Comparative study on dietary protein requirements for juvenile and pre‐adult gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio var. CAS III)

Two 8‐week growth trials were conducted in indoor recirculation system to evaluate the protein requirements for juvenile (3.70 ± 0.20 g) and pre‐adult (85.2 ± 0.70 g) gibel carp, Carassius auratus gibelio var. CAS III. Six isoenergetic diets were formulated for each trial using fish meal and casein as protein sources, and protein level was 250–450 g kg^?1 in Trial 1 and 200–450 g kg^?1 in Trial 2. With the increasing dietary protein, feeding rate (FR) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Weight gain (WG) increased first and then reached a plateau in 330–450 g kg^?1 in Trial 1 (P > 0.05), while decreased after the maximum value in 350 g kg^?1 in Trial 2 (P < 0.05). Productive protein values (PPVs) were lower in 370–450 g kg^?1 in Trial 1 and 400–450 g kg^?1 in Trial 2 (P < 0.05). Increasing dietary protein level increased protein content and decreased lipid content in whole fish body and white muscle (P < 0.05). Apparent digestibility coefficient of dry matters (ADC_d) decreased, while apparent digestibility coefficient of protein (ADC_p) increased in 370–450 g kg^?1 in Trial 1 and 250–450 g kg^?1 in Trial 2 (P < 0.05). Trypsin activity significantly increased in 370–450 g kg^?1 in Trial 1 (P < 0.05) and was not affected in Trial 2 (P > 0.05). Hepatic alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities in both trials increased when dietary protein was above 400 g kg^?1 (P < 0.05). Based on quadratic regression of WG, it was estimated that dietary protein requirement for maximum growth was 414 g kg^?1 (digestible protein of 376 g kg^?1) and 365 g kg^?1 (digestible protein of 324 g kg^?1) for juvenile (3.70 g) and pre‐adult gibel carp (85.2 g).     

Dietary α‐Ketoglutarate supplementation alleviates harmful effects of high environmental ammonia on grass carp,Ctenopharyngodon idella

Current intensive fish farming usually causes high environmental ammonia (HEA) in ponds that is toxic to fish. α‐Ketoglutarate (α‐KG) can be rapidly transaminated to glutamic acid and further aminated to glutamine. Therefore, we hypothesized that dietary α‐KG supplementation would alleviate HEA toxicity to fish. To test the hypothesis, 270 healthy grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) juveniles were randomly assigned to control, HEA (18.37 mg/L ammonia) and HEA + α‐KG (0.75% of α‐KG) groups. Ammonia and free amino acid content in plasma and brain, liver glutamic pyruvic transaminase and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase activity, and urea and glycogen content were measured on the first, seventh and 42nd days. Our results showed short‐term HEA exposure (1 day) led to a significant ammonia accumulation in the brain and plasma and significantly decreased glutamic and aspartic acid content in the brain and increased glutamine content in the brain and plasma. The long‐term HEA exposure (42 days) caused significant reductions in glycine and arginine content in the brain tissue. In most cases, dietary α‐KG supplementation alleviated the fluctuations in FAA content in the brain and plasma. Our results suggested dietary α‐KG alleviated HEA toxicity to grass carp.     

Study on the adaptability of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) to diets from the perspective of digestion and absorption

As an ecologically sustainable aquaculture mode, the rice‐fish approach has been paid more attention in recent years. In rice paddies, there are plant and animal diet items available to fish, but it is not clear how common carp adapt to different diets. In view of this, common carp (initial weight 492.6 ± 30 g, n = 270) were randomly divided into three groups and fed with earthworms (group A), earthworms + duckweed (group M) and duckweed (group P) respectively. After 8 weeks under these feeding regimes, the intestinal digestive enzymes activities were assayed, and intestinal tissue sections stained with HE and AB‐PAS were used to observe the morphology. The results showed that the activities of trypsin and lipase were highest in group A, followed by group M and group P. Group A had greater intestinal fold height, fold width and fold absorption area than the other groups (p < .05), especially in the foregut. Meanwhile, the total number of mucous cells was largest in group P, followed by the groups M and A. Totally, activities and distributions of digestive enzymes, fold height, fold width, fold absorption area and number and distribution of mucous cells of common carp were affected by the type of diet. Based on these results, it was found that common carp has strong adaptability to diets, and it was speculated that the majority of digestion and absorption of protein was concentrated in the foregut, while for starch and cellulose, it was spread out along the whole intestine.     

Reproductive ability of triploid ornamental (koi) carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) × goldfish (Carassius auratus L.) hybrids and characteristics of their offspring

The purpose of this study was to investigate reproductive ability of backcross triploid koi (Cyprinus carpio L.) × goldfish (Carassius auratus L.) hybrids. These triploids have been obtained by crossing of F₁ hybrid females producing diploid eggs with males of parental species. Triploid hybrid females, when crossed with goldfish or koi males, produced mostly aneuploid fish with ploidy range from approximately 2.2n–3.2n with a mean value 2.5n; some fish in crosses of triploid females with koi males were tetraploid (4.0n). Since analysed fish had in their genomes one haploid set from parental males, the data indicate that triploid hybrid females mostly produced aneuploid eggs with ploidy range from approximately 1.2n–2.2n and a mean ploidy around 1.5n while some eggs were triploid. Triploid hybrid males were completely sterile and have not released any sperm after hormonal injection. Despite their low viability, some aneuploid fish obtained from triploid hybrid females were raised in indoor recirculating systems until the age of 2 years and their reproductive ability has been evaluated. One aneuploid female with ploidy 2.1n produced larvae with ploidy range from 2.9n to 3.4n with a mean ploidy of 3.1n when crossed with a koi male; about 60% of obtained larvae had ploidy from 3.0n to 3.2n. These data indicate that this female produced mostly eggs with unreduced ploidy level.     

5种药物对异育银鲫"中科3号"受精卵孵化的影响

在水温21~23℃,pH 6.2~6.5条件下,采用半静水试验法,按等对数间距设置药物质量浓度梯度,日换水50%,补充药物50%,24 h观察记录1次,比较美婷Ⅱ、霉灵、纳他霉素、杀毒矾和高锰酸钾5种药物对异育银鲫"中科3号"受精卵水霉抑制作用及孵化率的影响。试验结果显示,试验药物对受精卵水霉生长均有一定抑制作用,其抑霉率为美婷Ⅱ>霉灵>高锰酸钾、纳他霉素和杀毒矾,但杀毒矾对异育银鲫"中科3号"受精卵的毒副作用较大,显著降低了受精卵孵化率,不宜使用;美婷Ⅱ、霉灵、纳他霉素和高锰酸钾对异育银鲫"中科3号"受精卵的适宜使用质量浓度分别为4.90~6.50、1.97~3.87、1.50、2.50 mg/L,使用方法为长时间浸浴,可有效抑制受精卵孵化过程中水霉的生长,显著提高受精卵孵化率,适合在异育银鲫"中科3号"受精卵孵化过程中使用。     

Dietary quercetin improved the growth,antioxidation, and flesh quality of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)

To investigate the effects of dietary quercetin on growth, antioxidation, and flesh quality of grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella, six diets were prepared with quercetin inclusion rates of 0 (control diet), 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 g/kg. Grass carp with a body weight of 13.3 ± 0.1 g were fed with one of the six diets for 60 days. The weight gain (WG) showed a quadratic relationship with dietary quercetin levels; the supplementation of 0.4 g/kg quercetin significantly improved WG (+4.73%) and decreased feed conversion ratio (?0.06) (p < .05) when compared to those of the control group. The intestinal fat ratio was reduced by the addition of 0.2 or 0.4 g/kg of quercetin (p < .05), and serum activities of alkaline phosphatase and superoxide dismutase were increased by the addition of 0.4 and 0.6 g/kg of quercetin (p < .05). The inclusion of 0.2–0.6 g/kg of quercetin increased the contents of delicious amino acids and decreased the cooking loss of flesh (p < .05). Flesh collagen content was increased by the addition of 0.4–0.8 g/kg of quercetin (p < .05). In conclusion, dietary quercetin could improve the growth and enhance the antioxidation and flesh quality of grass carp, with the recommended supplemental level of quercetin was 0.37 g/kg.     

Impact of Wall Material on the Physiochemical Properties and Oxidative Stability of Microencapsulated Spray Dried Silver Carp Oil

This study aimed to microencapsulate silver carp oil by spray drying with different combinations of wall materials (gum Arabic, modified starch Hi-cap, maltodextrin, and inulin) and evaluate the effects of these combinations on the physiochemical and oxidative stability of the microcapsules. Feed emulsions were also investigated prior to spray drying. Modified starch-based microcapsules had higher encapsulation efficiency (91.22-92.78%) and yield (87.41-92.15%), excellent solubility (91.85-93.67%), good particle size (301.20-407.73 d.nm), color, and powder morphology. The presence of inulin reduced agglomeration in powders. All the powders exhibited good protection against lipid oxidation during 2 months of storage, whereas the modified starch and inulin combination provided the best stability.     

The effect of feeding commercial diets on the development of juvenile crucian carp (Carassius carassius,L.). Part 1: Skeletal deformations

The crucian carp (Carassius carassius, L.) is a cyprinid freshwater species, whose wild‐living populations have decreased in recent years due to an increasing competition of invasive species. Several initiatives were launched, attempting to reintroduce this fish back into its native open waters, which requires the use of crucian carp fry grown under controlled conditions. However, the use of popular commercial diets results in severe developmental abnormalities. The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of feeding natural feed (Chironomidae sp. larvae) or two popular commercial diets on the skeletal development of crucian carp juveniles. Whole‐mount staining and histological methods were used in the study. Skeletal tissues of fish fed both commercial diets were demineralized and displayed a variety of deformities, such as abnormal vertebral spines and vertebral fusion, as well as a new type of deformation, which involved the action of dorsal fin pterygiophores upon the spine. Finally, a novel analytical method was proposed, which utilizes LA‐ICP‐MS for the estimation of bone mineralization. The study proved that basic commercial diets are inadequate for the rearing of crucian carp juveniles.     

Use of supplemental amino acids on the success of reducing dietary protein levels for Jian carp (Cyprinus carpio var. Jian)

A feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of essential amino acids (EAA) supplementation on the success of dietary protein reduction for Jian carp (Cyprinus carpio var. Jian). Five diets were formulated including a positive control (Diet 1, 378.4 g/kg protein), a negative control (Diet 5, 289.8 g/kg protein) and three test diets (Diet 2‐Diet 4, 340.4–299.0 g/kg protein supplemented with EAA). No significant decline of growth performance in fish fed decreased dietary protein with EAA supplementation, which were significantly higher than the negative control. The apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC) of protein and most EAAs were not significantly affected by the dietary treatments. Dietary treatments did not affect whole‐body composition, but influenced protein and EAAs retentions. Total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) excretion decreased with the decreasing dietary protein, and the highest plasma ammonia content was observed in fish fed Diet 5. Plasma glucose concentration increased with the decreasing dietary protein reduction, while other plasma parameters were not affected by dietary treatments. These results indicated that low‐protein diets (299.0 g/kg) supplemented with EAA can maintain protein, EAA digestibility and retention in Jian carp, and also has benefit in the reduction of TAN excretion.     

添加芽孢杆菌对草鱼池塘中真核微生物的影响

为了研究添加芽孢杆菌对池塘中真核微生物群落结构和理化因子的影响,采用高通量测序技术分析了实验组(添加芽孢杆菌池塘)与对照组(普通池塘)水体真核微生物群落结构,同时分析了两组池塘的水体理化指标。结果表明:8、9月实验组池塘水体中TN、NH_4~+-N、NO_3~--N含量显著低于对照组(P0.05)。水体中梅尼小环藻(Cyclotella meneghiniana)、红囊藻(Hedriocystis)、蓝隐藻(Chroomonas)、丝孢酵母属(Trichosporon)和小环藻属(Cyclotella)真核微生物丰度显著高于对照组(P0.05)。实验组池塘水体真核微生物Chao1指数和Shannon指数显著高于对照组(P0.05)。实验结果证实:通过向池塘添加芽孢杆菌,可以改变水体中真核微生物群落的结构,从而实现对池塘理化因子的调节。研究结果对于降低水产养殖尾水对水域环境的污染具有一定的意义。