Sex-specific growth and condition of the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas Thunberg)

In order to study the possibility of gaining commercial benefit from culturing an excess of one sex of the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas), comparative data on the growth rate and condition of male and female oysters are reported. Historically, measurement of sex‐specific growth rate in oysters has been overlooked or confounded by protandric sex. The recent conclusion that the sex ratio of Pacific oysters is predominantly under genetic rather than environmental control introduces the possibility of manipulating sex ratio for commercial gain if they exhibit asynchronous sex‐specific growth rates. Pacific oysters were cultured intertidally in Smoky Bay, south Australia. The observations, made over the 7‐month gametogenic cycle from August to February to ensure no sex reversal, were of growth rates of male and female oysters and ambient chlorophyll a concentrations. Mean shell growth of female oysters was significantly faster than that of males (4.5 ± 3.3 compared with 3.8 ± 3.2 μm day^?1 mm^?1 total length). Sex‐specific asymmetries in length and weight were generally significant and increased in magnitude during the 7‐month study period, suggesting potential commercial benefits from increasing the proportion of cultured female oysters. The fastest increase in the sex‐specific disparity in growth and condition came after the October chlorophyll a peak, suggesting that females utilize blooms more efficiently than males. Our results compare favourably with methods currently used to increase oyster growth (e.g. triploidy can provide growth gains of 13–51%).     

牡蛎养殖技术

太平洋牡蛎具有体型大、生长快、味美、产量高、适应性强等优点,是浅海养殖的优良品种之一。本文概述了太平洋牡蛎的人工养殖技术,同时介绍了一种牡蛎的室内控温育苗技术;旨在为牡蛎养殖单位的生产实践提供参考。     

胶州湾筏式养殖太平洋牡蛎试验

1 材料与方法 1.1 海区选择 鉴于太平洋牡蛎体型大、固着点小,抗风浪能力差的特点,选择了风浪较小、潮流畅通、饵料生物丰富、污染轻的沧口海区和湖岛海区进行筏式试养.养殖面积分别为6.7hm2和20hm     

Production of Pacific oysters, Crassostrea gigas Thunberg, from wild-caught and hatchery-produced seed grown at several densities on oyster shells

Abstract. Production of Pacific oysters was studied under pilot-scale conditions in Baynes Sound, British Columbia, using common bottom culture strategies. Four seeding treatments, each with a different seed per cultch density were cultured: wild-caught seed 5mm in shell height at 10 seed per cultch piece and hatchery produced seed 1-2 mm in shell height at densities of 11, 40 and 105 per cultch piece. The cultch material for all treatments was Pacific oyster shell. All seed was reared for approximately 1 year in a seed nursery located at the 2.2-m tidal level then transferred to a 1-m tidal level grow-out plot until harvest 4 years later in May 1988, Clusters of large numbers of oysters were separated and evenly distributed within the plots when the oysters attained a shell height of 60-100 mm. During the first year, growth was slow and mortalities were relatively high. All treatments produced oysters of similar size at harvest. The proportion surviving at harvest was substantially higher for the wild oysters which were initially larger at time of planting. Within the hatchery treatments proportional survival per cultch piece was inversely related to initial density on the shell; however, total production per cultch piece was positively related to initial density. Most efficient use of seed is attained at lower densities per shell; however, most efficient use of cultch and effort to handle cultch is attained at high densities.     

A comparison of the gametogenic cycle between the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas and the Suminoe oyster Crassostrea rivularis in Washington State

The gamotogenic cycle of the Suminoe oyster, Crassostrea rivularis, was compared with that of two groups of Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) on an intertidal oyster bed in Oakland Bay, Washington. The Pacific oysters exhibited an earlier and more extensive development of gonad relative to C. rivularis. Resulting carbohydrate depletion was much greater in C. gigas relative to C. rivularis. Both groups of Pacific oysters spawned completely in mid-August. C. rivularis did not spawn but, rather, initiated phagocytosis of gametes by leucocytes. The implications of the results on the development of a marketable “summer” oyster are discussed.     

Changes in volatile compounds of living Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas during air-exposed storage

Fisheries Science - The changes in volatile compounds of living oysters Crassostrea gigas with shells under air-exposed storage for 7 days at 5 and 20 °C were investigated...     

Growth and food sources of Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas integrated culture with Sea bass Lateolabrax japonicus in Ailian Bay, China

Shell length and tissue growth of Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas integrated culture with Sea bass Lateolabrax japonicus were monitored during April–October 2010 in Ailian Bay, China. And also, the food sources of the oyster were analyzed and quantified by stable carbon and nitrogen isotope methods. Results showed that the increment of shell length and flesh dry weight of oyster cultured at cage area were greater than that at control area significantly (P < 0.05). Enrichment of δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N in oyster tissue at the cage area relative to the control area was significant (P < 0.05). Based on the simple linear mixing model, the contribution rate of the fish feces and waste fish feed to oyster was 29.27 and 5.59 %, respectively. This work demonstrates that the differences in growth performance of oyster between cage area and control area were resulted from the utilization of organic matter derived from fish aquaculture. Integrated filter-feeding bivalves culture with marine fish can reduce the environmental impact of organic waste from fish-farming activities.     

Pathology and significance of fatal inflammatory bacteraemia in the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas Thünberg

Abstract. Inflammatory bacteraemia was found in 27–31% of Pacific oysters in two bays over 2 years in Puget Sound, Washington, USA. Mantle discolouration and raised yellow to green nodules are associated with the disease in 52% and 85% of the observed cases, respectively. The disease is caused by systemically distributed, branching. Gram-positive, acid-fast bacteria suggestive of an actinomycete. Clusters of the bacteria elicit a marked inflammatory response. Glycogenic degeneration of host vesicular cells occurs in the advanced infections and results in the formation of the characteristic nodules comprised of lipid filled cells. The disease is, thus, significant to the health of individual oysters and also appears to be an important factor in the historically observed phenomenon of summer mortality in certain areas of Puget Sound.     

福建漳浦太平洋牡蛎微卫星等位基因比较

本文采用Ucdcg153、157、202微卫星分子标记对福建漳浦从广东饶平引人的太平洋牡蛎育苗亲贝进行等位基因比较.两组样品(Cg♀和cg♂)携带的等位基因在微卫星重复区间及其附近存在高度相似的变异特征.这些特征区间分别是:Ucdcg153 23～40位碱基区间,Ucdcg157 73～100位碱基区间,Ucd-cg2...     

Combined effects of temperature and diet on growth and biochemical composition of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg) spat

Temperature and quality of the available food are important factors that influence the physiology of oysters; however, the combined effects have not been well studied. We evaluated the impacts of the temperature and diet on the growth, survival and biochemical composition in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas spat, cultured in the laboratory for 8 weeks at 23, 26, 29 and 32°C and fed Isochrysis sp.‐Pavlova lutheri (IP) and Dunaliella tertiolecta (Dt). The growth and biochemical composition showed a pattern, which changed in response to rising temperature. The shell length was significantly longer, in spat fed the IP diet, except at 32°C, where both diets produced poor growth results. The survival was <50% after 5 weeks at 32°C, whereas at all other temperatures it was >88%. High temperatures directly increased lipids and saturated fatty acids, while the proteins, carbohydrates and unsaturated fatty acids decreased. High temperatures achieved in the environment, as those reached on clear summer days during low tides, are an important stressor in oyster spat, especially when the quality of the available food is poor.     

Investigation on redox status and gene expression related to larval cryopreservation in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas

This study evaluated the effects of larval cryopreservation on redox status of post-thaw trochophore larvae and on gene expression in post-thaw trochophore larvae, D-larvae, umbo larvae, eyed larvae and spat, with the aim to understand the effects of cryodamage in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. The results showed that total antioxidant capacity was significantly higher in the cryopreserved larvae than in the control group (P?<?0.05), with no significant difference in the production of reactive oxygen species between these two groups (P?>?0.05). The expressions of FADD, Bax1, Baxlike, Bcl2, CASP7 and CAT were significantly downregulated in post-thaw trochophore larvae, whereas the expression of the SOD gene was significantly upregulated. However, the expressions of all of these genes did not significantly differ at later developmental stages. In the cryopreserved group, the expressions of GPX and ATG6 were downregulated in trochophore larvae and upregulated in D-larvae, while there were no signficant changes in the expressions of BI-1, Caspase 3 and ATG8 at all developmental stages investigated. Taken together, these results suggest that the larval cryopreservation technique developed for the Pacific oyster may compromise the survival of post-thaw trochophore larvae by modifying the redox status and gene expression patterns, but that they have limited effects, if any effect at all, after the umbo stage, indicating that the umbo stage should be used for assessing post-thaw larval performance in this species.

     

Application of sperm cryopreservation in selective breeding of the Pacific oyster,Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg)

The robustness of Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg), sperm cryopreservation in the context of selective breeding based on family lines was investigated. Irrespective of egg density, high fertilization success was achieved with cryopreserved sperm when sperm:egg ratios of 1000:1 to 10 000:1 were used. Variation among replicate runs on the same oyster batches was minimal, indicating that cryopreservation and larval rearing procedures were repeatable. Twenty independent single male–female crosses were made to assess the utility of cryopreserved sperm in selective breeding. The fertility of unfrozen sperm was generally a poor predictor of cryopreserved sperm fertility. Based on D‐larval yields, 17 of the 20 crosses were likely to yield adequate spat for selective breeding (>10⁵ D‐larvae from 1 million eggs), two were marginal (5 × 10⁴ D‐larvae) and one was inadequate (4 × 10³ D‐larvae). An alternative fertilization strategy to improve D‐yield from a given number of sperm was then tested. Fertilizing 10 million eggs at a sperm:egg ratio of 200:1 increased the total D‐yield when compared with fertilizing 1 million eggs at a sperm:egg ratio of 2000:1 for the same male–female pair. We conclude that, despite wide variation in fertility, cryopreserved sperm is useful for family production.     

QTL mapping for glycogen content and shell pigmentation in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas using microsatellites and SNPs

Glycogen content and shell pigmentation are two important economic traits of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. The first set of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling the two traits was determined in an F1 full-sib family based on a sex-averaged linkage map. The linkage map was constructed using 120 SSRs, and 66 expressed sequence tag-derived single nucleotide polymorphisms (EST–SNPs). Two QTLs were found to be associated with glycogen content, explaining 0.27–79.05 % of the phenotypic variation. One QTL on LG9 were found to be related to shell pigmentation, the paternal and maternal alleles explaining 6.75 and 17.44 % of the phenotypic variation. The relationship of glycogen content with left shell depth and QTL linkage group analysis suggests that left shell depth and volume might be used to assist in indirect selection for glycogen content. The constructed linkage map and determined QTLs can provide a tool for further genetic analysis of the traits and be potential for marker-assisted selection in C. gigas breeding.     

A habitat suitability index model for suspended tray culture of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas Thunberg

Abstract. A habitat suitability index (HSI) model for suspended tray culture of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas Thunberg, was constructed from existing information in the literature on oyster-environment relationships. In the model, biophysical data are used to rate aquaculture potential of coastal areas on a scale from 0.0 to 1·0. where 1·0 represents optimal conditions for growth and survival and 0·0 represents totally unsuitable habitat conditions. The model was tested with environmental, growth (increase in shell height) and secondary production (g· 100 oysters⁻¹ day⁻¹) data collected over a 14-month period for two age-classes of oysters transplanted to 10 locations along the coast of British Columbia. Canada. Regressions of HSI values calculated from entire study environmental data against oyster growth and secondary production were highly significant for both age-classes. Environmental data subsets representing short sampling programmers (1–3 months) resulted in HSI values significantly correlated to oyster growth, provided that some sampling occurred during periods of high food availability. HSI modeling techniques have potential application in site selection and coastal management of aquaculture.     

The lipid content, spatfall and subsequent growth of early and late settling hatchery-reared Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas Thunberg, larvae

Six experimental batches of Pacific oyster larvae, Crassostrea gigas Thunberg, were reared on a standard diet in the hatchery. After 8-12 days from fertilization, the larvae were separated into two to three size groups. These groups of larvae were then reared separately through to settlement. A sample was taken from each group when the larvae had reached the stage at which they were ready to settle for estimation of number, size and weight, and analysis of total lipid. All the spat that settled from each group were removed daily during the settlement period of 10-14 days. Selected samples of 1000 or more spat, collected from a single (day) settlement, were reared in standard hatchery upwelling systems for a further 30 days. Spatfall, as a percentage of the number of larvae in the group available to settle, was similar for all three groups of larvae, although it varied between experiments, and was positively correlated with the amount of lipid in the eyed larvae. The average spatfall, for all groups, was 44%. The dry and organic weights of spat that settled from the group of larvae that grew fastest were significantly greater than that for spat from the group with the slowest growth rate. Lipid content of the spat in the three groups was similar (9.3-12.4%). The spat that settled from the group of larvae that grew fastest also tended to be biggest after rearing in the hatchery for a further 30 days, but this result was not statistically significant. Spat from within the same group of larvae also grew to a similar size in this time, irrespective of whether they were collected during the first 3 days of settlement, or after a further 5 days. In practical terms, the results of these experiments show that it is cost-effective for hatchery operators to maintain batches of larvae for as long as settlement continues, to maximize the output of spat numbers without any danger of wasting resources by producing inferior quality or slower growing animals.     

Genetic differentiation between Zhe oyster Crassostrea plicatula and pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas populations in China assessed by microsatellite analysis

ABSTRACT:   Genetic differentiation and relationships between Crassostrea plicatula and Crassostrea gigas populations from China were studied by means of the microsatellite technique. Seven loci were used to screen five populations each collected from C. plicatula and C. gigas . All loci showed high polymorphism for all populations, as observed in average number of alleles per locus (19.1–28.1), and average expected heterozygosity (0.891–0.954). Significant departures from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium due to heterozygote deficiency were observed over most populations at each locus and were best explained by null alleles. F _ST values showed significant genetic differentiation between C. plicatula and C. gigas populations. According to the neighbor-joining tree constructed on the basis of the genetic distance ( D _A), the ten populations fell into two distinct groups ( C. plicatula and C. gigas groups), and the results of principal coordinate analysis and assignment tests also supported the neighbor-joining clustering. The outcomes presented here suggested that the microsatellite markers have great potential for differentiating C. plicatula from C. gigas populations. The information obtained in this study has important implications for the suitable management and conservation of these genetic resources in China.     

Reproduction, condition and mortality of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg) in Sonora, México

Starting in 1997, mortality outbreaks in cultured oysters Crassostrea gigas have been reported in northwestern México. Previous studies have shown that massive die‐offs result from multi‐factor processes related to reproduction of the species. We studied the reproductive cycle and the condition index of cultured oysters in the coastal lagoon of El Soldado, Sonora, as well as the relationship of the life cycle with environmental parameters. We used oocyte diameter to determine reproductive stages and the condition index to describe the physiological state of oysters. Additionally, the temperature, salinity, seston and chlorophyll a were recorded at the study site. The results showed that C. gigas began accelerated reproductive activity in March under the influence of high temperature and increased concentrations of food. No spawning events were recorded and gametes were reabsorbed within the gonad in September and October. The results showed a period of nutrient storage during autumn–winter and another period of gamete production in spring–summer. A mortality event occurred at the end of winter, tied to significant increases in temperature and availability of food and in accelerated reproductive activity and high condition index. These conditions were very similar to those reported in other countries during summer die‐offs of C. gigas.