Granulomatous lesions in a wild mullet population from the eastern Ligurian Sea (Italy): mycobacteriosis vs. pseudotuberculosis

Mycobacterium spp. and Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida are recognized as the most frequent causative agents of granulomatous lesions in fish. Although frequent episodes of mycobacterial infections have been reported in wild fish worldwide, only sporadic cases have been documented to date in Italy. To investigate for the presence of lesions referable to mycobacteriosis and to identify the mycobacterial species involved, a total of 159 wild mullets were fished from the eastern coast of the Ligurian Sea, killed and necropsied. Liver and spleen samples were collected from all fish for histopathological and microbiological analyses. Molecular investigations for identification of Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida were performed. Gross examination revealed granulomatous lesions in one animal; microscopically, 42.14% of fish displayed granulomas with various histological features, 19.50% resulted positive at Ziehl–Neelsen staining, and were confirmed as mycobacterial lesions by culture. The identified colonies were characterized as M. fortuitum, M. abscessus, M. flavescens, M. chelonae, M. septicum and M. nonchromogenicum. In all, 35% of animals resulted positive for Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida. These data suggest widespread mycobacterial infection also by Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida infections in wild fish. Moreover, the pathogenicity of some mycobacterial species, previously considered as saprophytic, was demonstrated.     

A new synthetic index and a protocol for monitoring the status of Posidonia oceanica meadows: a case study at Sanremo (Ligurian Sea,NW Mediterranean)

• 1. The status of a Posidonia oceanica meadow in front of the town of Sanremo, Italy, was studied through a combined use of benthic mapping and synthetic indices.
• 2. Mapping was accomplished by integrating side scan sonar imagery and data collected by scuba diving along transects placed perpendicularly to the coastline. A thematic map (scale 1:5000) was produced. Extent of the meadow, occurrence of dead matte areas, and morphology of the lower limit (with new definition) are all described.
• 3. Two synthetic environmental indices were applied to transect data in order to quantify the status of the meadow: the Conservation Index and the Substitution Index. The former is related to the proportion of dead matte; the latter is a novel index measuring the amount of replacement of the ‘constructional’ seagrass P. oceanica by the ‘non‐constructional’ seagrass Cymodocea nodosa. The potential of a ‘phase shift’ in Ligurian Sea seagrass meadows is discussed.
• 4. The approach here proposed, based on detailed mapping plus synthetic indices, may provide immediate information to evaluate the state of Mediterranean Posidonia oceanica for monitoring and management.

Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Occurrence of common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) in the Gulf of Trieste and the northern Adriatic Sea

1. The Mediterranean common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), considered to have been very common in the past, had undergone a dramatic decline across most of the basin by the end of 1970s. In the northern Adriatic Sea, one of the regions with most available historical information, the common dolphin is thought to have been the most common and abundant cetacean throughout most of the 20th century. However, by the end of 1970s, it had virtually disappeared from the region and is now considered generally absent from the entire Adriatic Sea.
2. This contribution summarizes the occurrence of common dolphins in the Gulf of Trieste and provides a brief review of published records in other parts of the Adriatic Sea.
3. Systematic boat surveys in the wider area of the Gulf of Trieste between 2002 and 2019 confirmed that the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is the only regularly occurring cetacean species in this area. Despite this, several records of common dolphins were documented in the Gulf of Trieste between 2009 and 2012, through sightings of live animals or recovery of dead stranded animals.
4. Dorsal fin markings allowed the photo-identification of some of these, suggesting that at least four different live individuals (three adults and one calf) occurred here in recent times. Most cases involved single adult individuals, but one included a mother-calf pair that was temporarily resident in a port for several months, a behaviour atypical for this species. Photo-identification showed that the presumed mother had previously been sighted in the Ionian Sea in Greece, over 1,000 km from the Gulf of Trieste, making this the longest documented movement for this species worldwide.
5. At present, the common dolphin continues to be rare in the region.

     

Meat Yield,Condition Index,and Biochemical Composition of Mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819) in Sinop,South of the Black Sea

Monthly variations in meat yield and biochemical composition of Mediterranean mussels on lantern nets were investigated from May 2005 to May 2006, in Sinop, south of the Black Sea. Dry weight condition index was between 2.66 and 7.10% with a mean of 4.86 ± 0.36%. Meat yield was maximum (26.69%) in March and minimum (17.43%) in October. Moisture values were between 78% (in June) and 86% (in April). Protein content in dry weight of mussels reached the highest value in February (74.64%) before the spawning time. Lipid value was maximum (18.03%) in May 2005.     

Growth and mortality of Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis Lam., 1819, in relation to size on longline in Mersin Bay, Izmir (Turkey – Aegean Sea)

The growth and mortality rate of different size of mussels, Mytilus galloprovincialis, were compared in Mersin bay, Izmir. Mussel sampling was performed on a monthly basis over 1 year, together with hyrobiological parameters. Water temperature, salinity, chlorophyll a, total particulate matter (TPM) and particulate organic carbon (POC) were determined. Average chlorophyll a, TPM and POC values were 3.88±1.62 μg L⁻¹, 13.12±3.68 mg L⁻¹ and 252±121.89 μg L⁻¹ respectively. Initial mean lengths of mussels for each size group were 10 mm (9.91±0.25 mm), 20 mm (20.14±0.29 mm), 30 mm (30.66±0.21 mm), 40 mm (40.14±0.21 mm), 50 mm (50.62±0.21 mm), 60 mm (59.77±0.21 mm) and 70 mm (69.47±0.62 mm). Maximum growth in length occurred during the spring–summer months. The annual length increments of mussel size groups were 46.22, 41.42, 30.3, 28.03, 20.63, 16.34 and 12.03 mm from small to large size groups respectively. Small mussels grew faster than large mussels and reached commercial size at the same time. Mortality was <5% for all groups at the end of the experiment.     

The recruitment of scallops (and beyond) by two different artificial collectors (Gulf of Taranto,Mediterranean Sea)

This study provides for the first time an evaluation of the natural availability of scallop seeds along the coastal area of Taranto (Mediterranean Sea, Southern Italy). To select the best artificial collectors to harvest scallop seeds in this area, cylindrical collectors (Cyl) were compared to traditional ‘Japanese‐style onion bags’ (Bag) across three sites. Scallops represented 26.6% of total bivalve recruitment among all collectors (782 ± 331 ind. m^?2). The most recruited scallops were Flexopecten glaber and Mimachlamys varia. The white (F. glaber) and black scallops (M. varia) were abundant at all three sites, while the queen scallop, Aequipecten opercularis, was only found at one site. Beyond the recruitment of scallops, numerous other potential commercial bivalve species were collected, including Limaria tuberculata, which was the most abundant bivalve species (33.3% of total recruitment). At all sites, Bag collectors had higher recruitment than Cyl collectors. Scallops recruited in artificial collectors exhibited a multicohort size distribution at most sites, suggesting potentially continuous reproductive activity in the scallop populations. F. glaber, M. varia and L. tuberculata could be good candidates to diversify the aquaculture production because of the availability of seed and their growth rate. Moreover, the farming of these bivalves integrates well with other forms of aquaculture (e.g. mussels), thus potentially offering farmers an additional source of income.     

香港牡蛎不同育肥方式的育肥效果

香港牡蛎营养丰富,味道鲜美,在上市前会通过集中育肥提高风味口感和经济价值。为探明不同育肥方式对香港牡蛎的育肥效果,对经过池塘育肥和外海育肥后香港牡蛎的壳高、壳长、壳宽、体质量、软体质量、出肉率、糖原含量、甜菜碱含量、蛋白含量等指标进行检测,并与内海对照组牡蛎进行比较分析。检测结果显示,经过池塘育肥,香港牡蛎的壳高、体质量、糖原含量和蛋白含量均显著升高( P <0.01),甜菜碱含量显著降低( P <0.01),壳长、壳宽、软体质量、出肉率无显著变化;经过外海育肥的香港牡蛎糖原含量显著升高( P <0.01),壳高、壳长、体质量、软体质量( P <0.01)和甜菜碱( P < 0.05 )含量显著降低,壳宽、出肉率和蛋白含量无显著变化。试验结果表明,池塘育肥比外海育肥效果要好;不论哪种育肥方式,育肥后牡蛎的糖原含量均显著升高,甜菜碱含量均显著降低,出肉率均无显著变化。     

夏季北黄海贝类养殖区环境因子、长牡蛎糖原和免疫指标变化的调查研究

为解析夏季环境胁迫和长牡蛎（Crassostrea gigas）机体响应特征,实验针对2021年北黄海夏季高温降雨期的长牡蛎养殖海区开展了2次调查研究和对比分析。结果显示,7月份海区表层水温分别为25.3 ℃和24.9 ℃,盐度分别为26.41和27.87;表层海水中硅藻丰度分别为3.6×103和3×103 个/L,低于往年平均水平,甲藻多样性增加,表层海水中细菌的总丰度分别为2.10×109和2.77×1010 拷贝/L,弧菌丰度分别为3.37×108和5.40×108 拷贝/L;长牡蛎肝胰腺糖原含量分别为40.96和31.58 mg/g、闭壳肌糖原含量分别为6.63和8.91 mg/g;鳃MDA含量分别为13.74和8.69 nmol/mg prot、鳃T-AOC分别为0.46和0.77 U/mg prot;海区养殖长牡蛎血淋巴细胞中CgIL17-5和CgTNF-1的mRNA表达量在第一次调查时相对室内暂养长牡蛎均剧烈升高;血淋巴细胞中CgCaspase3的mRNA表达量升高但差异不显著。综上,2021年北黄海贝类养殖区在经历6—7月夏季高温降雨期后出现水温升高和盐度降低现象,硅藻丰度较往年平均水平下降而甲藻多样性增加,细菌总丰度较入夏前水平降低而弧菌丰度显著升高。与室内暂养对照组长牡蛎相比,海区养殖长牡蛎的糖原含量下降,并发生轻度氧化应激。研究结果有助于我们进一步理解夏季养殖环境的变化规律和长牡蛎机体响应特征,为预防夏季大规模死亡发生提供理论依据和参考。     

Survey of macroalgal mats in the Gulf of Finland,Baltic Sea

1. The occurrence of macroalgal mats in shallow coastal waters was studied in the Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea. 2. Altogether, 89 sites were visited and the near‐shore waters of the islands were investigated, mainly by scuba diver, to about 10 m depth. In 26 places, drifting algal mats were recorded. 3. The macroalgal mats occurred in patches of up to 10 m² in area, in a range of depths from 0.5 to 10 m, with the optimum depth being less than 5 m. The coverage of the mat varied between 10–70%, and the thickness of the mat was found to vary between 2 and 30 cm. The most frequently recorded, dominant species was Cladophora glomerata. 4. In some cases, anoxic conditions were observed as black sediment underneath the mat. This phenomenon could be a sign of very severe eutrophication of the Baltic Sea. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cold‐water coral Madrepora oculata in the eastern Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean): Historical and recent findings

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Otolith elemental characteristics of whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) from brackish waters of the Gulf of Bothnia,Baltic Sea

To investigate whether European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) groups in the brackish (≤7%) Gulf of Bothnia (Baltic Sea) express specific otolith elemental characteristics, concentrations of elements (Ca, Ba, Sr, Zn, Mn, Fe) in whole otoliths were studied by inductively coupled plasma‐optical emission spectrometry. Whitefish (N = 67) were sampled from six different latitudinal sites; four in the sea and two in rivers along the west coast of Finland, and from a fresh water lake for comparison. The concentration of several elements showed significant differences among sampling sites. Otolith Ba concentrations were higher at the northern sampling sites compared to the southern ones, thereby showing negative association to capture‐habitat salinity. In contrast, otolith Sr and Zn concentrations were lower at the northern sampling sites, thereby associating positively to capture‐habitat salinity. Otolith Mn concentrations did not associate with latitude or salinity but markedly varied between sampling sites. Elevated Fe concentrations occurred in fish otoliths from the two northernmost sites. Ca concentrations were at the same levels in otoliths from all whitefish samples. Otoliths of whitefish from the lake had very high Ba and low Sr concentrations compared to concentrations in otoliths from whitefish in the sea and rivers. Our results show that otolith elemental characteristics of whitefish vary considerably at various geographic scales showing high potential for population identification using elemental fingerprints. Analysis of otolith elemental characteristics may therefore provide an efficient tool for the identification of main areas of residence, spawning locations, and migration routes, thus contributing towards the sustainable management of whitefish stocks.     

黄海南部与东海的隆剑水蚤(桡足类：剑水蚤目)生态分布

利用1981年2、5、8和11月4个航次的海洋调查资料,对黄海南部及东海(28°00′～34°00′N、121°00′～127°00′E)水域中、小型浮游桡足类隆剑水蚤科(Oncaeidea)的种类组成和分布特征进行了初步分析。研究结果表明,调查水域共出现隆剑水蚤9种,其中等刺隆剑水蚤(Oncaeamediterranea)、背突隆剑水蚤(Oncaeaclevei)和角突隆剑水蚤(On caeaconifera)为主要优势种。夏季丰度最高(60.38ind·m-3),秋季次之(15.16ind·m-3),冬季最低(2.34ind·m-3)。通过对同步温度和盐度资料分析后发现,隆剑水蚤主要分布在受台湾暖流和黑潮暖流影响的高温、高盐区域,其中等次隆剑水蚤可作为暖流的指示种。     

Benthic microbial indicators of fish farm impact in a coastal area of the Tyrrhenian Sea

We studied the impact of organic loads due to the biodeposition of a fish farm in a non-impacted coastal area of the Tyrrhenian Sea (Western Mediterranean). Sediment chemistry and benthic microbial community were investigated from July 1997 to February 1998 on monthly basis at two stations: one was located under the fish farm, while the second was about 1 km away, and served as a reference site. The presence of the cage induced rapid changes in the benthic conditions: the sediments were rapidly (after 6 weeks) reduced. A significant accumulation of biopolymeric carbon was observed beneath the cage both 2 weeks after the initial cage deployment, on non-impacted sediments, and 5–7 months after, and appeared to be related to the fish farm production cycle. The density of microbial communities beneath the fish farm increased only during the first month of farming activity (July) and partially 7 months after cage disposal (i.e. in January), when there was a significant sediment organic enrichment. Additional evidence of rapid impact of the fish farm on the benthic bacterial communities is provided by the increase in the numbers of autofluorescent microbial cells. The photosynthetic eukaryotic cells displayed a highly reduced contribution to total autofluorescent microbial density, indicating that their decrease is related with biopolymeric carbon accumulation, and probably was due also to “shadow effect” induced by suspended material, coming from the fish farm, on the environment below. We propose here, to apply the ratio of culturable heterotrophic bacteria to microbial direct counts (CFU/MDC) to detect fish farm impact. In cage sediments, organic enrichment and the consequent modification of the characteristics of the benthic environment, determined an increase in aerobic heterotrophic bacteria and vibrio density indicating that they are efficient colonizers of organic-rich sediments. Densities of Escherichia coli and Enterococci were not significantly higher than in the reference site, and are likely of terrestrial origin. Thus they cannot be used as specific indicators of fish farm impact.     

南海北部湾主要鱼类食物网

1997-2000年在南海北部湾渔场调查中搜集了49种鱼，共计2080尾。对其食性分析，并依其食料生物的生态类群以及消化器官特点，将其划分为5种食性类型：浮游生物食性、底栖生物食性、游泳动物食性、浮游生物兼底栖生物食性、底栖生物兼游泳动物食性。根据食物网中各营养级的相互关系，初步将这49种鱼划分为3个营养级：（1）草食性动物和杂食性动物，营养级分别为1．0～1．3级和1．4～1．9级。（2）低级肉食性动物和中级肉食性动物，营养级分别为2．0-2．8级和2．9～3．4级。其中，属于低级肉食性营养级的种类数量最多，共有30种；属于中级肉食性营养级的种类较少，共有12种。（3）高级肉食性动物，营养级为3．5～4．0级。属于该营养级的种类数量最少，只有7种。     

Growth and biometric relationships of the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata (Gould) on transplanting from the Gulf of Mannar to the Arabian Sea

Comparative studies were made on the growth and biometric relationships of the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata (Gould) Tuticorin stock at (Tuticorin (TST) – parent stock) transplanted from the Tuticorin Bay (8.7°N; 78.2°E) in the Gulf of Mannar along the Indian southeast coast to Kollam Bay (8.8°N; 76.5°E) in the Arabian Sea along the Indian southwest coast (Tuticorin stock at Kollam (TSK) – transplanted stock). At the time of transplantation, Kollam Bay did not have a native stock, however, within a year, the transplanted stock spawned and oyster spats were collected from within the farm (Kollam stock (KS) – progeny stock). The growth in dorso‐ventral measurement and total weight in Kollam Bay was 1.4–1.6 times and 3.1 to 6.8 times respectively greater than that observed at Tuticorin. Furthermore, at Kollam Bay, the thickness observed at the end of first year was similar to that obtained at the end of second year in Tuticorin. Both the TSK and KS had significantly higher instantaneous growth rates (IGR) than TST. All the stocks displayed significantly different biometric relationships. The increased growth in Kollam Bay is attributed to the almost double productivity in the Arabian Sea compared with the Bay of Bengal. It is concluded that in the case of P. fucata, the site and its interaction with environment are important determinants of growth and shell dimensions. The present study clearly indicates that the environmental conditions prevailing along the southeast Arabian Sea are congenial for the growth, gametogenesis, spawning and settlement of P. fucata larvae. In spite of strong monsoonal influences in the hydrology of Kollam Bay, the growth and reproduction of P. fucata stocks indicates its relative hardiness and ability to adapt to a changed environment.     

东、黄海日本鲭种群鉴定和划分的研究进展

分布于东、黄海的日本鲭(Scomber japoncus)在我国海洋渔业中具有重要的地位,随着中韩、中日渔业协定的生效,开展日本鲭等重要经济鱼类的种群归属研究显得尤为重要。关于东、黄海日本鲭种群划分,20世纪中日两国学者利用标志放流和渔业调查数据分别进行了研判,但中日间以及国内对其种群划分存在不同见解。21世纪以来,中国一些研究者利用形态框架法和分子遗传学方法对前辈的种群划分进行了验证并提供了一些证据,但分析结果值得商榷。总结相关研究结果,多数中国学者将分布于东、黄海的日本鲭划分为东海西部种群、五岛西部种群和闽南—粤东地方种群,也有中国学者将其划分为东海群系和闽南—粤东地方种群;日本学者将分布于东海不同越冬场日本鲭归属为对马暖流群系,也有日本学者将分布于东、黄海和日本海西部的日本鲭划分为九州西部群系和东海西部群系。针对东、黄海日本鲭种群划分存在的不同观点,今后研究者应同时利用目前较为先进的、相对可操作的鱼类框架形态和分子遗传等判别技术,增加产卵场样本采集覆盖面,以获得判别东、黄海日本鲭种群相对最为科学的证据。     

Evaluation of Processing Methods on the Nutritional Quality of Sea Cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus Selenka)

The close relationship between the consumption of sea cucumber and health status stems from the nutritional and functional substances found in sea cucumber that play a key role in the prevention of different diseases. The processing methods have a great effect upon the nutritional and functional substances in sea cucumber. A superior product should not only be abundant in nutritional substances, but also require an easy and cost effective processing method. This study compared the influence of processing methods on the stability of macronutrients and micronutrients present in sea cucumber in order to recommend products that could provide high nutritional quality. The five processes investigated were hot air drying (60°C), vacuum freeze-drying (0.5 cm thickness material, 5–10 Pa vacuum degree, ?85 to ?90°C cold trap temperature, ?25°C material temperature), sun drying, double-distilled water cooking followed by sun drying, and 3.5% sodium chloride solution cooking followed by sun drying. A significant decrease of all the chemical compositions determined was shown in all the sea cucumber products treated by the five processing methods (p < 0.05). Among all the processing methods, hot air drying resulted in the highest nutritional quality of the product. Moreover, hot air drying can be operated easily with low cost.     

东、黄海带鱼的摄食习性及随发育的变化

对2000年10月～2002年8月期间收集的1986尾带鱼食性的分析,发现带鱼的食物包括80余种生物种类,主要以甲壳类和鱼类为食,其余类群所占的比例很少。带鱼在生长发育过程中,摄食生态位发生转移和扩大,食性类型由浮游生物食性逐渐转变成游泳动物食性,摄食范围由狭食性逐步向广食性转变。这些转变既减少了大个体与小个体之间的食物竞争,又增强了带鱼摄食的种间竞争能力。另外,结果还表明带鱼的摄食强度在发育过程没有显著的变化。