东海区海岸线和岛屿岸线分别占全国的34%和49.1%,面积大于500m~2的岛屿共3481个,潍涂面积占全国的46.7%。港湾众多,总面积25507 km~2,0～20 m 水深的浅海面积64461 km~2,约占全国50%。东海区栖息了许多名特优的渔业资源,海洋生物具有相当的丰度和广度,水文环境稳定,营养盐类丰富,初级生产力高,也是多种鱼类、虾类、蟹类的栖息、繁殖场所。东海区(包括福建省、浙江省、上海市和江苏省)1991年海水增养殖面积达1335 km~2,总产量48.0万 t。全区具有较大规模的海带育苗、紫菜育苗、贝类育苗、虾类育苗、海蜇育苗的场地和设备。鱼类育苗技术不断提高.现已进行了约80个种类的人工、半人工育苗及20个种类的增殖放流或移植、自然增殖的试验。海水养殖种类达40～50种。东海区得天独厚的具有高经济价值的鳗苗和中华绒螫蟹苗的天然苗种资源。东海区既是全国海水增养殖业的重要基地也希望取得周边国家和地区的支持和合作。提出了今后(2000年止)发展的具体设想内容及主要项目,以及应采取的措施等,具有指导意义。