Are Acartia tonsa cold‐stored eggs a suitable food source for the marine ornamental species Amphiprion polymnus? A feeding study

Copepods are the natural food items for marine fish larvae but are still difficult to be cultured on a continuous basis. Therefore, suitable storage techniques for copepod subitaneous eggs are of great interest. Cold‐stored copepod embryos still develop and retain a physiological activity during the cold storage period. As a consequence, their nutritional quality may change over the time of storage with these changes possibly affecting both eggs viability and larval fish survival and development. In this study, the clownfish, Amphiprion polymnus, was used as an experimental model to compare, for the first time, the effects of diets based on enriched rotifers and Artemia (control), Acartia tonsa copepods of a continuous culture and A. tonsa originated from 6 months cold‐stored eggs. The effects of the different diets were tested through morphometric, molecular and biochemical approach. This study demonstrated that after a 6 months cold storage period, the quality of copepods obtained from those eggs was suboptimal for A. polymnus larval rearing. In fact, larvae fed those copepods showed lower growth and survival performances respect to the other experimental groups.     

Determination of growth,colour and other traits in F1 hybrid of Amphiprion percula (male) × A. ocellaris (female)

This study reported the traits values such as colour, feed conversion ratio (FCR), specific growth rate (SGR) and fluorescence capacity of F₁ hybrids of Amphiprion percula (male) and A. ocellaris (female). The hybrids exhibited significant variation in FCR (3.63 ± 0.56) and SGR (3.63% ± 0.44) compared with the pure breeds, A. percula (3.12 ± 0.42; 2.80% ± 0.42) and A. ocellaris (3.17 ± 0.43; 3.02% ± 0.19). An exponential relationship was found between FCR and SGR in both the breeds. Image analysis displayed a better colour performance of hybrid than the pure breeds. Individual body parts of the hybrid and pure breeds showed significant colour variation between each other. However, colour contrast of whole body of hybrid was found closer to A. ocellaris in hue cone and towards A. percula in saturation and brightness values. Hence, hybrid displays combination colour reflexion of both the parents. The total pigment content of hybrid (65.71 μg g^?1 ± 2.81) was found higher than A. ocellaris (62.01 μg g^?1 ± 2.29) and A. percula (56.71 μg g^?1 ± 2.56). Further, the spectroflurometric analysis revealed that the both hybrid and pure breeds having poor fluorescence on skin pigmentation. A direct positive heterosis was observed on the SGR, FCR, total pigment and spawning frequency, while negative effect was noted on total length of newly hatched larvae (TL), fertilization rate (FrR), hatching rate (HR), deformation rate (DFR) and survival rate (SR). Hence, multiple cross‐breeding programmes will help in developing high‐quality traits in successive generations.     

小丑鱼室内循环水养殖设施与技术

为了实现规模化人工养殖小丑鱼(Amphiprioninae),研发了小丑鱼室内循环水养殖设施和技术。1组循环水养殖系统由10个玻璃钢养殖桶和1个水处理玻璃缸及管道系统组成,采用物理过滤、生化过滤、藻板过滤进行循环水处理。1组循环水养殖系统每3个月可养殖产出全长约3.5 cm的商品小丑鱼5 000尾,养殖存活率达80%以上。从2014年至2015年,利用该设施养殖生产出商品小丑鱼10余万尾。和常规的食用海水鱼循环水养殖设施相比,小丑鱼室内循环水养殖系统主要减少了蛋白分离器、气浮机、微滤机等设备,增加了藻板过滤设施。研究表明,小丑鱼室内循环水养殖系统建造成本低、运行能耗低、管理维护简单、水质稳定,可基本实现全封闭循环水养殖,适合进行小丑鱼等海水珊瑚礁观赏鱼类的规模化养殖生产。     

Frequency and Periodicity of Spawning in the Clownfish Amphiprion akallopisos Under Aquarium Conditions

Amphiprion akallopisos kept under aquarium conditions in South Africa spawned on average 2.2±0.8 (standard deviation) times per month throughout the year. There was no significant correlation between percentage of A. akallopisos pairs spawning and phase of the moon or tidal patterns. The increase in the number of spawnings during some spring and summer months appeared to correlate with changing photoperiod rather than changing water temperature. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effect of Feed Type and Age-at-weaning on Growth and Survival of Clownfish Amphiprion percula (Pomacentridae)

To simplify the weaning of clownfish Amphiprion percula from live food to artificial food, and to reduce the costs of feeding live food, three trials were undertaken to determine the best age for weaning. Twenty-nine-day-old post-hatch A. percula were weaned onto a fishmeal/caesin-based dry food which was an acceptable substitute for either Artemia or a moist food comprising Penaeus indicus and Donax serra. Larvae weaned 4 days after hatch (DAH) had lower survival than fish weaned 7 or 10 DAH. In juveniles weaned from 10 to 30 DAH good survival was obtained between 15 and 20 DAH suggesting that this is a suitable window for the weaning of this species.     

Effects of natural dietary carotenoids on skin coloration of false Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris Cuvier, 1830)

This study was performed to evaluate the effect of dietary natural carotenoid sources on skin colour enhancement of false clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris. The juvenile fish (initial body wt. 0.30 g) were fed with four experimental diets including (a) commercial feed (reference diet), (b) moist feed, (c) sweet potato (potato diet) and (d) dried gut weed Enteromorpha sp. (gut weed diet). Sweet potato and gut weed were used to boost up β‐carotene levels in the diets. There was no significant difference in final weight (0.51 ± 0.02 – 0.61 ± 0.01 g) and length (2.80 ± 0.02 cm) of fishes among treatments (p > 0.05) after 8 weeks. The survival rate of the fish in all dietary treatment was greater than 89%. Principal component analysis results showed that fish fed potato and gut weed diets performed brighter colour in skin with more orangeness, body and accumulated β‐carotene levels were higher than those fish fed with reference diet. Indicator a* value for the redness of fish fed potato diet (16.18 ± 0.59) and gut weed (14.36 ± 2.14) was also higher than fish fed reference diet (10.92 ± 0.82). The result of this study provided key information for developing dietary colour enhancement of ornamental fish by using cost‐effective feed ingredients (potato and gut weed) as natural supplemental carotenoid sources.     

The “Nemo Effect”: Perception and reality of Finding Nemo's impact on marine aquarium fisheries

Global audiences are increasingly being exposed to digital media with fictitious storylines that draw on animal characters involuntarily entering wildlife trades . An understudied problem in wildlife trade is the potential for motion pictures to influence their audience's desire to become more acquainted, often via acquisition, with animals portrayed in the films. The 2003 Disney motion picture Finding Nemo connected audiences with a wildlife trade already commonplace: the marine aquarium trade. In this trade, fisheries supply live coral reef organisms to millions of public and private aquaria worldwide. Here, we examine the perception and reality of Finding Nemo's impact (coined the “Nemo Effect”) on the fisheries of the species complex representing the film's primary protagonist “Nemo” (Amphiprion ocellaris/percula). Import and export figures show little evidence for fan‐based purchases of wild‐caught fish immediately (within 1.5 years of release) following the film. We argue that the perceived impact on these species, driven by popular media with an emotive but scientifically uninformed approach to conserving coral reef ecosystems, can be more damaging to the cause of conservation than helpful. This perspective is intended to encourage marine aquarium trade stakeholders to consider the ecological and social repercussions of both media driven consumption and opposition to the trade. Using lessons learned from Finding Nemo, we discuss the likely impacts the sequel, Finding Dory, will have on wild populations of its protagonist “Dory” (Paracanthurus hepatus).     

小丑鱼繁殖生物学研究进展

小丑鱼别称海葵鱼,属鲈形目、雀鲷科、海葵鱼亚科鱼类,传统形态学把该亚科分成双锯鱼属( Amphiprion )及棘颊雀鲷属( Premna )[1]。Allen [1]描述了已发现的双锯鱼属鱼类有27种,近年又发现了两个新物种[2-3],迄今双锯鱼属有29种;全世界棘颊雀鲷属仅1种,海葵鱼亚科总计2属30种。小丑鱼是一类具有较高观赏价值的热带珊瑚礁鱼类,其色彩美丽且性情温和,健壮活泼且易饲养。鉴于其特殊的雄性先熟的性反转现象、强领域性行为和独特的与海葵共生关系,过去30年里小丑鱼繁殖生物学始终是研究的热点,特别是在雄性先熟的性转化研究方面受到了极大的关注[4-14]。