Effect of parental origin on early life history traits of European eel

Establishment of European eel (Anguilla anguilla) hatchery production will rely on selectively bred individuals that produce progeny with the best traits in successive generations. As such, this study used a quantitative genetic breeding design, between four females and nine males (four wild‐caught and five cultured), to investigate the effect of paternal origin (wild‐caught vs. cultured) and quantify the relative importance of parental effects, including genetic compatibility, on early life history (ELH) performance traits (i.e. fertilization success, embryonic survival at 32 hr post‐fertilization, hatch success and larval deformities at 2 days post‐hatch) of European eel. Wild‐caught males had higher (56%) spermatocrit values than cultured males (45%), while fertilization success, embryonic survival, hatch success and larval deformities were not significantly impacted by paternal origin. This demonstrates that short‐term domestication of male eels does not negatively affect offspring quality and enables the consideration of cultured male broodstock in future breeding programmes. Moreover, paternity significantly explained 9.5% of the variability in embryonic survival, providing further evidence that paternal effects need to be taken into consideration in assisted reproduction protocols. Furthermore, maternity significantly explained 54.8% of the variation for fertilization success, 61.7% for embryonic survival, 88.1% for hatching success and 62.8% for larval deformities, validating that maternity is a major factor influencing these “critical” ELH traits. At last, the parental interaction explained 12.8% of the variation for fertilization success, 8.3% for embryonic survival, 4.5% for hatch success and 20.5% for larval deformities. Thus, we conclude that eggs of one female can develop more successfully when crossed with a compatible male, highlighting the importance of mate choice for successful propagation of high‐quality offspring. Together, this knowledge will improve early offspring performance, leading to future breeding programmes for this critically endangered and economically important species.     

Sperm production and quality in European eel (Anguilla anguilla) in relation to hormonal treatment

Aquaculture production relies on controlled management of gametogenesis, especially in species where assisted reproduction is needed for obtaining gametes in captivity. The present study used human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) treatments to induce and sustain spermatogenesis in European eel (Anguilla anguilla). The aim was to evaluate effects of strip-spawning timing (12 vs. 24 hr) after weekly administration of hCG and the necessity of a primer dose (in addition to weekly hormonal treatment) prior to strip spawning (primer vs. no-primer) on sperm quality parameters. Sperm parameters included milt production (weight), density and sperm kinematics at Week 9, 11 and 13 after onset of treatment. Spermiation commenced in 11.5% of males in Week 5 and by Week 9, and all males produced milt. Male weight, milt production, sperm density and spermatocrit did not differ among hormonal treatments during the experimental period. Overall, male weight decreased from 106.3 to 93.0 g, milt weight increased from 3.5 to 5.4 g, sperm density counts decreased from 11.7 × 10⁹ to 10.5 × 10⁹ cells/ml, and spermatocrit decreased from 46.5% to 40.5%. Furthermore, spermatocrit was positively related to haemocytometer counts (R² = .86, p < .001), providing a reliable indicator of sperm density. Differences in sperm kinematics were observed depending on strip-spawning timing after hormonal injection (12 vs. 24 hr) but with no consistent pattern. These sperm quality parameters also did not consistently differ between the no-primer and primer treatments. Considering that each male may be stripped 4–5 times over the 2–3 months spawning season, omitting the primer would reduce animal handling, material costs and labour intensity, while sustaining high-quality sperm production.     

European eel distribution and body condition in a river floodplain: effect of longitudinal and lateral connectivity

Abstract – We studied eel population characteristics (size classes, densities and body condition) in the lower Loire River floodplain (France) to evaluate the effects of longitudinal and lateral gradients. A total of 36 sites were electrofished in June 2005. The sites were grouped first into three river segments according to the distance inland corresponding to a longitudinal gradient and secondly into three lateral connectivity categories. Results indicate that small eels, especially those ≤300 mm, were very abundant downstream but density rapidly decreased upstream. In addition, eels ≤150 mm tended to be most abundant in connected waterbodies. Conversely, the distribution of larger eels was quite uniform across both dimensions. Eel condition decreased upstream. In parallel, in downstream river segment, eels had a lower condition in disconnected waterbodies than in connected ones. Eel specialists still have only a longitudinal perception of eel habitat. Our results suggest that lateral gradients should be also taken into consideration.     

莫桑比克鳗鲡养殖生物学主要特性研究

对莫桑比克鳗鲡（Anguillamor morata）玻璃鳗经形态学鉴定品种后，开展了主要养殖生物学特性研究。耐受高温和低温分别为39℃和7℃，适宜生存水温15℃～33℃；耐受盐度与水温相关，水温30℃致死盐度2．9％，适宜盐度小于1．1％，20℃致死盐度2．7％，适宜盐度小于1．8％，10℃致死盐度2．1％，适宜盐度小于2．0％；耐受pH值与水温相关，30℃致死pH值分别为3．5和11．0，适宜pH值6．0—7．0，20℃致死pH值分别为4．0和11．0，适宜pH值6．0～8．0，10℃致死pH值分别为3．5和10．5，适宜pH值5．5—8．5。常用药物S高聚碘、二氧化氯、三氯异氰尿酸、苯扎溴铵、溴氯海因、甲醛、敌百虫的安全浓度高于或接近常用浓度，硫酸铜、溴氰菊脂乳油、氯氰菊脂、甲苯咪唑的安全浓度低于常用浓度。水体中非离子态氨的安全浓度为2．51mg／L，亚硝酸氮的安全浓度为55．12mg／L。     

The pathogenic helminth parasites of eels

Although 63 and 55 species of helminths have been reported from each species of Atlantic eel and from 29 to 19 for each species of Pacific eel only the monogeneans Pseudodactylogyrus bini and P. anguillae and the nematode Anguillicola crassus, originally specific to species of Pacific eels, can be considered serious pathogens. None of the three are normally pathogenic to their preferred natural eel host species in the wild. Pseudodactylogyrus spp. only cause serious local gill damage when present on a host in large numbers under optimal conditions that facilitate transmission. This is the case in eel aquaculture, where infections can be controlled by drugs. Anguillicola crassus is only pathogenic to Anguilla anguilla and A. rostrata when Atlantic eels are introduced to the far east or when the parasites have been introduced to Europe. Here the parasite life cycle differs in that A. crassus can infect a wide range of intermediate hosts, employ paratenic hosts and survive as larvae for months in the swimbladder wall. This makes it an excellent colonizer. Its major pathogenic effects on eels result from haemorrhaging in, and thickening of, the swimbladder wall. It reduces the oxygen concentration in the swimbladder, reducing its ability to function as a hydrostatic organ, and increases the stress response of eels. In shallow lakes at warm temperatures this can result in mass mortalities. It is also feared that the parasite affects the ability of eels to migrate to the Sargasso Sea and so contributes to the decline in eel populations. Control by drug treatment is possible in culture, but not in the wild.     

超低温冷冻对日本鳗鲡精子酶活性的影响

研究超低温冷冻保存(-196℃)对日本鳗鲡精子内总ATP酶、肌酸激酶(CK)、琥珀酸脱氢酶(SDH)、乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、谷胱甘肽还原酶(GR)等酶活性的影响。运用试剂盒分别测定了冷冻前后日本鳗鲡精子内酶活性的变化。结果表明,经过超低温冷冻保存后,日本鳗鲡精子的活力下降,精子内GR活性显著升高(P<0.05),酶活性从冻前的358.52±45.65 U/L上升到646.30±70.30 U/L;其它几种酶的活性均显著下降(P<0.05),总ATP酶、CK和SDH的活性分别从冻前的3.14±0.61 U/ml、17.10±3.51 U/ml和32±5.94 U/ml下降到1.83±0.43 U/ml、7.33±1.74 U/ml和21±1.41 U/ml,LDH、SOD和CAT活性分别从冻前的2 266.67±313.25 U/L、220.47±32.94 U/ml和48.51±5.94U/ml下降到1 195.91±198.51 U/L、84.16±22.11 U/ml和21.8±4.14 U/ml。超低温冷冻对日本鳗鲡精子酶活性和精子活力均有较大影响。     

Effects of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide,substance P, 5-hydroxytryptamine,met-enkephalin and neurotensin on the swimbladder smooth muscle of two teleost species,Gadus morhua andAnguilla anguilla

The effects of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), substance P (SP), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), neurotensin (NT) and met-enkephalin (mEnk) on the smooth muscles of the teleost swimbladder were studied in two teleost species, the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and the eel (Anguilla anguilla). The study was made on isolated strip preparations of the muscularis mucosae, using putative transmitters corresponding to the immunoreactive materials that have previously been localized by immunohistochemical methods in nerves or endocrine/paracrine cells of the teleost swimbladder and/or the gastrointestinal canal. VIP was relaxatory on both cod and eel swimbladder smooth muscle, SP and 5-HT were constrictory in both species, and mEnk was excitatory on the eel swimbladder smooth muscle. Clear effects of these agents were usually seen at a concentration ofca. 10 nM in cumulative concentration/effect experiments. NT had no effect in either species. In the eel, the effects on the pneumatic duct were generally greater than on the swimbladder proper. The study indicates that the 5-HT and peptides previously observed by immunohistochemistry have physiological functions in the swimbladder.     

离子浓度和一氧化氮供体对池塘养殖鳗鲡精子活力的影响

鳗鲡是世界性的优质养殖鱼类,20世纪80年代以来养鳗业迅速发展,已成为水产产业化程度最高的养殖品种之一,但养殖所需的苗种完全靠天然捕捞。早在1934年Boucher等[1]就用孕妇尿促使雄性欧洲鳗(A.anguilla)精巢成熟,Yamamoto和Yamauch于1974年对日本鳗鲡进行人工催熟获得精子[2],但多年来鳗鲡精子质量和数量一直在波动(数量JOURNALOFFISHERIESOFCHINA　　　　　　　　　　　Vol.27,No.4　为0.1～0.4g,运动精子为20%～50%)[3,4],因此,如何稳定和提高精子的质量和数量的研究是非常必要的。绝大多数鱼类的受精过程是在体外条件下进…     

鳗鲡血液细胞的研究

本文通过鳗鲡血液有形成份Ｗｒｉｇｈｔ染色并进行显微分析，辩识其红血细胞、嗜中性粒细胞、嗜酸性粒细胞、嗜碱生粒细胞、小淋巴细胞、单核细胞和血栓细胞并加以分析。