Movement patterns of seaward migrating European eel (Anguilla anguilla) at a complex of riverine barriers: implications for conservation

River infrastructure such as weirs and hydropower stations commonly present migrating fish with multiple potential passage routes. Knowledge of the cues fish use to navigate such environments is required to protect migrants from hazardous areas and guide them towards safe passage; however, this is currently lacking for many species. Employing high‐resolution positioning telemetry, this study examined movements of downstream migrating adult European eel, Anguilla anguilla, as they encountered a complex of water control structures in one location on the River Stour, southern England. The distribution of eels across five potential routes of passage differed from that predicted based on proportion of discharge alone. Certain routes were consistently avoided, even when the majority of flow passed through them. Passage distribution was partially explained by avoidance in the vicinity of a floating debris boom. Movement paths were nonrandomly distributed across the forebay and eels moved predominantly within a zone 2–4 m from the channel walls. Understanding of avoidance and structure oriented movementation exhibited by eels will help advance effective guidance and downstream passage solutions for adults.     

玻璃钢水槽内大黄鱼养殖环境噪声测量与分析

利用水下声音测量系统,分别记录了开放式圆形玻璃钢水槽内养殖环境噪声和大黄鱼(Larimichthys crocea)摄食过程声音,并进行声压级(sound pressure levels,SPL)计算和频谱特征分析。结果表明:(1)养殖环境噪声SPL约为110.27 d B(d B re:1μPa),包括主频率峰值为100 Hz的养殖工作设备与水槽内壁的低频共振噪声、1 250 Hz的表层水体气泡噪声、1 600~2 500 Hz的曝气石、增氧机、空气压缩机工作噪声;(2)增氧机和曝气关闭时,大黄鱼摄食过程声音SPL约为92.65 d B,高于背景噪声SPL,主要为游泳声音70~500Hz、吞食产生的水体表面搅动与气泡破裂的声音1 000~2 000 Hz、咀嚼颗粒饵料声音2 000~4 500 Hz;(3)增氧机和曝气开启时,背景噪声SPL略高于摄食声音约17.62 d B,且摄食声音无法区别于背景噪声,但并未影响鱼类摄食行为。     

Seasonal Changes in Rigor Development and Flesh Texture of Wild Japanese Sea Bass (Lateolabrax japonicus)

The season for finding the firmest sashimi made from wild Japanese sea bass was investigated. Flesh rigor tension and contraction were measured by a “new” device with isometric (muscle length kept constant) and isotonic (balance beam moves freely) transducers. Both flesh rigor tension and contraction peaks appeared at the same postmortem times, with attainment of ultimate pH and adenosine triphosphate/inosine monophosphate ratio in four seasons. Seasonal seawater temperature correlated negatively to seasonal maximum rigor contraction and positively to seasonal flesh breaking strength at 72 h postmortem. After rigor peak tension attainment, the tension relaxation was much lower than that of other wild fish species, especially in summer. The sea bass muscle resisted structure disruption in rigor isometric tension generation. Wild sea bass sashimi was firmest in breaking strength in summer.     

Effect of fish meal replacement by Chlorella meal with dietary cellulase addition on growth performance,digestive enzymatic activities,histology and myogenic genes’ expression for crucian carp Carassius auratus

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of fish meal (FM) replacement by Chlorella meal (CM) with dietary cellulase supplementation on growth performance, digestive enzymatic activities, histology and myogenic genes’ expression in crucian carp Carassius auratus (initial body weight: 2.90 ± 0.02 g, mean ± SEM). Six isonitrogenous diets were formulated at two cellulase levels (0 and 2 g kg^?1). At each cellulase level, CM was added at three levels of 0, 533.1 and 710.8 g kg^?1 to substitute 0, 75 and 100% of dietary FM respectively. Each experimental diet was randomly assigned to triplicate groups with 25 juvenile fish per fibreglass tank for 8 weeks. Dietary CM substitution significantly increased growth, feed utilization, amylase activity and the expression of Myod, Mrf4 and Myf5, but reduced the Myog expression. Dietary cellulase addition increased hepatosomatic and viscerosomatic index, lipase activity and the expression of Mrf4, but reduced trypsin activity and the expression of Myog and Myf5. Dietary CM substitution enlarged the cell size and also caused some karyopyknosis in liver. Our results showed that CM could totally replace FM in diets; dietary cellulase supplementation at the level of 2 g kg^?1 played a subtle role in improving growth and feed utilization for crucian carp.     

Dietary β‐carotene improves growth performance and antioxidant status of juvenile Piaractus mesopotamicus

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary synthetic β‐carotene on growth performance, haematological and immunological parameters, energy reserves and antioxidant status of juvenile fish Piaractus mesopotamicus. Two hundred and ten fish (12.24 ± 2.98 g) were fed with a control extruded feed (CEF) and the same diet supplemented with β‐carotene (BEF) for 90 days. A higher weight gain and specific growth rate were found in fish fed BEF in comparison with those fed CEF. In addition, BEF‐fed fish showed lower liver somatic index and a higher percentage of eosinophils. No statistical differences were found in energy reserves, except for plasma triglycerides which decreased in fish fed with BEF. Regarding oxidative stress markers, decreased activities of antioxidant enzymes were found in intestine and gills of BEF‐fed fish (SOD and GST, respectively). In the liver, both LPO levels and CAT activity decreased in fish fed with BEF. Additionally, lower brain LPO levels without changes in the antioxidant enzymes were observed in BEF‐fed fish. The inclusion of dietary synthetic β‐carotene improved growth and antioxidant status, and had a plasma triglyceride‐lowering effect in juvenile P. mesopotamicus.     

Moderate stocking density does not influence the behavioural and physiological responses of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in organic aquaculture

Welfare in farmed fish got particular attention during the last decades from both governmental and public sides. In aquaculture context, welfare concerns are mainly related to handling procedures, water quality and stoking densities. In Europe, authorities had to clarify the threshold limits of stocking densities to maintain fish good welfare, including for organics aquaculture through the EC regulation 710/2009. However, effects of stocking density on fish welfare are complex and sometimes contradictory. Moreover, there is a lack of knowledge about the impact of density on fish welfare in organic aquaculture. Thus, the aim of the study is to asses welfare state of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) at two initial stocking densities (low density, LD: 12 kg/m³ and high density, HD: 17 kg/m³) fed using organic feed by combining the monitoring of growth performances, behaviour (swimming activity) and physiological indicators (i.e. cortisol, glucose, lactate, hematocrit, red blood cellule count and lysozyme). At the end of experiment, the stocking density reached 21 kg/m³ and 30 kg/m³ for the LD and HD respectively. Overall, growth performances, swimming activity and level of physiological indicators of stress and welfare were similar between HD and LD over the experiment duration. To conclude, we observed no alteration of fish welfare between the two stocking densities monitored. This study suggests that a final stocking density of 30 kg/m³ can be considered for organic aquaculture of rainbow trout respecting welfare.     

绿豆沙配方优化研究

以“苏绿2号”绿豆为原料，以产品感官评分为评价指标，在单因素试验的基础上，通过正交试验优化了绿豆沙的配方。结果表明，“苏绿2号”绿豆沙最优配方为：以绿豆质量为基准（100%），绵白糖添加量40%，玉米油添加量30%，面粉添加量40%。该配方制成的绿豆沙口感细腻、色泽均匀，无明显走油现象，具有绿豆沙独特的色泽和香味。     

Winter monsoon promotes the transport of Japanese temperate bass Lateolabrax japonicus eggs and larvae toward the innermost part of Tango Bay,the Sea of Japan

Northwesterly cold winds characteristic of the East Asian Winter Monsoon (EAWM) dictate winter climatic conditions over the Japanese Archipelago. Japanese temperate bass Lateolabrax japonicus is a commercially important coastal fish that spawns offshore in winter and uses shallow waters as nursery habitats. To investigate the effects of EAWM on the planktonic period of L. japonicus, eggs, larvae, and juveniles were quantitatively collected in Tango Bay on the Sea of Japan side in winter and spring from 2007 to 2017. Although eggs occurred close to the mouth of the bay, planktonic larvae occurred further inside as they developed. The horizontal distribution of planktonic larvae, combined with water velocity data obtained from mooring observations, indicated that planktonic larvae are transported south‐ to westward through Ekman current and an anticyclonic circulation, which are driven by northwesterly winds. To evaluate survival during the planktonic period in each year class, the abundance of benthic larvae/juveniles was divided by winter total landings of Lateolabrax spp. (proxy of the spawning stock size). This survival index exhibited a positive correlation with the northwesterly component of winter winds, and a negative correlation with winter air temperature (average from December to February, Spearman's correlation, p < .05). There was, however, no significant correlation with winter water temperature or winter freshwater discharge in the bay. We conclude that northwesterly cold winds of EAWM play a critical role in transporting L. japonicus eggs and larvae toward nursery habitats, specifically beaches and estuaries fringing the innermost part of Tango Bay.     

DNA barcoding of fish eggs collected off northwestern Cuba and across the Florida Straits demonstrates egg transport by mesoscale eddies

Identifying spawning sites for broadcast spawning fish species is a key element of delineating critical habitat for managing and regulating marine fisheries. Genetic barcoding has enabled accurate taxonomic identification of individual fish eggs, overcoming limitations of morphological classification techniques. In this study, planktonic fish eggs were collected at 23 stations along the northwestern coast of Cuba and across the Florida Straits to United States waters. A total of 564 fish eggs were successfully identified to 89 taxa within 30 families, with the majority of taxa resolved to species. We provide new spawning information for Luvarus imperialis (Louvar), Bothus lunatus (Plate Fish), Eumegistus illustris (Brilliant Pomfret), and many economically important species. Data from most sites supported previously established patterns of eggs from neritic fish species being found on continental shelves and oceanic species spawning over deeper waters. However, some sites deviated from this pattern, with eggs from reef‐associated fish species detected in the deep waters of the Florida Straits and pelagic species detected in the shallow, continental shelf waters off the coast of northwestern Cuba. Further investigation using satellite imagery revealed the presence of a mesoscale cyclonic eddy that likely entrained neritic fish eggs and transported them into the Florida Straits. The technique of combining DNA‐based fish egg identification with remotely‐sensed hydrodynamics provides an important new tool for assessing the interplay of regional oceanography with fish spawning strategies.