An ecosystem-based assessment of the Korean blue crab trammel net fishery in the Yellow Sea and management implications

Landings in the blue crab, Portunus trituberculatus, fishery in Korean waters of the Yellow Sea have declined substantially from 11,000 t in the 1980s to 2,300 t in 2004. Blue crab habitat quality in the Yellow Sea has been degraded by anthropogenic activities including sand mining, land reclamation, and coastal pollution. Various traditional management measures have been implemented, including closed seasons during spawning and size limits, but these measures alone have been unsuccessful to conserve blue crab stocks. Consequently, a total allowable catch and a stock-rebuilding program using an ecosystem-based management approach were implemented in 2003 and 2006, respectively to rebuild blue crab stocks and restore habitats. This program involved assessment of both blue crab stock status and trammel-net fishery impacts at an ecosystem-level using an ecosystem-based fisheries assessment method ( [Zhang et al., 2009] and [Zhang et al., 2010]), which considered fishery data from catch and effort time-series, crab population biology, and ecosystem characteristics, including habitats and environmental conditions. Recent (2008) management status indices have shown significant positive change compared to conditions in 2000 with respect to sustainability of the stock and fishery and with regards to biodiversity and ecosystem habitat quality.     

池塘虾蟹生态养殖微孔管道增氧高产高效养殖试验

利用微孔管道增氧技术,进行池塘虾蟹生态养殖试验。结果表明,在16675m2池塘中收获河蟹2800kg,平均单产达112kg/667m2,平均效益达7500元/667m2。微孔管道增氧技术对虾蟹养殖增产增效作用明显。     

Reproductive season and female maturity size of coconut crab <Emphasis Type="Italic">Birgus latro</Emphasis> on Hatoma Island,southern Japan

Information about reproductive season, size at sexual maturity and size-dependent reproductive potentials is important for efficient resource management. Such information is necessary to determine seasonal closures and minimum legal size limits. To conserve resources of coconut crab Birgus latro, which are in danger of extinction due to excessive exploitation, their reproductive season, female size at functional maturity and relationship between female size and reproductive potentials were investigated. The reproductive season started in early June and ended late August, and females with higher reproductive potentials showed a tendency to spawn early in the reproductive season. The prohibition of exploiting the resources during the reproductive season, especially early in the season, would be appropriate for sustainability of high reproductive outputs. Fifty percent of investigated females matured functionally at 24.5-mm thoracic length (TL). However, the size at which all females reached functional maturity was 32.3 mm TL, and there was a wide variation in the size of functional maturity among individuals. We must determine minimum legal size by taking the variation into account to allow all individuals to mate at least once before they are caught, which may prevent serious depression in reproductive rate and genetic diversity.     

Post-molt processes of cuticle formation and calcification in the Japanese mitten crab <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eriocheir japonicus</Emphasis>

This study examines the following in the Japanese mitten crab: (1) the structure of the exoskeleton with special reference to its calcification; (2) the progression of post-molt cuticle formation and calcification. In the crab, the structure and calcification state of the exoskeleton at the molt and during the inter-molt stage were similar to those of other crustaceans. During the inter-molt, the exoskeleton consisted of four cuticle layers; the outermost epicuticle, the exocuticle, the endocuticle and the innermost membrane layer. Intense calcification was observed in the exo- and endocuticle. At the molt, the synthesis of the epi- and exocuticle was already complete, and the addition of the endocuticle began after the molt. Calcification of the exocuticle initiated soon after the molt, but there was a delay between endocuticle matrix synthesis and calcification. Histology showed that the process of calcification was similar to that in other crustaceans. However, calcium concentrations within the exoskeleton continued to increase and never reached the levels of the inter-molt stage at the end of the experiment. This suggests that the Japanese mitten crab is relatively slow to calcify compared to other crustaceans.     

Prediction of timing of mating and egg extrusion in the coconut crab <Emphasis Type="Italic">Birgus latro</Emphasis> judged from female pleonal expansion

A temporal pattern of reproductive activities of biological resources is essential information for the implementation of specific seasonal closures. First we investigated the relationship between the female pleonal expansion and female reproductive condition (i.e., non-ovigerous, ovigerous, or with spermatophores) to clarify the morphological characteristics of female coconut crabs that were able to mate. Second, we mated females with males in captivity to examine the relationship between the degree of female pleonal expansion and mating success. The index of pleonal expansion (ratio of inter-tergite distances to thoracic length) was significantly different among female reproductive conditions; females with spermatophores just before egg extrusion had the most expanded pleon. In the mating trials, all females showing index values higher than 0.35 mated with males. These results indicate that the female pleonal expansion has a strong relation to reproductive activities of females and can be applied as a morphological criterion for selecting females being able to mate. Next, we investigated whether reproductive activities of female coconut crabs are related to the lunar cycle. The reproductive activities were synchronized with the lunar cycle, and most females mated and extruded eggs around the new moon phase. These results have considerable implications for resource management and aquaculture for this species.     

关于大庆市河蟹养殖情况的调查

文章通过对大庆市杜蒙、林句、肇源三县的实地调查，全面介绍了这些地方河蟹养殖的基本情况、突出特点，分析了河蟹养殖发展过程中存在的制约因素和问题，结合大庆市的实际情况，提出了今后发展河蟹养殖业的相关对策建议。     

北部沿海人工繁殖长江蟹试验

首次在北部沿海进行了长江蟹人工繁殖试验，报告了亲蟹促产，越冬培育，饵料投喂，水质管理，幼体孵化，幼体培育等全套工艺流程，交配抱卵率达８１％，越冬成活率８４．６％，大眼幼体育成率２２．５％，认为长江蟹，黄河蟹幼体培育方法一致，培养结果，育成率无显著差异，但越冬水深应保持１．５ｍ以上，亲蟹须先进行１５￣２０天强化培育。     

Effect of casein substitution with fishmeal, soybean meal and crustacean meal in the diet of the abalone Haliotis discus hannai Ino

The effect of dietary substitution of casein with fishmeal, soybean meal and crustacean meal on the growth of the abalone Haliotis discus hannai Ino was determined. A 350 g casein per kilogram diet was included into the CS diet. The whole casein was then substituted by: (1) 300 g fishmeal and 200 g soybean meal per kilogram diet (FS), (2) 200 g fishmeal, 200 g soybean meal and 130 g krill meal per kilogram diet (FSK), (3) 200 g fishmeal, 200 g soybean meal and 280 g red crab meal per kilogram diet (FSC) or (4) 200 g fishmeal, 200 g soybean meal and 130 g shrimp head meal per kilogram diet (FSS). In addition, a 50‐g by‐product of green tea per kilogram diet was included in the FS diet to form the FSG diet. Sea tangle (ST)diet was supplied to abalone as a control feed. Weight gain, final shell length and final shell width of abalone fed with the various substitution feeds (FS, FSK, FSC, FSS and FSG) were not different from those obtained with the CS diet. All the formulated feeds, however, produced higher weight gain and final shell width values than the ST diet. The results of this study show that casein can be replaced with a combination of fishmeal, soybean meal, krill meal, crab meal and/or shrimp head meal in the diet without a retardation of growth of abalone.     

中华绒螯蟹卵黄发生的超微结构研究

对中华绒螯蟹卵母细胞卵黄发生全过程进行了电镜观察，结果表明：卵黄发生前期的卵母细胞为小生长期初级卵母细胞，细胞质嗜碱性、无卵黄颗粒，与卵原细胞相比，内质网等细胞组分数量明显增多；卵黄发生期的卵母细胞为大生长期初级卵母细胞，细胞质中出现指滴和大量卵黄颗粒，高尔基复合体、内质网、核糖体和溶酶体等细胞器均参与卵黄合成，细胞核呈生发泡状，细胞表面形成微绒毛，卵周隙中出现致密颗粒物质，但未被卵母细胞吸收；卵     

中华绒螯蟹中微量元素的分布及评估

研究了中华绒螯蟹中K、Na、Fe、Zn、Cu、Cd、Pb和Cr等微量元素在身体肌肉、螯足肌肉、鳃丝、性腺和肝胰脏中的分布状况,以及雄蟹和雌蟹的差异,并对中华绒螯蟹微量元素的营养价值和重金属污染的情况进行了评价。结果表明,中华绒螯蟹中K、Na含量最高,Fe、Zn、Cu次之,Cd、Pb、Cr最低。同一元素在不同部位的分布有较明显的差异,鳃丝中各种微量元素的含量都较高。多数微量元素的含量在雌雄蟹各部位之间没有明显的差异,但性腺中Cd、Cu、Na、K和Cr的含量有明显的差异,其中Cr在雌蟹和雄蟹肌肉中的含量也有明显的差异。中华绒螯蟹是K、Na、Fe、Zn、Cu等微量元素的良好食品来源,但Pb、Cd污染情况较为严重。