Decursin Safety from Root of Angelica gigas in Rats

The subacute intraperitoneal toxicity of decursin was investigated in Spargue-Dawly（SD） rats. The rats were treated with decursin at a dose of 125 and 250 mg·kg-1·day-1for 4 weeks. All animals were observed daily for clinical signs. Their body weights were recorded weekly, no mortality was observed in two doses of 125 and 250 mg·kg-1of decursin. There were no significant differences in the clinical observations, body weight, food and water consumption, hematology, blood chemistry, gross pathological examination or organ weight between control and treated animals of both sexes. In conclusion, no evidence of a subacute toxic potential was observed in this study and no indication for adverse effects was noted at a dose level of 250 mg·kg-1·day-1.     

Rearing equipment on the quality aspects and growth performance of Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg, 1793): Implications for marketability

Shell characteristics and consequent marketability of the oyster Crassostrea gigas are influenced by several factors, and most important of which are the rearing methods and gears. In this study, we investigated the effects of two different gears on the quality aspect (shell shape, weight meat percentage, backward shell shape, epibionts and blisters) and growth rate (weight and length) of C. gigas by adopting the innovative Ortac Oyster Farming System, during the field grow‐out phase of production. Aspect and growth of oysters farmed in Ortac and floating bags were compared. After 14 weeks, the aspect of the animals was influenced by the gear, resulting in a lower quality in the Ortac (i.e. worse shell shape, lower weight meat percentage, higher percentage of backwards and blisters) than in the floating bag, while the incidence of epibionts was less in the Ortac. Regarding the growth performance, total wet weight gained in the Ortac was lower (~28.3 g) than in the floating bag (~32.4 g; p < .05). These results highlight the efficiency of the floating bag as oyster rearing system in the Mediterranean basin and suggest the need to alter the Ortac gear to these environmental conditions.     

智利外海茎柔鱼角质颚微结构及其年龄与生长研究

文章利用2010年4-6月智利外海采集的148尾茎柔鱼(Dosidicus gigas)样品,分析了茎柔鱼角质颚微结构,并对其年龄和生长进行了研究。结果表明,茎柔鱼角质颚上颚喙部截面由头盖和脊突两部分向前延伸组合而成,周期性生长带明显,每条生长带由明、暗两条生长纹组成,头盖与脊突部的生长纹交汇于内轴成"<"形。标记轮与异常结构的形成与个体发育期的特殊事件以及外界的突发事件有关。根据角质颚生长纹估算茎柔鱼日龄,推测茎柔鱼样本孵化日期为2009年3-11月,主要为6-7月;胴长与角质颚日龄呈显著的幂函数关系,其中雌性茎柔鱼胴长的平均瞬时生长率(Instantaneous growth rate,IGR)和绝对生长率(Absolute daily growth rates,AGR)分别为0.14%·d^-1和0.60 mm·d^-1,雄性茎柔鱼胴长的平均IGR和AGR分别为0.11%·d^-1和0.47mm·d^-1。研究结果为柔鱼类年龄鉴定和生长估算提供了新方法,并为中国开展头足类相关研究奠定了基础。     

基于不同权重栖息地模型的秘鲁外海茎柔鱼渔场分析

根据2006-2014年春季(8月~10月)、夏季(11月~翌年1月)、秋季(2月~4月)、冬季(5月~7月)秘鲁外海茎柔鱼渔获数据,结合3个关键海洋环境因子海表面温度(SST)、海表面高度(SSH)和净初级生产量(NPP)的数据,利用不同权重方案的栖息地适应性指数模型来分析秘鲁外海茎柔鱼渔场分布。利用单位捕捞努力量渔获量(CPUE)与SST、SSH和NPP建立适应性指数(SI)模型,采用算术加权法建立综合适应性指数(HSI)模型,依据捕捞量和努力量的比重来比较不同权重的HSI模型,选择不同季度下的最优模型,并用2015年的数据进行验证。结果显示,茎柔鱼CPUE 和渔场纬度重心(LATG)呈现显著的年际和季节变化。不同季节茎柔鱼最优栖息地模型中的权重方案不同,其中春季最优模型权重方案为案例9,权重比例最高的环境因子是SST；夏季最优模型权重方案为案例7,SST、SSH和NPP所占的权重比例均等；秋季最优模型权重方案为案例3,权重比例最高的是SSH；冬季与春季相同。研究表明,影响秘鲁外海茎柔鱼栖息地分布的环境因子随季节具有显著差异,春冬季节最主要的环境因子是SST。此外,建立茎柔鱼的栖息地预测模型需考虑环境因子权重以区分影响差异。     

Comparative studies of the growth,survival, and reproduction of diploid and triploid Kumamoto oyster,Crassostrea sikamea

Triploid oysters have been used for farming to improve growth but have not been created in the Kumamoto oyster, Crassostrea sikamea, which is one of the crucial aquaculture species on the southern coast of China. In the present study, triploids were created using cytochalasin B to inhibit polar body II release in C. sikamea, with the untreated oysters as controls. Triploidy rates of 87 and 57.67%, on average, were obtained in larvae and adults, respectively. Larval growth and survival of the triploid were significantly lower than that of the controls (p < 0.05). In contrast, the triploid postlarvae and adults had a significant growth advantage over the controls (p < 0.05) during the period of 180 (December) to 450 days (September of the next year). Moreover, the triploids clearly exhibited significant sterility in the reproductive season. The glycogen and triglyceride contents in the gonad, adductor muscle, mantle, and gill were higher in triploids than in controls from 180 to 450 days. As a result, high physiological energy supply was strongly correlated with superior growth and reduced reproduction in triploid C. sikamea. The triploid C. sikamea is an excellent oyster species and can be used to improve growth for C. sikamea farming.     

Survival and growth of reciprocal crosses between two stocks of the Hong Kong oyster Crassostrea hongkongensis (Lam & Morton, 2003) in southern China

The Hong Kong oyster, Crassostrea hongkongensis, is one of the most economically important and well‐known oyster species in southern China. To explore the possibility of improving the performance of the Hong Kong oyster, complete diallel crosses between two oyster stocks, the Zhuhai stock (Z: fast growth line F4) and the Maowei Sea stock (M: resistant line F3), were conducted using pooled gametes. Three replicates, each consisting of two pure stocks (ZZ and MM) and two reciprocal crosses (ZM and MZ), were successfully generated. High fertilization rate and hatching level were observed among all the experimental groups, suggesting that there was no sperm–egg recognition barrier between geographic populations. Reciprocal crosses had higher survival rate compared to the pure stock crosses and the rate of survival increased with progeny growth. Growth heterosis became obvious both in larval and adult stages, and was primarily influenced by the egg origin and mating strategy at the larval stage. Also, the phenotypic traits of all progeny differed amongst the culture sites, suggesting a significant environmental effect. The Zhuhai site was more suitable for oyster aquaculture than the Maowei Sea site. Thus, our results demonstrated that crossbreeding between Zhuhai and Maowei Sea stocks of Hong Kong oyster to produce superior heterosis represents a promising means to improve the fishery yield of this species in southern China.     

Assessment of metabolic and immune changes in postspawning Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas: identification of a critical period of vulnerability after spawning

This study investigates the vulnerable period in postspawning Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) through physiological and immunological assessments. After spawning, the oyster condition index reduced by 50% and required 70 days to recover to the prespawning level. The mantle glycogen reduced quickly while the reduction in tissue protein occurred slowly. The mantle tissue also lost more protein than gills. The analysis of adenylate energy charge indicated that oysters were stressed in the first 8 days after spawning. As a result of spawning, haemocyte phagocytosis was reduced and remained at a low level for 3 days. In contrast, the reduction of haemolymph antimicrobial activity did not occur until 3 days after spawning and continued to decline until day 8. This immunesuppression was not directly correlated to the changes in haemocyte density. Our study suggests that the first 8 days after spawning are a critical period for oyster survival due to the loss of energy and low immunity. This study further improves our understanding of the coincidence between spawning and summer mortality in oyster aquaculture.     

Food ingestion and digestibility of five unicellular algae by 1-day-old Strombus gigas larvae

This work presents food ingestion and digestibility analysis carried out by means of epifluorescence microscopy of 1‐day‐old Strombus gigas (Linnaeus, 1758) larvae fed five different algal cells: Tetraselmis suecica, T. tetrathele, Chlorella keslleri, Chlorella sp. and Chaetoceros cerastoporum. Absolute ingestion and digestion indices (AII and ADI) were used to compare larval feeding behaviour. Differences in efficiency of ingestion and digestion were observed, according to the diet: the highest AII and ADI were observed with T. suecica and T. tetrathele (>90% and 85–88% respectively). With C. cerastoporum and Chlorella sp. these indices were zero. We confirm the use of Tetraselmis as a suitable diet for S. gigas hatchery. On the contrary, Chlorella sp. and C. cerastoporum are not recommended during the early larval stage, due to their non‐ingestion and digestion.     

Individual growth variation and its relationship with survival in juvenile Pacific oysters, Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg)

In order to study individual growth variability and its relationship with survival in juvenile Crassostrea gigas, parental oysters were sampled at four sites located along the French Atlantic coast and bred under controlled hatchery conditions. Four groups of larvae were obtained by crossing five males and five females from each of the four sites, and a fifth group by crossing these 20 males and 20 females together in a pool. Larvae were reared under conditions allowing the maintenance of a maximum variability of size and gave five experimental groups. Oysters were individually monitored for growth and survival from 3 to 10 months after fertilization. The individual growth performances were relatively stable over time and no noticeable compensation for growth occurred. Early growth rate was a very good predictor of size later in life: 66% of variation in the live weight at 10 months could be explained by variation in the initial growth rate calculated between 3 and 4 months. A significant group effect was observed on survival and on growth rate. Mortality mostly occurred between 3 and 5 months and appeared to affect the slow-growing animals more. However, two groups can be distinguished among those which died during the experimental period, one which showed a decrease in weight and the other whose growth was similar to surviving oysters. These results are discussed in the light of usual oyster farming practices and selective breeding. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The impacts of aquacultured oysters, Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin, 1791) on water column nitrogen and sedimentation: results of a mesocosm study

To determine effects of aquacultured oysters Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin, 1791) on the overlying water column, a mesocosm study was performed at the Marine Ecosystem Research Laboratory (MERL) from June to October, 2000. The MERL facility is located adjacent to Narragansett Bay and consists of fourteen 13,000-l mesocosm tanks designed to simulate the Bay environmental conditions. Two hundred oysters (≈35 mm valve height; nominally filtering about 55 l/day/individual) were placed into three mesocosms, and three mesocosms were maintained without oysters as controls. Experiments were run with varying rates of water exchange in the tanks ranging from 0% to 100% per day (13,000 l/day). Parameters that were measured and compared between the two treatments included chlorophyll-a, particulate organic and inorganic matter, sedimentation, nitrate, ammonia, selected phytoplankton species and oyster growth rates. Oysters affected phytoplankton species composition and increased rates of sedimentation. Large diatoms were net sampled, and Nitzchia striata was predominant in mesocosms with oysters, while Skeletonema costatum dominated the control tanks. Ammonia excretion rates were determined for C. virginica using the salicylate–hypochlorite method. Ammonia excretion can be described by the allometric equation E=50.65w^0.699 when E is the ammonia excretion rate in μg/h, and w is the soft tissue dry weight in grams. Based on rates of ammonia excretion by oysters and observed steady states of ammonia and other forms of inorganic nitrogen in mesocosm tanks, it can be hypothesized that ammonia generated by oysters is taken up by rapidly regenerating phytoplankton in the water column.