Regime shifts and recruitment dynamics of snow crab,Chionoecetes opilio,in the eastern Bering Sea

Shifts in climate regime are prominent features of the physical environment of the eastern Bering Sea and in recent years have been documented in approximately 1977 and 1989. Average snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) recruitment decreased sharply after the 1989 fertilization year. Models in which control of snow crab recruitment shifts between drivers dependent on climate ‘regime’ are presented. These models are evaluated using cross‐validation and retrospective analysis, both of which indicate that the relationships are relatively robust to varying levels of information. Larval survival as influenced by food availability in the pelagic phase and advection to suitable nursery grounds are the hypothesized mechanisms driving recruitment dynamics.     

Use of reflex indicators for measuring vitality and mortality of the snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) in captivity

The snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) is one of the most important commercial crabs in the world; it is heavily exploited in Atlantic Canada, Alaska, the Sea of Japan and the Barents Sea. Catches in the Barents Sea north of Norway have increased dramatically in the last decade. Most of the world's catch is processed, frozen and exported overseas. However, recently there has been considerable interest in exporting live snow crab, particularly in Norway. The stress of capture and live transport can result in significant mortalities. In order to establish a live export industry for snow crab, the welfare of the animal must be monitored throughout all the steps of the live transport process. In this study the reactions of snow crabs exposed to increasing periods of air exposure were measured in terms of reflex indicators, incidence of mortality, blood lactate levels and blood protein and haemocyanin. Although this is not a specific live holding or live transport process the aim was to test the suitability of reflex indicators to reflect vitality (stress) and not just to predict mortality. This would be compared with traditional blood biochemistry techniques for measuring crustacean stress. The study demonstrated that the reflex index score (RIS) is suitable to assess the vitality of snow crab. Longer air exposure periods render higher mortality rates and less vital individuals. The authors believe using vitality reflex indicators would be a suitable way of measuring crab welfare during the live holding and transport process.     

Holding wild Snow crab,Chionoecetes opilio: effects of stocking density and feeding on survival and injury

In this study the effects of different stocking densities on survival, injury and weight of captive male snow crab were examined. The first experiment (I) was carried out in square plastic tanks (700 L) with stocking densities of 100 (L), 150 (M) and 200 kg m^?3 (H) for 30 days. In a second experiment (II) snow crabs were kept at a stocking density of 50 kg m^?3 and were either fed (F) or not fed (S) for the same period of 35 days. The last experiment (III), was carried out with stocking densities of 25 kg m^?3 for 21 days with two groups, one with inactivated claw and one without rubber bands, with three replicates per treatment. In the first experiment mortality (H = 27, M = 26 and L = 36%) and occurrence of injuries (H = 27, M = 20 and L = 16%) were high in all groups. The weight loss during the experimental period was; H = 15.3, M = 10.9 and L = 15.5 g, and was not significant different between the groups. In experiment II the mortality (F = 13% and S = 14%) and injuries were lower (F = 12% and S = 17%). The average weight increased in the fed treatment and decreased in the starved treatments. In the last experiment there was no mortality in any of the groups and the levels of injury were low (5% and 7%). The results show that adult male snow crab cannot be stored at densities equal to or higher than 25 kg m^?3 for 3 weeks without risk of mortality.     

Effect of starvation on survival and biochemical profile of newborn juvenile lined seahorses,Hippocampus erectus (Perry, 1810)

This study assessed the effect of starvation on survival and nutritional status of newborn juveniles H. erectus (<10 days) to optimize rearing protocols, thereby helping to reduce wildlife exploitation. Maximum starvation time (MST) was estimated through the survival of juveniles continuously starved from birth. Resistance to starvation and the effect of food re‐introduction after 1, 2, 4 and 6 days of starvation on survival and metabolite concentrations (total proteins, total lipids, acylglycerides, cholesterol, glucose) were also determined. Survival amongst continuously starved animals decreased from 6.6 ± 0.5 to 0% from days 9 to 10 of starvation. Seahorses under different starvation–refeeding treatments all had 100% survival up to day 5 of experiments. After 10 days, however, a 4‐day starvation period followed by refeeding showed negative effects with <50% survival. During continuous starvation, lipids were the first energy reserve used to maintain basal metabolism, followed by proteins. Except for cholesterol, all metabolite concentrations differed between continuous starvations and feeding. Despite high seahorse survival after 5 days in the absence of food, the recovery of the metabolic status is possible after a starvation period of no more than 2 days, since irreversible physiological changes compromising the ultimate survival of the organisms take place after this time.     

Quality assessment of newly hatched mud crab,Scylla serrata,larvae

Starvation and exposure to formalin were investigated as possible stress tests for evaluating the quality of mud crab, Scylla serrata, larvae. For the starvation stress test, newly hatched zoeae stocked in 150‐ml containers were either starved or fed rotifers. Similarly, newly hatched zoeae were stocked in containers with seawater of 0 (control), 20, 30 and 40 mg/L formalin for the formalin stress test. The zoeae from the same batches were used for seed production to monitor their performance and validate the results of stress tests. Starvation was found to be unsuitable for larval quality evaluation. However, the impact of initial food deprivation on the newly hatched larvae indicates that feeding immediately after hatching is necessary for mud crab larvae. Exposure of larvae to 40 mg/L formalin for 3 hr appeared to be a reliable and practical method for larval quality assessment as the survival of larvae in the mass production tanks validated the classification of good and poor quality batches in the stress tests. On this basis, a hatchery operator can decide which batch should be cultured further. Finally, there appears to be a link between the quality of larvae and the performance at the megalopa and early juvenile crabs.     

Ontogenic changes in the digestive enzyme activities and the effect of different starvation duration on the digestive enzyme activities of larval red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii)

This study was performed to determine the effect of starvation and delayed feeding on activities of digestive enzymes and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) of larval red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), so as to reveal the tolerance to prolonged starvation and the recovery of digestive enzymes after delayed feeding in larval and juvenile P. clarkii. In the control group, activities of trypsin and ALP increased significantly (p < .05) with day‐age and then kept constant at 24 days after hatching (DAH) and 10 DAH, respectively, whereas the activities of amylase and pepsin increased firstly then decreased with day‐age, and the activity of lipase increased firstly then decreased and then increased again during the development period of juvenile P. clarkii (1–31 DAH). In the group with continuous starvation (CS), activities of pepsin and lipase both decreased (p < .05) after fasting, and the activities of pepsin, lipase and trypsin in the groups with delayed feeding all increased (p < .05) and recover to the levels of the control group after food supply. However, the activity of amylase increased (p < .05) in the CS group, and it decreased to normal level after food supply. The ALP activity did not significantly (p > .05) vary after starvation, whereas it decreased in the groups with delayed feeding after 1 day of food supply, and then increased back to the level similar with the control group. Results from this study could provide information for diet preparation and feeding regime in larval and juvenile red swamp crayfish culture.     

Catch forecasting and relationship between water temperature and catch fluctuations in snow crab <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chionoecetes opilio</Emphasis> in the western Sea of Japan

Catch forecasting and the relationship between water temperature and catch in the snow crab Chionoecetes opilio in the western Sea of Japan were investigated. Catch was used as an index of abundance on the basis of high correlations between catch per unit effort for the period when the latter data were available. The pattern of fluctuations, in catches and index coincided well with each other. Therefore, catch data were regarded as an index of abundance and the correlation coefficient between catch and water temperature was calculated at several depths from 1964 to 1999. Catch forecasting models were composed using significantly correlated variables with the following results: (i) in April and September, the catch showed high positive correlation with water temperatures (depth 50, 100, and 200 m, time lag 4–6 years); and (ii) a model using water temperatures in April alone (depth 100 m, time lag 4–7 years) forecasted the catches with a coefficient of determination of 0.504, where models using more variables (water temperatures in the 2 months and catches) showed a coefficient of 0.587 at most. Environmental conditions during the early life stages of the snow crab are thought to deeply influence the fluctuations, in abundance.     

Movement of adult male snow crab, Chionoecetes opilio, in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence and eastern Nova Scotia, Canada

A total of 12,755 adult male snow crabs (Chionoecetes opilio) were tagged with spaghetti–Carlin tags in 33 sites throughout the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (sGSL) and eastern Nova Scotia (eNS) between 1993 and 2003. Of the 1971 tag returns obtained between 1994 and 2004, 1703 had accurate geographical recapture positions. The average distance travelled was 16.7 km for sGSL (maximum 165 km) and 61.5 km for eNS (maximum 368 km). The release site and the number of days at liberty before recapture were significant factors affecting the distance travelled by the crabs. Size had no significant effect on the distance travelled or the direction of movement. The present observations support the sedentary nature previously reported for the sGSL snow crab stock, but not the eNS stock, where the movement of snow crab was more dynamic. In both regions, there were movements between management areas, which indicates that managing the fisheries in discrete units is not warranted.     

Effects of starvation on survival,growth and development of Exopalaemon carinicauda larvae

This study aimed at evaluating the effects of two starvation modes (fasting‐feeding mode and feeding‐fasting mode) on survival, growth and development of mysis larvae of Exopalaemon carinicauda. It showed that food restriction significantly affected the survival, growth and development in both starvation modes. With the extension of initial starvation period, a significantly reduced survival rate during metamorphosis was observed. In the fasting‐feeding mode, the duration of metamorphosis was extended and the body lengths of the individuals, which experienced successful metamorphosis to the post‐larval stage 1, were much shorter. In the feeding‐fasting mode, the extension of initial feeding period led to dramatically increased survival rate and body lengths, while there was no significant difference in duration of metamorphosis of those groups that reached to post‐larval stage. The 50% point‐of‐no‐return and the 50% point‐of‐reserve‐saturation were 3.85 days and 4.81 days respectively. The results of this study indicate that E. carinicauda mysis have the ability to withstand or recover from relatively extended starvation, but to ensure the success of commercial seedling, timely and adequate feeding is necessary. The information obtained from this study could provide a basis to optimize the feeding schedule of artificial seedling of E. carinicauda.     

Influence of temperature on embryo developmental cycles and mortality of female Chionoecetes opilio (snow crab) on the Scotian Shelf,Canada

Chionoecetes opilio (snow crab) in Atlantic Canada is a valuable fishery. A key factor in the conservation and sustainability of C. opilio is the length of its reproductive cycle, which in different regions has been observed to be ca. 1 or 2 years and temperature dependent. Ten years of embryo colour (a proxy for embryo development) data from the Scotia Shelf (SS) is analyzed using a binomial Generalized Linear Model. The influences of temperature and time variations upon the transition of early developmental stages are described. Over 80% of the females were estimated to follow a ～1 year reproductive cycle, corresponding to the relative proportion of springtime SS bottom temperatures greater than 1 °C. As an upper bound, total annual larval production is expected to have ranged from 280 billion and 32 trillion since 1997 with an associated female mortality from larval stage to maturity of 63–81% per annum (Z = 1–1.65). Climate variability can therefore have a large influence upon the total potential reproductive output. Global Circulation Models predict that there will be more positive North Atlantic Oscillation years for the North Atlantic, assuming this to be the case we speculate that the associated warmer bottom temperatures along the central and west SS would lead to even greater percentages of the C. opilio females entering a 1 year reproductive cycle, whereas cooling along the eastern shelf (where the majority of the population resides) would shrink the warm water habitat available and potentially force more females into a two year cycle. If the magnitude of warming extends beyond C. opilio's preferred range, the entire population may shift north-east.     

Estimation of terminal molting probability of snow crab <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chionoecetes opilio</Emphasis> using instar- and state-structured model in the waters off the Pacific coast of northern Japan

Terminal molting probability (TMP) of snow crab Chionoecetes opilio was estimated using instar- and state-structured model incorporating the terminal molt in the waters off the Pacific coast of northern Honshu, Japan. TMP is defined as the probability that terminal molt occurs within a year in an instar and is an important parameter for stock assessment. TMP was estimated from the model and the rate of terminal molted crabs (RTM) for instars, which means carapace widths over 30 mm. Carapace widths at RTM of 0.5 were 81 mm for males and 66 mm for females. TMP was estimated as 0.23 and 0.29 for these carapace widths, respectively. Carapace widths at TMP of 0.5 were 94 mm for males and 71 mm for females, and for these carapace widths 57% of male and 50% of female crabs were considered as old-shell which had survived 1 year or more from terminal molt. Changing the fishing or natural mortality by ±0.1, the maximum difference of TMP was less than 0.1 from default estimates.     

饥饿对拟穴青蟹大眼幼体和Ⅰ期仔蟹蜕皮和生长的影响#br#

为了给拟穴青蟹(Scylla paramamosain)苗种培育过程中饵料的合理投喂提供基础理论数据,采用投喂-饥饿和饥饿-投喂的处理方式对拟穴青蟹大眼幼体和Ⅰ期仔蟹分别开展营养储存饱和点实验(PRS)和不可恢复点实验(PNR),研究饥饿对大眼幼体和Ⅰ期仔蟹蜕皮和生长的影响。结果显示,大眼幼体的PRS实验中,投喂时间≤2 d时,大眼幼体的蜕皮率为0;投喂时间≥4 d时,大眼幼体的蜕皮率和发育时间与连续投喂组(F组)无显著性差异;但投喂4 d-饥饿组(F4S组)大眼幼体蜕皮后Ⅰ期仔蟹的增重率和个体大小均显著小于F组(P<0.05)。大眼幼体的PNR实验中,饥饿2 d时大眼幼体的存活率仅为(30.00±13.23)%。Ⅰ期仔蟹的PRS实验中,连续饥饿组(S组)Ⅰ期仔蟹的蜕皮率为0,而投喂2 d-饥饿组(F2S组)、投喂3 d-饥饿组(F3S组)和F组3组Ⅰ期仔蟹的蜕皮率均无显著性差异。投喂1 d-饥饿组(F1S组)和F2S组Ⅰ期仔蟹蜕皮后Ⅱ期仔蟹的增重率和个体大小均显著小于F组(P<0.05),且F1S组Ⅰ期仔蟹的发育时间显著延长(P<0.05)。Ⅰ期仔蟹的PNR实验中,除饥饿1 d-投喂组(S1F组)外,F组Ⅰ期仔蟹的蜕皮率显著高于其他处理组(P<0.05);各组Ⅰ期仔蟹蜕皮后Ⅱ期仔蟹的增重率与饥饿时间呈负相关,而发育时间却与饥饿时间呈正相关;饥饿时间≥2 d时,Ⅰ期仔蟹蜕皮后Ⅱ期仔蟹的个体大小明显变小。拟合分析结果显示,大眼幼体的PRS;值是3.57 d,Ⅰ期仔蟹的PRS;和PNR;值分别是0.90 d和2.01 d。研究结果表明,新蜕皮的大眼幼体必须给予充足的饵料才可确保高的存活率,大眼幼体投喂6 d后可以适当减少投喂量,短期饥饿对Ⅰ期仔蟹蜕壳和生长的影响相对较小,Ⅰ期仔蟹的耐饥饿能力强于大眼幼体。     

Time kinetics of fatty acid changes in phospholipids following enrichment and starvation of Artemia franciscana with a main focus on docosahexaenoic acid

The main objective was to study time kinetics of change in important highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) in phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) of Artemia franciscana nauplii and juveniles following enrichment and subsequent starvation. Samples of Artemia nauplii were taken at variable times (0.5–24 h) following enrichment and starvation. Samples of Artemia juveniles were taken after 2, 3 and 4 days of cultivation. No docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was found in PC and PE of Artemia nauplii during the first hour of enrichment, while a significant (P < 0.05) increase was found in total lipids (TLs). The content of DHA in PC and PE increased thereafter steadily from 1 to 8 h of enrichment. DHA in PC and PE during enrichment (1–8 h) and following starvation (8–24 h), respectively, increased and decreased significantly (P < 0.05), but at a lower rate than that in TL. Moreover, juvenile Artemia (2–4 days) contained a relatively low level of DHA in TL compared with enriched Artemia nauplii, but the content of DHA in PC and PE was similar. The results open perspectives for both industry and science. For scientific studies, the lag phase in HUFA enrichment makes it possible to produce Artemia nauplii with variable relative HUFA enrichments in phospholipids and TL.     

Effect of starvation and refeeding on the hepatopancreas of whiteleg shrimp Penaeus vannamei (Boone) using computer‐assisted image analysis

Under normal farming conditions, shrimp can experience starvation periods attributable to disease outbreaks or adverse environmental conditions. Starvation leads to significant morphological changes in the hepatopancreas (HP), being the main organ for absorption and storage of nutrients. In the literature, limited research has described the effect on the HP of periods of starvation followed by refeeding and none in whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) using computer‐assisted image analysis (CAIA). This study describes the effect of starvation and starvation followed by refeeding on the HP of whiteleg shrimp using CAIA. Visiopharm^® software was used to quantify the following morphological parameters, measured as ratio to the total tissue area (TLA): total lumen area (TLA:TTA), haemocytic infiltration area in the intertubular spaces (HIA:TTA), B‐cell vacuole area (VBA:TTA), lipid droplet area within R cells (LDA:TTA) and F‐cell area (FCA:TTA). Significant changes were measured for HIA:TTA and LDA:TTA during starvation (increase in HIA:TTA associated with decrease in LDA:TTA) and starvation followed by refeeding (decrease in HIA:TTA associated with increase in LDA:TTA). In the future, HIA:TTA and LDA:TTA have the potential to be used in a pre‐emptive manner to monitor the health of the HP, facilitate early diagnosis of diseases and study the pathophysiology of the organ.     

High efficacy of white spot syndrome virus replication in tissues of freshwater rice‐field crab,Paratelphusa hydrodomous (Herbst)

An attempt was made to determine the replication efficiency of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) of shrimp in different organs of freshwater rice‐field crab, Paratelphusa hydrodomous (Herbst), using bioassay, PCR, RT‐PCR, ELISA, Western blot and real‐time PCR analyses, and also to use this crab instead of penaeid shrimp for the large‐scale production of WSSV. This crab was found to be highly susceptible to WSSV by intramuscular injection. PCR and Western blot analyses confirmed the systemic WSSV infection in freshwater crab. The RT‐PCR analysis revealed the expression of VP28 gene in different organs of infected crab. The indirect ELISA was used to quantify the VP28 protein in different organs of crab. It was found that there was a high concentration of VP28 protein in gill tissue, muscle, haemolymph and heart tissue. The copy number of WSSV in different organs of infected crab was quantified by real‐time PCR, and the results revealed a steady increase in copy number in different organs of infected crab during the course of infection. The viral inoculum prepared from different organs of infected crab caused significant mortality in tiger prawn, Penaeus monodon (Fabricius). The results revealed that this crab can be used as an alternate host for WSSV replication and production.     

Holding wild caught red king crab,Paralithodes camtschaticus: effects of stocking density and feeding on survival and meat content

In this study, the effects of different stocking densities on survival, injury and meat content of captive male red king crab (mean weight = 2.6 kg) were examined. The first experiment was carried out in square plastic tanks with stocking densities of 100, 150 and 200 kg m^?3 for 56 days. In a second experiment, king crabs were kept at a stocking density of 60 kg m^?3 and were either fed or not fed. Both mortality and occurrence of injuries increased significantly with increasing stocking density. In the highest density groups, mortality and frequency of injury was 17% and 14% respectively, compared with 5% and 4% in the 150 kg m^?3 group. The percentage meat content was significantly lower at the final census compared with the initial census in all stocking density groups. In Experiment 2, there were no mortalities or injuries in either the fed or unfed treatments. The average percentage meat content increased in the fed treatment and decreased in the starved treatments. The results show that adult male king crab can maintain high survival rates at stocking densities up to 150 kg m^?3 in holding facilities of the design used in the present study for periods up to 2 months. However, to reduce mortality and frequency of injury over this period densities as low as 60 kg m^?3 and a holding system with a large bottom surface area are recommended.     

Effects of dietary cholesterol levels on moulting performance,lipid accumulation,ecdysteroid concentration and immune enzymes activities of juvenile Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis

Effects of dietary cholesterol levels on moulting performance, lipid accumulation, ecdysteroid concentration and immune enzymes activities of juvenile Eriocheir sinensis were investigated. Crabs were fed with feeds contained various cholesterols of 1100, 2100 and 3200 mg kg^?1 in both paddy fields and laboratory experiments. In paddy fields trial, the crabs fed with diets contained 3200 mg kg^?1 cholesterol achieved higher growth rate than those fed with diets contained no supplemental cholesterol (1100 mg kg^?1). In laboratory trial, moulting frequencies of crabs fed with diets contained 3200 mg kg^?1 cholesterol were higher than those of crabs fed with diets contained no supplemental cholesterol from the 6th to 10th moult. Further laboratory experiment indicated that intermoults of crabs fed with diets contained 3200 mg kg^?1 cholesterol significantly shortened compared with crabs fed with the basal feeds (1100 mg kg^?1 cholesterol). In the intermoult, total lipid content, ecdysterone concentration and three immune enzymes in crabs were increased with the increment of dietary cholesterol levels between the 7th and the 8th moult in laboratory experiments. Taken together, dietary cholesterol not only enhanced moulting performances of growth, survival and moult frequency, but also enhanced total lipid storage, ecdysterone concentration and three immune enzymes activities in the intermoult period.