Replacement of Fishmeal by a Mixture of Soybean Meal and Chlorella Meal in Practical Diets for Juvenile Crucian Carp,Carassius auratus

A growth trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of a mixture of soybean meal and Chlorella meal (SCM) as a dietary fishmeal (FM) substitute on growth performance, apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs), digestive enzymatic activities, and histology of juvenile crucian carp, Carassius auratus. Five isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets were formulated to replace 0 (SCM0), 25 (SCM25), 50 (SCM50), 75 (SCM75), and 100% (SCM100) of protein from FM with SCM, respectively. The diets were fed to triplicate groups of juvenile crucian carp for 6 wk. Weight gain, specific growth rate, feed intake, protein efficiency ratio, and intestinal digestive enzymatic activities (amylase, trypsin, and lipase) tended to decline with increasing FM replacement levels (P > 0.05). Dietary SCM substitution significantly influenced dry matter content in muscle, and crude protein and lipid contents in liver (P < 0.05). ADCs for dry matter, protein, lipid, energy, and most amino acids showed no significant differences between the control and SCM25 group, but tended to decline with replacement levels over 25%. Higher SCM substitution (50–100%) caused karyopyknosis and necrosis in liver, but intestinal histology did not show noticeable pathological changes. The present study indicated that FM could be replaced by 25% of SCM, without significant adverse growth performance, feed utilization, and histology of crucian carp.     

Assessment of molecular detection of Fusarium circinatum in insects and passive spore traps in Pinus radiata plantations

Fusarium circinatum is the causal agent of pitch canker, a destructive disease that threatens natural and planted pine forests around the world. Although pitch canker has caused problems in Spain and Portugal, concerning Europe as a whole, the fungus is not established across the pine distribution area. Its dispersion by wind and/or insect vectors could nevertheless play a role in the colonization of currently uninfected stands. It is therefore crucial to develop monitoring tools for its detection. To this end, we assessed the molecular detection of the pathogen in environmental samples of bark beetles and passive spore traps, collected in two infected Pinus radiata plantations in Basque country, Spain. The spread pattern of F. circinatum was assessed by an experimental design that included insect and spore traps installed at the centre, at the edge and outside the plots. Our results showed that F. circinatum was detected in both types of samples, at almost all collection dates. In both type of samples, positive detections were mainly found at the centre of the plots, a lower proportion at the edge, and very few outside. This suggests that long‐distance dispersion of Fusarium circinatum does not rely on wind spore dispersal neither on insect flight. Our study also shows that molecular methods are a powerful tool to monitor the pathogen in environmental samples.     

The importance of dietary HUFA for meagre larvae (Argyrosomus regius; Asso, 1801) and its relation with antioxidant vitamins E and C

Despite the interest of meagre (Argyrosomus regius) as a fast‐growing candidate for Mediterranean aquaculture diversification, there is a lack of information on nutrition along larval development. Importance of highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) and the antioxidant vitamins E and vitamin C has not been investigated yet in this species. Six diets with two levels of HUFA (0.4% and 3% dw), two of vitamin E (1500 and 3000 mg kg^?1) and two of vitamin C (1800 and 3600 mg kg^?1) were fed to 15 dah meagre larvae. Larval growth in total length and dry body weight was significantly lowest in larvae fed diet 0.4/150/180 and showed few lipid droplets in enterocytes and hepatocytes and lower HUFA contents than the initial larvae. Increase in dietary HUFA up to 3%, significantly improved larval growth and lipid absorption and deposition. Besides, among fish fed 3% HUFA, increase in vitamin E and vitamin C significantly improved body weight, as well as total lipid, 22:6n‐3 and n‐3 fatty acids contents in the larvae. Thus, the results showed that 0.4% dietary HUFA is not enough to cover the essential fatty acid requirements of larval meagre and a high HUFA requirement in weaning diets is foreseen for this species. Besides, the results also pointed out the importance of dietary vitamin E and C to protect these essential fatty acids from oxidation, increase their contents in the larvae and promote growth, suggesting high vitamin E and C requirements in meagre larvae (higher than 1500 and 1800 mg kg^?1 for vitamin E and vitamin C respectively).     

A bacterium with close genetic identity to Pseudomonas mandelii associated with spring fish kills in wild bluegill Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque and pumpkinseed sunfish Lepomis gibbosus (Linnaeus)

Pseudomonas fluorescens are known bacterial pathogens in fish. The P. fluorescens group contains at least nine different bacterial species, although species from fish have rarely been differentiated. Two isolated fish kills affecting wild bluegills, Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque, and pumpkinseed sunfish, Lepomis gibbosus (Linnaeus), occurred in the spring of 2015 during cool water temperatures (12.5°C–15.5°C). Disease signs included severe bacteraemia with rare gross external signs. Pure bacterial cultures isolated from kidneys of all affected fish were identified as P. fluorescens using the API 20NE system, while no bacteria were isolated from asymptomatic fish. To further identify the species of bacterium within the P. fluorescens complex, genetic analysis of the 16S rRNA, rpoD and gyrB genes was conducted. DNA sequences of bacterial isolates from both mortality events were identical and had close identity (≥99.7%) to Pseudomonas mandelii. Although likely widespread in the aquatic environment, this is the first report of a bacterium closely resembling P. mandelii infecting and causing disease in fish. The bacterium grew at temperatures between 5°C and 30°C, but not at 37°C. It is possible that infections in fish were a result of immunosuppression associated with spring conditions combined with the psychrotrophic nature of the bacterium.     

The effects of diet supplemented with Lactobacillus rhamnosus on tissue parameters of rainbow trout,Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum)

This study was carried out to establish the effects of a 6 week treatment with the diet supplemented with L. rhamnosus in concentrations of 10⁷ CFU g^?1 (G1 group) and 10⁸ CFU g^?1 (G2 group) on the condition expressed by condition factors (Fulton's, Clark's and B), intestinal microbiology, haematological, histological and selected antioxidative parameters of rainbow trout. A significantly higher condition factors were found in G1 group indicating that higher concentration of probiotic (10⁸ CFU g^?1) did not result in the better condition. Cholesterol and urea levels were significantly higher in both G1 and G2 groups, albumin in G1 and creatinine in G2 group with respect to control. A significantly higher liver TBARS level was observed in G2 group. The feeding with supplemented probiont apparently changed the resident microbiota. Three weeks after withdrawal of the supplemented feed, the microflora mostly reverted to the control composition, although L. rhamnosus in faecal matter of fish remained inherent. The epithelial structure of the proximal and distal intestine revealed the increased absorptive area in both treated groups, as well as the increase in the mucin‐secreting goblet cells. The L. rhamnosus‐treated groups demonstrated the capacity for the augmentation of the innate host defence.     

Effect of dietary protein content on growth rate,survival and body composition of juvenile cauque river prawn,Macrobrachium americanum (Bate 1868)

We determined the effect of four concentrations of dietary crude protein, 30.7, 37.2, 41.8 and 46.8% on growth rate, survival and body composition of the juvenile cauque river prawn (Macrobrachium americanum). The prawns were hatched in the laboratory from the spawn of one wild ovigerous female. Prawns consuming 37.2% crude protein reached a final weight of 0.58 g (feed conversion ratio of 2.15), which was significantly better than the other treatments. Survival was 100% in all treatments. Protein content in the diets had no significant effect on whole body proximate composition and amino acid profile. Juveniles consuming the 37.2% crude protein diet grew faster than those fed the other diets. Specific growth rate was adjusted to the two‐slope broken‐line regression analysis model to estimate the optimal protein requirement. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that the 37.2% protein level diet is optimal for juvenile cauque river prawn M. americanum in the experimental conditions of this study.     

Compatibility of root growth and tuber production of potato cultivars with dynamic and static water‐saving irrigation managements

The important root characteristics of root length density (RLD) and root mass density (RMD) generally differ among irrigation managements and potato cultivars. The objective of this study was to investigate the RLD and RMD variations and their functional relationships with gross potato tuber yield for two commercial potato cultivars, Agria and Sante, under different irrigation strategies. Full irrigation and water‐saving irrigation strategies, deficit and partial root drying irrigations, were applied statically (S) and dynamically (D) based on daily crop evapotranspiration. Results showed that SPRD had significantly greater RLD (3.64 cm/cm³) and RMD (132.7 μg/cm³) than other irrigation treatments. Between the potato cultivars, Agria had significantly larger values of RLD (3.50 cm/cm³) and RMD (138.7 μg/cm³) than Sante. The functional relationship between the root growth characteristics and tuber yield showed that under water‐saving irrigations, Agria increased root mass at the expense of gross tuber yield but Sante increased root mass to maintain larger gross tuber yields. However, Agria produced more roots and gross tuber yield than Sante, and it is concluded that Agria is a more drought‐tolerant potato cultivar, which is recommended for tuber production in regions where water might be scarce. It was shown that larger root production in potatoes was associated with improved tolerance to water stress.     

Effects of dietary lipid level on growth performance,body composition and digestive enzymes activity of juvenile sea cucumber,Apostichopus japonicus

A feeding trial aimed to determine the effects of dietary lipid level on growth performance, body composition and digestive enzymes activity of juvenile sea cucumber, Apostichopus japonicus. Diets with six crude lipid levels (1.9, 13.8, 29.1, 43.6, 59.6 and 71.6 g kg^?1) were fed to sea cucumbers (initial weights 0.65 ± 0.01 g) at a density of 30 juveniles, once a day. After 60 days, body weight gain (BWG), specific growth rate (SGR), feed intake (FI) and protein efficiency ratio (PER) decreased with increasing dietary lipid levels. The sea cucumbers fed 1.9 g kg^?1 crude lipid showed significantly higher (P < 0.05) BWG than those of the sea cucumbers fed 59.6 and 71.6 g kg^?1 crude lipid. Intestinal protease and lipase activities generally increased with increasing dietary lipid levels. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) content of body walls generally increased with increasing dietary lipid levels. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content of body walls reached the maximum value at a dietary lipid level of 13.8 g kg^?1. N‐3 highly unsaturated fatty acid content followed the same pattern of DHA. According to the growth performance and body composition of sea cucumbers, it can be indicated that the optimum dietary lipid level for juvenile sea cucumbers is between 1.9 and 13.8 g kg^?1.