Effects of dietary thiamin on the physiological status of the grouper <Emphasis Type="Italic">Epinephelus coioides</Emphasis>

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary thiamin on the physiological status of the juvenile grouper, Epinephelus coioides. Graded levels of thiamin (0.08, 0.50, 2.12, 3.15, 4.63, 12.37 mg thiamin kg⁻¹ diet) were fed to grouper juveniles (mean weight: 16.97 ± 0.14 g) for 10 weeks. Although fish fed the thiamin-deficient (TD) diet showed no obvious symptoms of thiamin deficiency or increased mortality, those fed the lowest doses of thiamin (0.08 and 0.50 mg thiamin kg⁻¹ diet) had significantly decreased transketolase activity in the liver. In addition, the level of liver thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in fish fed the TD diet was 33–67% higher than that in fish with the thiamin-supplemented diet. There were no significant differences in superoxide dismutase activity between the different groups of fish.     

The fallacy of the missing middle: physics →…→ fisheries

In this paper I discuss some of the shortcomings of today's marine science in response to a recently published paper by Ann Gargett (1997). Three problem areas have been identified in the field linking climate forcing and fish production: First, the yet-to-be established observational proof for a relationship between the two; Second, the strongly neglected biology of organisms at evolutionary and ecological time scales; and thrird, the disregard for spatial and temporal scales in the discussion of mechanisms and supporting data.     

A comparative account of the structure of the growth hormone encoding gene and genetic interrelationship in six species of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Labeo</Emphasis>

The growth hormone (GH) gene isolated and cloned from various Labeo species (L. rohita, L. calbasu, L. fimbriatus, L. gonius, L. bata, and L. kontius) is shown to contain a single copy in the haploid genome, with an overall size of ∼2.5 kb. The GH gene in all the Labeo species studied has five exons and four introns of various sizes with the exon/intron boundary sequence of GT/AG. The length variation of the GH gene between the species is found to be due to length variation in the form of several deletions in the third intron. The length of individual exons is the same in all the species with an open reading frame (ORF) of 630 bp (210 amino acids) except in L. rohita, which has a 9 bp deletion in the fourth exon, resulting in a shorter GH of 621 bp (207 amino acids). The similarity in the nucleotide and amino acid sequences between the different Labeo species is greater than 97%, in spite of eight amino acids being altered in the GH protein of Labeo that reside outside the conserved domain sequence required for its function. Nucleotide substitutions are seen in the form of 20 transitions and three transversions in the ORF of the GH gene. Both types of transitions (A–G; T–C) and only one type of transversion (A–C) are detected in the GH gene. Codon preference in GH gene shows a strong preference for G and C in the wobble position of the codons. Genetic interrelationships determined between Labeo and other species of fishes using nucleotide sequence of GH cDNA supports the overall teleost classification of Nelson (Fishes of the World. Wiley, New York, 1984) with separate clades for Ostariophysi, Protacanthopterygii, and Acanthopterygii. Besides, the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic means (UPGMA) analysis clearly distinguishes between the species having five exons and four introns in the GH gene from the species having six exons and five introns in the same gene. The Labeo species analyzed in the present study could be clustered into two groups using the maximum-parsimony method on the intron sequences data of the GH gene.     

Purification and characterization of a cysteine-like protease from the body wall of the sea cucumber <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stichopus japonicus</Emphasis>

The sea cucumber (Stichopus japonicus) is able to undergo autolysis in response to a variety of environmental and mechanical cues. Within the framework of a long-term study of this phenomenon we have purified a protease from the body wall of the sea cucumber by means of ion-exchange chromatography with DE-52 cellulose and gel filtration chromatography with Sephadex G-100. The final enzyme preparation was nearly homogeneous on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and its molecular weight was estimated to be approximately 35.5 kDa. The purified enzyme exhibited a maximum activity for the hydrolysis of casein at pH 7.0 and 50°C and a remarkable stability at pH 4.0–7.0 and 40–60°C. Based on the inhibition and activation profiles obtained with numerous specific protease inhibitors and an activator, the protease purified from the body wall of the sea cucumber was defined to be a cysteine-like protease.     

Influence of the dietary inclusion of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gracilaria cornea</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ulva rigida</Emphasis> on the biodiversity of the intestinal microbiota of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sparus aurata</Emphasis> juveniles

Partial substitutions of fish meal by 5, 15, or 25 % of Gracilaria cornea or Ulva rigida in experimental diets were evaluated to study their effects on biodiversity of intestinal microbiota composition in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) juveniles. The diets were offered to duplicate groups of 15 juvenile fish (14.0 ± 0.5 g) for 70 days, and at the end of the experiment the intestinal microbiota from four specimens of each treatment was analysed by denaturing gel gradient electrophoresis. Results showed that the substitution of fish meal by algae meal induced important modifications in the intestinal microbiota community, as a big reduction of the biodiversity when the highest percentage (25 %) of U. rigida was included. On the contrary, an increase on the number of species was detected when a 15 % of algae was included. Various Lactobacillus delbrueckii subspecies were selectively stimulated when G. cornea was included in the feed, and other bacterial species, such as those included in the Vibrio genus, were reduced.     

Spectral sensitivity of the dogfish shark (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Scyliorhinus canicula</Emphasis>)

The action spectrum of the electroretinographic (ERG) b-wave and the unmasked late receptor potential (LRP) were measured under a variety of conditions (isolated eyecup, detached retina, b-wave recording in fresh preparations, LRP measurements after low-temperature aging, dark and light adaptation). It was shown that in the dogfish, Scyliorhinus canicula (L.), eyecup spectral sensitivity matched closely the pigment 502 spectral curve like other rhodopsin-possessing marine species. The ERG b-wave is as good an indicator of spectral sensitivity as the unmasked LRP that directly reflects the responsiveness of photoreceptors. Differences in spectral sensitivity were not revealed between dogfish preparations studied under a variety of conditions (isolated eyecup vs. detached retina; b-wave recording in fresh preparations vs. LRP measurements after low-temperature aging; dark vs. light adaptation). We developed a new model for spectral sensitivity data.     

Morphological studies of peripheral blood cells of the Chinese sturgeon, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acipenser sinensis</Emphasis>

The peripheral blood cells of one-year-old Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis) have been studied by light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The erythrocyte count was 84.86 × 10⁴ cell mm⁻³ in the peripheral blood of the fish and that of leukocytes was 2.24 × 10⁴ cell mm⁻³. The erythrocytes and four main types of leucocyte—thrombocytes, lymphocytes, granulocytes (including neutrophils and eosinophils), and monocytes, were identified in the peripheral blood. In addition to normal erythrocytes, reticulocytes and division of erythrocytes were observed. Thrombocytes were the most numerous among the leukocytes, and the number of neutrophils with lobated nuclei was larger than for other fish. The structures of the erythrocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes, granulocytes, and thrombocytes of the fish were studied. The erythrocytes were almost completely devoid of organelles, except for some mitochondria and granules. A large number of vacuoles and a few organelles were observed in cytoplasm of the monocytes. There were many microvilli on the membrane and pseudopodia-like cytoplasm bulge in the lymphocytes. The neutrophils were round or oval in shape with bilobed, trilobed, or multilobed nuclei whereas the eosinophils had big special granules, dark stained. There were many vesicles in some thrombocytes, which were related to its phagocytosis; some thrombocytes had almost no cytoplasm or organelles.     

Effect of tributyltin oxide exposure on the F<Subscript>0</Subscript> and F<Subscript>1</Subscript> generations of a marine teleost,the mummichog <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fundulus heteroclitus</Emphasis>

The effects of organotin compounds on marine organisms, especially on their reproduction, are a continuing source of concern. We performed full-life-cycle exposure tests of tributyltin oxide (TBTO) at sub-lethal concentrations (0.13, 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 μg/l) using a marine fish, the mummichog Fundulus heteroclitus, and studied the toxic effects of exposure to TBTO at various life-cycle stages of the fish. The effect of TBTO was initially studied on sex differentiation and then on spermatogenesis in maturing fish. A mating experiment was performed to determine the effects of exposure on the fecundity of female fish, fertilization success, and the hatch of the F₁ generation. In all experimental groups, TBTO exposure resulted in a tendency toward a male-biased sex ratio and caused a significant increase in the frequency at which apoptotic cells appeared in the testes. Exposure to 1.0 μg/l TBTO resulted in a significant decrease in fecundity, but no significant effect was found on the fertilization ratio. Time to hatch and hatchability of the F₁ generation were markedly affected in some exposure groups. These results indicate that long-term exposure of the mummichog to TBTO affects not only gonadal sex differentiation and spermatogenesis but also spawning and egg quality.     

Difference in the level of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxin accumulation between the crabs <Emphasis Type="Italic">Telmessus acutidens</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Charybdis japonica</Emphasis> collected in Onahama,Fukushima Prefecture

ABSTRACT:     The difference in paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxin accumulation in the crabs Telmessus acutidens and Charybdis japonica was investigated at Onahama, Fukushima Prefecture, from 2002 to 2005. The level of toxin accumulation in the hepatopancreas of T. acutidens corresponded to that of mussels when examined on a yearly basis. In 2003, some crabs had a high toxicity of approximately 1000 MU, which compares to one-third of the human minimum lethal dose. Therefore T. acutidens should be monitored as a vector species of PSP toxin. The toxin profile of T. acutidens was also investigated. Because an increase in highly toxic species of PSP toxins with a decrease in low toxic species, such as N -sulfocarbamoyl-11-hydroxysulfate toxins, was not clearly observed between consecutive samples, toxin transformation in T. acutidens was considered to have a minimal impact on toxicity. PSP toxins were also detected in several specimens of C. japonica , but the highest toxicity was only 7.4 MU/g in the hepatopancreas. Because C. japonica is widely distributed in the coastal waters of Japan, investigation of toxin accumulation in the crab should be continued, including its investigation in different areas of water from Onahama, where the causative dinoflagellates of PSP occur in different conditions.     

Lactic acid bacteria effective for regulating the growth of contaminant bacteria during the fermentation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Undaria pinnatifida</Emphasis> (Phaeophyta)

ABSTRACT:   Lactic acid fermentation of seaweed is a recent topic and quite limited information is available on culture conditions. To know the suitable strains for use as a starter culture for seaweed fermentation, 14 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains, including 11 species, were tested in culture conditions prepared with or without salt. A commercial product of Undaria pinnatifida powder was used as a substrate for fermentation without sterilizing. Starter-suitability of the LAB strains was assessed from their predominance after culture. Among the tested strains, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus rhamnosus showed high (>90%) predominance in their cultures, while control cultures prepared without inoculation of LAB did not show any detectable growth of acid producing bacteria and spoiled. A total of 102 strains not showing acid producing activity were isolated and characterized from spoiled cultures, and all the isolates were observed as Bacillus strains, including 64 strains (62.7%) and 16 strains (15.7%) of a Bacillus cereu s-related and B. fusiformis -related species, respectively. The Undaria substrate before fermentation contained culturable microorganisms at 1.4–3.1 × 10² CFU/g, but the Bacillus cereu s-related strain was not a major composition, suggesting a concern of selective growth of the Bacillus cereu s-related strain during the spoiled fermentation.     

基于傅立叶耳石形态分析法对几种家鱼仔稚鱼的种类判别分析

于室内养殖条件下研究了鲢(Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)、鳙(Aristichthys nobilis)和草鱼(Ctenopharyngodonidellus)胚后发育阶段矢耳石的形态发育,采用椭圆傅立叶分析法,基于矢耳石形态,比较了以孵化后日龄、耳石形态、发育期以及不同体长组为基础的判别方式上,对这3种家鱼苗的种类判别成功率。结果表明,总判别成功率均表现出了逐渐增加的趋势。孵化后4 d时,总判别率为79.79%;10 d时,总判别率始达90%以上,18 d时,总判别成功率稳定在100%。在尾椎上翘期以前的各发育期,总判别率均低于90%,而鳔二室期之后,总判别成功率达95%以上。据矢耳石形态,圆形和近圆形阶段总判别成功率较低,分别为61%和81%,在长椭圆形阶段后,总判别成功率达90%以上。而以体长为基础的判别成功率,初始总判别成功率便在90%以上。因此,若以判别率的高低为标准,则以不同体长组来鉴别鱼苗种类为最佳,而据耳石形态和发育期来鉴别鱼苗种类,则具有普遍的适用性。     

Effects of irradiance of various wavelengths from light-emitting diodes on the growth of the harmful dinoflagellate <Emphasis Type="Italic">Heterocapsa circularisquama</Emphasis> and the diatom <Emphasis Type="Italic">Skeletonema costatum</Emphasis>

ABSTRACT:   We investigated the effects of specific light wavelengths from light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on the growth of the dinoflagellate Heterocapsa circularisquama , which kills bivalves, and the diatom Skeletonema costatum , which is an important food source for bivalves. Growth of H. circularisquama was obviously inhibited at 590 nm and a photon flux density less than 75 μmol quanta/m²/s. However, growth of S. costatum was not suppressed by irradiance from any LEDs tested from near-ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths at 75 μmol quanta/m²/s. The growth rate of H. circularisquama in an experimental treatment group with irradiance provided by both cool-white fluorescent lamps (12:12 h L : D cycle) and a 590-nm LED (continuous irradiance) was 0.43/day. In the control group with irradiance provided only by cool-white fluorescent lamps (12:12 h L : D cycle), the growth rate was 0.63/day, indicating that growth of H. circularisquama was suppressed by 590 nm (less than 75 μmol quanta/m²/s) irradiance from the LED and the continuous irradiance. The use of 590-nm LEDs in bivalve culture at irradiance levels less than 75 μmol quanta/m²/s might encourage the growth of the useful diatom S. costatum without stimulating growth of the harmful dinoflagellate H. circularisquama .     

不同蛋白质、脂肪水平对三疣梭子蟹生长和卵巢色素沉积的影响

以鱼粉和豆粕为蛋白源,鱼油和大豆油为脂肪源,配制蛋白质水平分别为35％、40％、45％和脂肪水平分别为7％、9％、11％的二因子三水平的实验饲料,并以鲜杂鱼饲料为对照,对三疣梭子蟹(Portunus trituberculatus)(体质量36.5～42.9 g)进行为期20周的养殖实验,研究三疣梭子蟹对蛋白质、脂肪的需要量,以及对卵巢色素沉积的影响.养殖实验采用海区串笼吊养方式,每个吊笼放养1只雌蟹.实验共10个处理,每个处理18个蟹,3个重复.结果表明,不同蛋白质、脂肪水平饲料对三疣梭子蟹增重率(269.2％～404.90％)、饲料系数(2.01～2.55)、蛋白质效率(1.02％～1.29％)和肥满度(16.26％～23.97％)均有显著影响（P＜0.05）;增加饲料蛋白质和脂肪水平,可显著提高三疣梭子蟹生长,降低饲料系数（P＜0.05）.对照饲料组的三疣梭子蟹获得了最高的增重率(461.69％),但饲料系数也是最高(6.35),而且肥满度(21.15％)低于P40Lll组（蛋白质40％、脂肪11％组）.三疣梭子蟹水分、肌肉蛋白、脂肪、灰份和卵巢灰份不受饲料蛋白质、脂肪水平变化的影响(P＞0.05),但卵巢蛋白质、脂肪影响显著(P＜0.05),而且高蛋白饲料组的卵巢脂肪含量总是显著低于其他各组.在同一饲料蛋白质水平下,9％脂肪饲料组的三疣梭子蟹卵巢类胡萝卜素总量、虾青素含量和成色比色值都显著高于其他各饲料组（P＜0.05）.与对照饲料组比较,实验饲料组的三疣梭子蟹卵巢类胡萝卜素总量和虾青素含量呈显著优势.综合考虑生长、饲料系数和色素沉积,三疣梭子蟹饲料的适宜蛋白质水平和脂肪水平分别为40％～45％和9％.本研究旨在为制定三疣梭子蟹饲料配方和改善其品质提供理论依据.     

Distribution,growth and hatch date of juvenile Pacific bluefin tuna <Emphasis Type="Italic">Thunnus orientalis</Emphasis> in the coastal area of the sea of Japan

ABSTRACT:   Mid-water trawl surveys were conducted from late August to late September in 1999 and 2004 in order to investigate the distribution pattern, hatch date, and growth of juvenile Pacific bluefin tuna Thunnus orientalis in the Sea of Japan. Juveniles were collected at the stations where ambient water temperature (mean water temperature from surface to 30 m deep, WT₀₋₃₀) was 23.4–25.9°C, and most of them were found in waters where WT₀₋₃₀ was higher than 24°C. Sampled juveniles ranged 108–280 mm fork length. Based on otolith analysis, they were estimated to grow to approximately 180 and 250 mm at 60 and 90 days old, respectively, and showed similar growth to that of Atlantic bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean Sea. The back-calculated hatch date of the samples was mostly in July and most juveniles spawned in the Sea of Japan.