Comparative effects of Shirazi thyme and vitamin E on some growth and plasma biochemical changes in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) during cadmium exposure

Phytobiotics include a large number of active components which potentially have a growth‐promoting effects and antioxidant properties. This study was conducted to investigate the protective effects of Shirazi thyme and vitamin E on growth and plasma biochemical parameters of common carp exposed to cadmium. Fish (34 ± 3 g) were divided into four groups and fed four distinct diets including commercial diet without any additive (for control and metal only group) and supplemented with either 1% ground Shirazi thyme or 100 mg kg^?1 vitamin E for 45 days. At the end of the feeding trial, all treatments except control group were exposed to sub‐lethal concentration of waterborne cadmium for 15 days and sampling was done on days 0, 7 and 15 after the metal exposure. According to the results, dietary inclusion of thyme prevented the harmful effects of cadmium and also improved fish growth and nutritional indices including weight gain, feed conversion ratio, specific growth rate and condition factor. Results also revealed that Shirazi thyme was more effective than vitamin E. Similarly, no changes in the hepatosomatic, viscerosomatic and bile somatic indices were observed. Plasma enzymes (AST, ALT, ALP and LDH) and metabolites were not altered due to thyme supplementation compared to the control. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of 1% ground Shiraz thyme improved the growth and health status of fish and showed better hepatorenoprotective properties than vitamin E during waterborne cadmium exposure in common carp juveniles. It might be conceivable to consider Shirazi thyme as a potential phytobiotic for incorporation in fish diet.     

鱼类miRNAs研究新进展

正MicroRNAs(miRNAs)是一类内生性的、进化上高度保守的单链成熟非编码RNA,长度约21~25个核苷酸,广泛存在植物、动物及微生物中~[1-2],参与生物体的胚胎形成、个体生长发育、机体免疫、疾病防御以及繁殖和糖脂类代谢等生命过程~[3-8]。目前,基于生物信息学预测,miRNAs约占整个基因组的2%~3%~[9]。自Lee等~[10]利用定位克隆法从秀丽隐杆线虫(Caenorhabditis elegans)中克隆到     

Large‐scale patterns of fish diversity and assemblage structure in the longest tropical river in Asia

Although the Mekong River is one of the world's 35 biodiversity hot spots, the large‐scale patterns of fish diversity and assemblage structure remain poorly addressed. This study aimed to investigate the fish distribution patterns in the Lower Mekong River (LMR) and to identify their environmental determinants. Daily fish catch data (i.e. from December 2000 to November 2001) at 38 sites distributed along the LMR were related to 15 physicochemical and 19 climatic variables. As a result, four different clusters were defined according to the similarity in assemblage composition and 80 indicator species were identified. While fish species richness was highest in the Mekong delta and lowest in the upper part of the LMR, the diversity index was highest in the middle part of the LMR and lowest in the delta. We found that fish assemblages changed along the environmental gradients and that the main drivers affecting the fish assemblage structure were the seasonal variation of temperature, precipitation, dissolved oxygen, pH and total phosphorus. Specifically, upstream assemblages were characterised by cyprinids and Pangasius catfish, well suited to low temperature, high dissolved oxygen and high pH. Fish assemblages in the delta were dominated by perch‐like fish and clupeids, more tolerant to high temperatures, and high levels of nutrients (nitrates and total phosphorus) and salinity. Overall, the patterns were consistent between seasons. Our study contributes to establishing the first holistic fish community study in the LMR.     

西藏鱼类增殖放流初报

西藏土著鱼类生长缓慢、性成熟晚并对环境变化高度敏感。近年来,受过度捕捞、水利工程建设等人类活动的影响,西藏渔业资源面临越来越大的压力。开展增殖放流活动是恢复当地渔业资源和生态平衡的重要手段。本文介绍了西藏鱼类增殖放流概况、苗种来源、放流实施、效果评估情况,分析了目前存在的基础研究不足、苗种来源不稳定、缺乏技术规范、效果评估有待加强等问题。提出了加强增殖放流基础设施建设和基础理论研究、建立西藏鱼类增殖放流与效果评估技术规范、重视放流后的管理与评估工作、加强专业技术人才队伍建设的建议。     

High fluid shear strain causes injury in silver shark: Preliminary implications for Mekong hydropower turbine design

The Lower Mekong Basin is facing unprecedented threats to fish diversity from hydropower development. There is increasing pressure on developers and construction authorities to design solutions to improve fish survival through turbines, thus protecting the resources in regions being developed for hydropower. A hydraulic characteristic of hydropower turbines with known fisheries impacts is fluid shear stress. Elevated shear stress occurs where rapidly flowing water passes near spillways, screens and within turbine draft tubes. Shear stress can have adverse impacts on fish, but no work has assessed whether this holds true for Mekong River species. A flume was used to determine critical tolerances of silver shark, Balantiocheilos melanopterus (Bleeker), to shear stress rates at a high‐velocity jet which simulated a hydropower turbine. Fish were assessed for injury or mortality following exposure. Results were compared against a no‐shear control. Injury and mortality were greater at higher shear stress exposures. Injuries occurred at all shear exposure levels with mortality at shear levels higher than 600/s. This approach should help design future hydropower turbines if data on other species demonstrate similar results. If the likelihood of adverse impact is high, then shear stress will need to be considered in the design of future hydropower facilities.     

Impacts of diet on hindgut microbiota and short‐chain fatty acids in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus)

Diet is known to influence intestinal microbiota in fish, but the specifics of these impacts are still poorly understood. Different protein/fibre ratio diets may result in differing structures and activities of gut microbiota. We examined the hindgut microbiome of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) fed three different diets: fish meal (FM, high protein – low fibre), Sudan grass (SG, high fibre – low protein) and compound feed (CF, intermediate). Microbial profiles of fish fed on FM were significantly different from profiles of fish fed CF and SG (F = 18.85, p < .01). Cetobacterium, known to be positively associated with protein digestion, was the dominant microbial group in FM samples (approximately 75.7%), while Lachnospiraceae and Erysipelotrichaceae, thought to be involved in fermentation of plant polysaccharides, were dominant in CF and SG samples (46.8% and 42.9% respectively). Network analyses indicated that the abundance of Lachnospiraceae and Erysipelotrichaceae was in a significantly positive correlation (r = .895, p = .001). Short‐chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels may indicate that the digestibility of diet by microbiota in the grass carp gut decreased from FM to SG (FM>CF>SG). Overall low SCFA levels indicate that hindgut fermentation probably provides a low proportion of energy requirements in grass carp.     

Factors influencing the abundance of three common nearshore fishes in south‐west Lake Michigan

Variation in the distribution and abundance of nearshore fishes is critical to understand food web processes and fishery management issues in Lake Michigan. This study characterised patterns in abundance of three common nearshore species, yellow perch Perca flavescens (Mitchell), round goby Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas) and alewife Alosa pseudoharengus (Wilson), in relation to spatio‐temporal, abiotic and biotic factors using gillnet sampling conducted across 5 years at multiple locations representing different substrates. Significant variations were observed in alewife and round goby catches between locations. A negative relationship between round goby and age‐0 yellow perch catch was observed, indicating potential competition between the two species. This study demonstrates that variability in nearshore fish communities can be driven by factors including substrate and interspecific interactions. Given the prominent role these species play in Lake Michigan's food web and thus their importance to fishery production, a thorough understanding of these factors is warranted.     

鱼类生殖细胞移植的研究进展及应用前景

生殖细胞移植是指将供体的生殖细胞移植到同种或异种受体体内,供体生殖细胞嵌合到受体性腺,经过增殖、分化并最终发育为功能性配子的过程。作为辅助生殖技术,它不仅为珍稀濒危动物的繁育和保护提供了新途径,同时也为生殖干细胞的功能研究提供了有效手段。鱼类生殖细胞移植研究首先在模式鱼类斑马鱼中开展,经过十多年的发展,取得了一系列突破性的进展:主要包括先后建立了以胚胎、仔鱼和成鱼为受体的生殖细胞移植体系,精原和卵原干细胞的发现拓宽了供体生殖细胞的选择,受体的选择与制备方法的完善。该技术在缩短鱼类性成熟周期、性控育种、珍稀濒危鱼类保护等方面具有巨大的应用前景,已成功在多种淡水和海水鱼类中开展了研究和应用。本文结合作者的研究实践和经验,系统地梳理和总结了鱼类生殖细胞移植的研究进展,指出了该技术实践应用的关键问题,并探讨了其应用前景。     

The future of genetic engineering to provide essential dietary nutrients and improve growth performance in aquaculture: Advantages and challenges

Advancements in gene technology in recent years have been driving the aquaculture industry forward. Improvements in growth performance, feed efficiency, and omega‐3 content are goals of the industry that could capitalize on applications of genetic engineering. One of the major challenges in the industry is to reduce the use of fish meal and oil, to improve the environmental and economic sustainability of aquaculture. The recent development of genetically engineered feed ingredients is one potential solution to the looming problem of fish meal and oil dependency. Furthermore, the development of transgenic fish has potential to improve production efficiency and other future desirable characteristics that relate to feed utilization and product quality. New gene technologies are beginning to revolutionize how we produce our food, and in aquaculture, will ultimately reduce pressure on wild fish stocks, help to preserve natural aquatic ecosystems, and improve nutritional profiles of farmed fish for human consumption. The purpose of this review is to provide an update on the current applications of genetic engineering technology to improve aquaculture through nutrition, including the development and use of transgenic feed ingredients, transgenic fish, and ultimately their impacts on nutrition, product quality, and consumers.     

Secondary Stress Responses in Juvenile Brazilian Flounder,Paralichthys orbignyanus,throughout and after Exposure to Sublethal Levels of Ammonia and Nitrite

This study investigated the secondary stress responses of Paralichthys orbignyanus exposed to ammonia and nitrite and after recovery. Fish were exposed to 0.12, 0.28, and 0.57 mg NH₃‐N/L, or 5.72, 10.43, and 15.27 mg NO₂‐N/L for 10 d followed by the same time length for recovery. Ammonia‐ and nitrite‐free water was used as a control treatment. Blood samples were collected after 1, 5, and 10 d of exposure and after recovery. Fish exposed to ammonia presented lower and higher glucose levels after 10 d of exposure and recovery, respectively. Ammonia induced initial and transient ionic disturbances and metabolic alkalosis. Nitrite exposure caused hyperglycemia, increased plasma K⁺ levels, and respiratory alkalosis, whereas metabolic acidosis was observed after recovery. Increased proportion of monocytes and/or granulocytes and reduced number of lymphocytes were demonstrated in fish exposed to 0.28 mg NH₃‐N/L (Day 1) and 10.43 mg NO₂‐N/L (Day 5) and after recovery in the 0.28 and 0.57 mg NH₃‐N/L treatments. Exposure to ammonia decreased the proportion of granulocytes on Day 5. In conclusion, exposure to concentrations at 0.12 mg NH₃‐N/L and 5.72 mg NO₂‐N/L provoked physiological disorders in Brazilian flounder. Nonetheless, fish exposed to 5.72 mg NO₂‐N/L following a 10‐d recovery period showed complete resumption of homeostasis.