Genetic parameters of growth and survival in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas

The Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas is a representative bivalve mollusc that is widely cultured in the world and is the largest molluscan group cultured in China. In order to assess the feasibility of improving survival of C. gigas through genetic selection, the heritability and genetic correlations for growth and survival traits between different life stages were examined. Genetic parameters were estimated based on intraclass correlations of 49 full‐sib families (29 half‐sib families) in larvae (4 and 20 days after fertilization) and spat (140 days after fertilization) stages. The heritability for growth traits in larvae and spat was 0.30–0.86 and 0.53–0.59, respectively, and varied with ages. The heritability of survival was low in larvae (0.13 ± 0.05 and 0.17 ± 0.04, respectively for 4 and 20 days after fertilization) but medium (0.39 ± 0.07) in spat, suggesting that selection for increasing spat survival was feasible. The genetic correlation between growth traits within age was medium to high and positive (ranging from 0.47 to 0.96, respectively, between shell length (SL) and shell height (SH) at 20 days and between SL and SH at 140 days after fertilization), suggesting that selection to improve single growth trait will cause positive response in another growth traits in C. gigas. The genetic correlations between survival and growth traits at 140 days were low but positive (ranging from 0.23 to 0.27, respectively, between survival and SH and between survival and SL at 140 days after fertilization), suggesting that selection for survival may not have a negative response in growth. Overall, this study suggests that survival traits should be taken as improving target of next selection breeding programme in C. gigas.     

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。     

三倍体长牡蛎浮筏养殖技术的研究

本文报道了两个相邻海区近５００ｈｍ＾２三倍体长牡蛎Ｃｒａｓｓｏｔｒｅａ ｇｉｇａｓ（Ｔｈｕｎｂｅｒｇ）浮筏养殖的研究结果。三倍体牡蛎的采苗器为栉孔扇贝壳,每片采苗器采苗１０￣１２个,以１５￣２０ｃｍ间距夹于３股聚乙（丙）烯蝇间并吊养在浮筏上。三倍体牡蛎在个体重、出肉率和条件指数等养殖经济性状方面比二部体分别增加４２．１％、１６．２％、５６．７％,成活率也有一定的提高。三部体在生长等方面性状优势的生     

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.     

基于微卫星标记整合长牡蛎遗传图谱

为了提高长牡蛎遗传图谱上的微卫星标记密度,实验采用6个家系图谱间的共有微卫星标记作为锚定标记,构建了长牡蛎的整合图谱.该整合图谱共有161个微卫星标记,覆盖10个连锁群,图谱长度和平均间距分别为615.4和3.8 cM.各连锁群的标记数介于10 ～ 24个之间,连锁群长度为47.3～73.3 cM,是目前密度最高的长牡蛎微卫星图谱.不同作图家系连锁群上的标记分组保持一致,但标记顺序出现差异,可能与长牡蛎自然群体中存在大量的染色体重排现象有关.结果表明,该图谱可以为今后长牡蛎的遗传育种研究提供新的遗传工具.     

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     

Comparative growth of Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) postlarvae with microfeed and microalgal diets

Two trials were carried out in the laboratory in order to assess the effect of microparticulated feed (F) and live (Thalassiosira pseudonana, M) diets on the growth of recently set (396 ± 13 μm shell height) and 2 mm Crassostrea gigas postlarvae. Different proportions of M and F (100:0, 75:25, 50:50; 25:75, 0:100) were delivered in a single dose of 3 h d⁻¹ in trial 1. Dietary M:F proportions of 100:0, 50:50, and 0:100 were delivered as a single pulse of 8 h d⁻¹ (P1) or two pulses of 4 h⁻¹ (P2) in trial 2. Maximal daily M ration was 296 cells μl⁻¹ d⁻¹ (trial 1), 150 M cells μl⁻¹ d⁻¹ (trial 2), or their equivalent F dry weight. Shell height (SH), dry (DW), and organic weight (AFDW) were evaluated weekly. Oysters from trial 1 significantly increased their size after 28 days, and exhibited no significant dietary differences in terms of DW (1.21 ± 0.15 to 2.01 ± 0.28 mg) or AFDW (0.091 ± 0.022 to 0.166 ± 0.029 mg). Newly set postlarvae (trial 2) also exhibited significant growth after 25 days. No dietary differences were observed in trial 2, yet P2 oysters attained significantly higher shell heights (825–912 μm) than P1 oysters (730–766 μm) after 25 d. Pulse effects were marginally not significant in terms of AFDW and growth rate. Together, these findings showed that balanced microfeeds have a practical potential for the culture of early C. gigas postlarvae, when they are delivered in pulse-feeding schemes     

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.     

Genetic improvement of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg) in Australia

The Pacific oyster industry in Australia is derived from importations from Japan in the late 1940s and early 1950s to Tasmania and is almost completely hatchery based. This makes it a good target for developing and deploying genetically improved strains. An allozyme survey comparing hatchery stocks with self‐recruiting Tasmanian stocks and with two collections from Japan found abundant variation and no significant evidence of allele loss. The subsequent selection programme (initiated in the summer of 1996/97) had several strands. We wanted to take advantage of the increased power that marker‐assisted selection could bring and, therefore, needed to develop a linkage map and isolate flanking markers around quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Several types of markers (allozymes, microsatellites and AFLPs) were used, and single‐pair crosses were set up; QTLs have been detected. Conventional selection programmes, one based on mass selection and one on family selection, have been established. Triploid Pacific oysters produced via chemical means have been available for several years, but rates of triploidy achieved by such means are usually less than 100%. In 1999, we will assess whether our tetraploid 2‐year‐old broodstock can be crossed with diploids to give 100% triploid offspring.     

Spatfalls of the non-native Pacific oyster,Crassostrea gigas,in British waters

Light spatfalls of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, have occurred in the estuaries of the Rivers Exe, Teign and Dart (Devon) and in the Menai Strait (Gwynedd), near to sites of commercial cultivation of this species. Comparisons of the sizes of the naturally settled oysters with hatchery oysters suggests that the spat from the River Teign and Menai Strait settled in 1989 and 1990. The springs and summers of these years were exceptionally warm with mean monthly air temperatures 0.8°-1.3°C above the 1951–1980 average for the period April to August. Although sitings of Pacific oyster spat were made in Loch Sween and Emsworth Harbour over 20 years ago, there is no evidence that self-sustaining populations have developed. The spatfalls which occurred in some coastal waters of Devon and Gwynedd in 1989 and 1990 are unlikely to sustain natural fisheries and are likely to die out as did the Portuguese oysters which occasionally settled in the River Blackwater, Essex.     

Suspended culture evaluation of Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas in a tropical estuary

The growth and survival of Crassostrea gigas were evaluated in hanging culture in the Chone River estuary (Bahía de Caráquez), Manabí province, Ecuador. Oyster seeds (~10 mm) were confined in lantern nets at a density equal to the occupation of half the surface of the basket base, until reaching commercial size (80 mm). A sample for oyster biometric, parasitic and bacterial analysis was obtained monthly. Temperature, salinity, oxygen concentration, seston and phytoplankton biomass were determined. At the end of the study, the oysters were analysed for heavy metal concentration. The commercial oyster production was extrapolated to estimate the possible economic performance of a family production module (a 7 × 7 m bamboo raft). The results show a great biological feasibility of culture of C. gigas with harvests of commercial size oysters in only 5 months and acceptable survivals (accumulated >70%, after 3 weeks of crop seed selection). The heavy metal concentrations and the parasitological and bacteriological analyses did not indicate levels of contamination. The economic projections suggest that, even with a profitability of 57%, the initially invested capital could be recovered within the first harvest.     

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.     

壳白长牡蛎品系生长和壳色性状遗传参数估计

以经过连续4代家系选育获得的壳白长牡蛎(Crassostrea gigas)选育系为亲本,通过巢氏平衡设计建立了30个全同胞家系混合养殖,采用微卫星多重PCR技术进行家系鉴定,基于REML法估算24月龄壳白长牡蛎的生长性状和壳色性状的遗传参数。结果表明,壳白长牡蛎品系壳高、壳长、总重、壳重、L~*(明度)、a~*(红绿轴色品指数)和b~*(黄蓝轴色品指数)的遗传力为中高等水平,依次为0.35±0.13、0.18±0.09、0.20±0.09、0.16±0.08、0.16±0.08、0.27±0.11和0.19±0.08,壳宽、肉重、出肉率、壳型指数A和壳型指数B的遗传力为低等水平,依次是0.07±0.02、0.11±0.06、0.02±0.03、0.08±0.06和0.11±0.06。壳高、壳长、壳宽、总重、壳重和肉重之间的遗传相关和表型相关均为正相关,其中,壳高、壳宽和总重与其他生长性状的相关性较高,分别为0.40±0.65~0.90±0.14、0.39±0.55~0.97±0.24和0.50±0.66~0.99±0.02。壳型指数A和壳型指数B与壳高均为较高的负相关,分别为–0.94±0.16和–0.77±0.19,表明仅以壳高性状为选育目标时,可能不会对长牡蛎壳型改良产生作用。壳白长牡蛎壳色参数与生长性状之间的遗传相关范围为–0.09±0.42~0.91±0.74,不同性状间的遗传相关差异很大,其中L~*与生长参数遗传相关较高,为0.49±0.29~0.91±0.74,表明以壳高、壳长、总重和L~*任一个为选育目标时,其他生长性状都可以获得提高。壳色参数间L~*与a~*负的相关性最高,为–0.96±0.04,L~*与b~*和a~*与b~*相关性较低,分别为–0.08±0.36和0.21±0.31,表明以L~*为选育目标时,可间接降低a~*值。本研究为合理制定壳白长牡蛎新品系育种方案和选择反应预测提供了参考依据。     

长牡蛎壳黑和壳白选育群体生长性状的选择效应

为了培育壳色性状优良且生长性状良好的长牡蛎(Crassostrea gigas)新品系,本研究以5个壳黑第四代家系和5个壳白第四代家系的成贝为基础群体,利用截头法对壳高进行选择,构建了壳黑和壳白快速生长系第一代群体,分析了两个选育群体的壳高和活体体重的选择反应、遗传获得和现实遗传力等遗传参数。结果表明,在长牡蛎收获的490日龄,壳黑群体和壳白群体选择组壳高较对照组壳高分别提高(9.83?1.68)%和(9.97?1.87)%,体重分别提高(10.16?3.64)%和(11.36?1.96)%。两选育群体壳高的平均现实遗传力分别为(0.353?0.09)和(0.405?0.111),体重的平均现实遗传力为(0.192?0.080)和(0.244?0.123)。本研究表明壳黑群体和壳白群体具有较大的遗传方差,在对壳高生长速度直接选择的同时实现了对活体体重的间接选育,可继续通过群体选育提高生长速度。本研究结果可以为培育出壳色美观、生长性状良好的长牡蛎优良品种提供科学依据。     

Identification and counting of Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas larvae by object detection using deep learning

Natural seedling collection is widely used in the culture of various bivalve species. For successful natural seedling collection, collectors must be installed when larvae appear in the water column at a stage immediately before attachment. Aquaculture farmers generally identify target larvae by morphological features through microscopic examination in a time- and labor-expensive exercise, which also requires a level of expertise to ensure accurate larval identification. We develop a deep-learning-based object-detection technique that ultimately might reduce the time and effort required to accurately identify and count Pacific oyster larvae, render their identification more consistent, and negate the need for expertise. Images of plankton net samples collected in Matsushima and Sendai bays, Japan, were taken using a new photographic device with a CMOS image sensor. Images of oyster larvae identified by an expert were used to create a library of labeled images to train a deep-learning model, which proved to be 82.4% accurate in precision, 90.8% in recall, and 86.4% in F-measure. A further method for estimating larval shell height from the rectangular shape of oyster larval images is also developed. The standardized mean difference in shell height between measurements and estimates is 3.3%. This deep-learning model has the potential to significantly reduce the time and effort required to identify oyster larvae in plankton samples, and thereby costs of this exercise.     

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.