Parentage assignment of stocked black sea bream <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acanthopagrus schlegelii</Emphasis> in Hiroshima Bay using microsatellite DNA markers

The genetic contribution of 51 broodstock, comprising 29 females and 22 males, reared at Hiroshima City Marine Products Promotion Center for the production of stocked black sea bream was monitored during two consecutive years using seven microsatellite DNA loci. The high discrimination ability of these markers was reflected in the polymorphic identification content (PIC=0.831), the exclusion probability (Q≈1), and the low probability of identity index (I=3.635⁻¹⁰). The total number of breeders contributing to the mating process was estimated at 32 (62.7%) in 2000 and 30 (58.8%) in 2001. On pedigree reconstruction, 69.3% of the offspring were successfully assigned to a single broodstock pair. Loss of alleles accounted for 16.9% during seed production; nevertheless, 90.9% of males and 69.0% of females participated in the mating process. Based on microsatellite genetic tagging, 58.9% of the fish sampled during the two months after release were identified as hatchery stock, presenting no significant differences from wild conspecifics in either fork length or body weight.     

Influence of feeding regime on fatty acid composition in young red-spotted grouper Epinephelus akaara

ABSTRACT:   Young red-spotted grouper Epinephelus akaara with an average total length of 3.4 cm were divided into five groups in floating net-cages, and reared under satiated conditions with different feeding frequencies (0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 8 times per day) for 40 days. Total food intake increased with feeding frequency. Feeding four times per day resulted in the highest growth and food conversion efficiency. Total lipid accumulation in the muscle, liver and intraperitoneal fat body (IPF) increased with feeding frequency. Red-spotted grouper were found to contain a high proportion of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the muscle. Fish fed 0.5 times per day were characterized as having a high proportion of DHA in triglycerides (TG) in muscle (80%), liver (69%) and IPF (18%). Increasing saturated fatty acids and a relative reduction of DHA were observed in the muscle TG as the feeding frequency increased. Frequent feeding accelerated the accumulation of eicosapentaenoic acid and saturated acids in the liver and IPF. Low saturated acids and a subsidiary proportional increase in DHA were the result of the low lipid reserves. A possible role for DHA and saturated acids are discussed with regard to lipid reserves.     

Wild stock structure of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Girella punctata</Emphasis> in Japan revealed shallow genetic differentiation but subtle substructure in subsidiary distributions

Twelve populations of Girella punctata, from widespread locations of the species’ range in Japan and Korea, were screened for sequence variability within the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region (n = 128) and at five polymorphic microsatellite loci (n = 547) to determine the genetic structure maintaining population integrity. mtDNA variability of 132 variable sites within a 334-bp region reveals shallow genetic differentiation across populations. The weak differentiation of G. punctata was partly supported by the screening of five polymorphic microsatellite loci. However, hierarchical analysis of molecular variance and principal component analysis on the basis of allele frequencies in microsatellite loci extracted a subtle substructure in a subsidiary population and in near-subsidiary populations in the semi-enclosed Seto Inland Sea.