Heritability and phenotypic correlations of gonad sweetness in the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius

Gonad is the only edible part of sea urchins. Thus, a number of studies have been focusing on how to improve both quantity and quality of their gonads. However, as far as our knowledge, the genetic basis of gonad flavor remains totally unknown in sea urchins. In the present study, we found that the heritability of gonad sweetness was at a high level of 0.56, clearly indicating that it is, to a large extent, under genetic control. Gonad sweetness was significantly positively correlated with gonad weight (P < 0.05), a* (P < 0.01) and b* (P < 0.01), while significantly negative correlated with L* (P < 0.01), ΔE ₁ (P < 0.01) and ΔE ₂ (P < 0.01). The present study provides valuable information into the genetic basis of gonad sweetness and evidences that gonad sweetness is potential to be improved in sea urchin genetic breeding programs.     

温度对中间球海胆幼胆生存、生长和行为的影响

底播增殖是一种提高中间球海胆(Strongylocentrotus intermedius)产量的有效方法.底播增殖受到多种内在和外在因素的影响,其中温度发挥着十分重要的作用,因此确定中间球海胆适宜增殖温度范围至关重要.本实验将大(23.29±0.27)mm、小(18.78±0.19)mm两种规格的中间球海胆放置在3个...     

Effects of continuous and diel intermittent feeding regimes on food consumption, growth and gonad production of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius of different size classes

We investigated effects of a continuous and three diel feeding regimes on food consumption, growth and gonad production of cultured Strongylocentrotus intermedius of three size classes. There was no significant difference of food consumption, body weight and gonad production between nocturnal and diurnal feeding regimes of S. intermedius of all size classes, greatly challenging the old paradigm on the diel feeding preference of cultured S. intermedius. The continuous and three diel intermittent feeding regimes did not significantly affect body weight of sea urchins of all size classes. However, sea urchins in the large and small size classes which were fed continuously had significantly higher gonad wet weight and gonad index than those fed intermittently. Gonad of sea urchins in the medium size class did not change with feeding regime. The present study increases our understanding of the feeding behavior of cultured S. intermedius, with a potential of direct application in aquaculture.     

Estimates of heritabilities and genetic correlations for growth and gonad traits in the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius

The present study is the first estimate for the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus intermedius, of genetic parameters for growth and gonad traits during the entire reproductive period. 2165–5764 sea urchins were sampled from 74 to 120 families at six different growth stages. Six hundred individuals were sampled from 20 randomly chosen families at harvest. Coefficients of variation for most growth and gonad traits were high (18.08–78.66%) suggesting a good variation foundation for breeding. Point estimate for heritabilities based on the sire components of variance were moderate to high for test height (0.24–0.39), test diameter (0.21–0.48) and body weight (0.16–0.49). Heritabilities of gonad wet weight, gonad index and gonad moisture at harvest were 0.17, 0.41 and 0.50 respectively (moderate or high). Gonad colour parameters, L^* (lightness) and a^* (redness) have a heritability of 0, while b^* (yellowness) and colour difference ΔE₁ and ΔE₂ have very similar heritabilities of 0.2, 0.18 and 0.21 respectively. Heritabilities of β‐carotene concentration and content were 0.89 and 0.44 respectively. The genetic correlations between the two measured traits ranged from ?0.984 to 0.999. Gonad wet weight, L^*, b^*, β‐carotene concentration and β‐carotene content had significant positive genetic correlations with all the growth traits. However, gonad index, gonad moisture and colour differences ΔE₁ and ΔE₂ had significant negative genetic correlations with growth traits. The present study indicates that growth, gonad yield and most gonad quality traits could be improved by selection with moderate to high potential. Indirect selection should be applied on gonad traits using growth traits as secondary traits. The present study provides important theoretical guidance for future selective breeding programmes for S. intermedius.     

虾夷马粪海胆不同家系和性别间性腺性状的比较

对来自虾夷马粪海胆20个家系的600枚海胆的性腺湿重、指数、颜色、水分和脂肪酸组成进行了测量和分析,结果显示性腺湿重和性腺指数在家系间均有极显著差异,但在性别间差异不显著,两个性腺产量性状在整个群体内均具有较大的变异;虾夷马粪海胆性腺颜色介于黄色和橙红色之间,且色泽鲜艳,经CIEL*a*b*标准量化和方差分析,L*和a*在家系间无显著差异,但b*、亮黄色差(ΔE1)和亮橙黄色差(ΔE2)在家系间均具有极显著差异,在性别间,雌性海胆的L*、a*和b*值以及两个色差均极显著优于雄性;性腺水分在家系和性别间有极显著和显著差异;性腺总脂中含有较高的EPA(12.11±2.65)%和AA(10.27±3.40)%,而DHA含量较低(0.49±0.64)%,但其在群体内变异极大(130.77%),高不饱和脂肪酸在家系间具有极显著差异,而在性别间仅AA有显著差异(雄性较高)。研究结果表明,对性腺产量和品质进行家系或性别选择均可达到提升性腺产量和品质的目的。     

Interactive effects of family and stocking density on survival and growth of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius

To investigate the effects of family, stocking density, and their interaction on mortality, growth rate, and size dispersal in the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius, 1,440 juveniles from six full‐sib families were exposed to three stocking densities, that is, low stocking density (LD), middle stocking density (MD), and high stocking density (HD), and reared for 10 months in sea‐based suspended cages. The results demonstrated significant family effects on cumulative mortality rate (CMR); specific growth rate for test diameter (SGR for TD); specific growth rate for body weight (SGR for BW); coefficient of variation for body weight at the 10th month (CV for BW₁₀); and significant stocking density effects on SGR for TD, SGR for BW, and CV for BW₁₀. Statistically significant family by stocking density interaction was only found in SGR for TD. A certain degree of family‐ranking inversions occurred in SGR for TD. The present study provides evidence for the existence of family by stocking density interaction on the growth rate of test diameter in the family selection for S. intermedius. More attention should be paid to this interaction effect to select correct parents in S. intermedius.     

Banana peel provides a new insight into improving gonad flavor in the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius

To our knowledge, little information is available on approaches to improving gonad flavor of sea urchins. Although sea urchins fed high content of glutamate and glycine perceived sweeter gonads than those fed high content of valine and methionine (Phillips et al. in Aquaculture 288:205–215, 2009), the problem of improving gonad quality has not been completely solved. Because of the high cost of glutamate and glycine, it is hard to move this finding from the laboratory to gonad production. In the present study, we found that gonad flavor of Strongylocentrotus intermedius fed banana peel was significantly better than that of individuals fed kelp or pumpkin (P < 0.001). However, banana peel did not significantly support gonad yield of sea urchins compared with kelp (P < 0.05). This novel finding provides a new insight into the gonad quality improvement in sea urchins. Further studies should be carried out to test our two suggested methods of banana peel application in sea urchin aquaculture.     

虾夷马粪海胆表型性状对性腺性状的影响效果分析

从19月龄虾夷马粪海胆Strongylocentrotus intermedius养殖群体中随机选择600枚,测量了壳高(TH)、壳径(TD)、活体重(BW)、性腺湿重(GWW)、性腺颜色(L*a*b*)、性腺指数(GI)、性腺水分(GM)7个性状。采用相关分析和通径分析方法,计算了各性状间的相关系数,并定量分析了壳性状对活体重及表型性状(壳高、壳径、活体重)对性腺性状的影响效果。结果表明,壳性状与活体重极显著相关(P0.01);4个性腺性状除构成性腺颜色性状的a*(绿-红)、b*(蓝-黄)分别与壳径、活体重呈显著相关(P0.05),而与其他表型性状无显著相关外,L*(暗-亮)、性腺湿重、性腺指数和性腺水分与表型性状均达到极显著相关(P0.01)。壳径对活体重的直接影响最大(0.717),活体重对性腺湿重的直接影响最大(0.598),壳径和活体重可作为间接选择性腺湿重的主要指标。利用曲线回归建立了壳性状预测活体重及活体重预测性腺湿重的最优模型:BW=0.001TD2.822(R2=0.984),GWW=0.039BW1.331(R2=0.753)。     

中间球海胆生长分化相关的AFLP标记

从同一遗传背景、同环境下培养的1龄中间球海胆(Strongylocentrotus intermedius)中,分别选择大个体50只、小个体30只,分别组成大小2组海胆,两组之间壳径、壳高2个指标均存在显著差异。共选用6对AFLP引物组合对2组海胆进行PCR扩增,发现43个标记在大小2组海胆间存在显著的频率差异(P0.05),其中29个位点差异极显著(P0.01)。所有存在显著频率差异的位点中,2个位点在大海胆组中缺失,4个位点在小海胆组中缺失,14个位点在大海胆组中出现的频率显著高于小海胆组(P0.05),而23个位点在小海胆组中出现的频率高于大海胆组(P0.05)。这一系列谱带可能与中间球海胆生长性状之间存在一定的相关关系。遗传多样性分析结果表明,大海胆组的平均Shannon氏指数、Nei氏杂合度2个指标均显著高于小海胆组(P0.05),提示杂种优势可能与中间球海胆的快速生长存在一定联系。     

Estimates of genetic parameters for growth traits of the sea urchin,Strongylocentrotus intermedius

Heritabilities and genetic and phenotypic correlations were estimated for body weight, test diameter, and test height of the sea urchin from measurements on progeny resulting from 11 sires and 33 dams by artificial fertilization of 3 females by single males, and measurements at 8, 10, and 12 months after metamorphism. Point estimate for heritabilities based on the sire components of variance were moderate to high for body weight (0.21–0.49), test diameter (0.21–0.47), and test height (0.22–0.37). Genetic correlations were significant for body weight with test diameter (0.30∼0.65) and test height (0.30∼0.54) and test diameter with test height (0.31∼0.65). Genetic correlation estimates, derived the nested design and half-sib correlation analysis used in this study, appear to provide reliable estimates. Significant phenotypic correlations were found for body weight with test diameter (0.82∼0.86) and test height (0.49∼0.83), and test diameter with test height (0.47∼0.84). The phenotypic correlations for test height with body weight (0.491) and test diameter (0.467) at 12 months' of age were smaller than those earlier sampling periods.     

Influence of broodstock diet on somatic growth,fecundity, gonad carotenoids and larval survival of sea urchin

The effects of formulated feeds on Paracentrotus lividus broodstock performances and carotenoid compositions were investigated. Performance of offspring derived from each dietary treatment was compared to determine whether maternal provisioning of nutrients affected offspring development and survival under commercial culture conditions. At the end of the experimental period (3 months), urchins were induced to spawn, relative fecundity measured, and offspring derived from each treatment were reared independently and survival up to competence assessed. Carotenoid composition of the gonads was also measured. Data showed that the highest dietary protein content significantly improved somatic growth, whereas higher lipid content increased gonadal index (GI) consistent with the use of gonads as nutrient storage in sea urchins. Nonetheless, gonad lipid concentration was not significantly different between treatments indicating that higher dietary lipid content favoured gonadal size rather than increase lipid content of the gonadal tissue. Interestingly, GI and fecundity were not correlated, although the latter may have been enhanced by dietary xanthophyll. This suggests the importance of including carotenoids in broodstock diets to enhance hatchery outputs. This study also indicated that, although broodstock diet can influence fecundity, it had no significant impact on larval survival, which could instead be influenced by rearing conditions.     

The effects of tank system,water velocity and water movement on survival,somatic and gonad growth of juvenile and adult green sea urchin,Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis

The effects of water velocity and tipping frequency (water movement) on survival, somatic and gonad growth of juvenile and adult green sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis were investigated. Juvenile and adult urchins were held in ‘laminar’ or ‘tipper’ tanks. Both were supplied with three inlet water flows (1.5, 3.0 and 7.5 L min^?1) which converted to water velocities of 0.28, 0.57 and 1.43 cm s^?1 in the ‘laminar’ tanks and tipping frequencies of 30, 10 and 5 s in the ‘tipper’ tanks. Juvenile sea urchins had significantly lower mortality and greater somatic growth when held in ‘laminar’ flow tanks compared with ‘tipper’ tanks. The varying water velocities tested in the ‘laminar’ flow treatment had no effect on the growth of juvenile sea urchins. The juvenile sea urchins in the ‘tipping’ treatment held at high tipping frequency had significantly slower growth than those in the medium and low tipping frequency treatments. There were no differences in mortality or gonad growth in the adult sea urchins regardless of treatment. The ‘laminar’ flow tanks retained significantly more organic material compared with the ‘tipper’ tanks. The authors discuss the effects of water velocity and tipping frequencies in system design for aquaculture of sea urchins.     

Effects of diet and temperature on post‐settlement growth and survival of the short‐spined sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius

Effects of diet and temperature on post‐settlement growth and survival of a sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius, which fed on one of six mono‐cultured benthic diatoms, gametophytes of a brown alga Undaria pinnatifida, a green alga Ulvella lens plus mixed benthic diatoms, or no food at 6, 9, 12 and 15°C, were examined. Digestion efficiency (DE), ingestion rate (IR), excretion rate (ER) and digested cell content index (DCCI) of each diatom species were measured. Growth rates largely differed among the dietary treatments from 7 days post‐settlement. Sea urchins fed on a diatom Cocconeis sublittoralis showed considerably higher growth (7.85‐34.67 μm day^?1) than those fed on the other diets and high survival rates (100%). DCCI was also highest in C. sublittoralis. These results suggest that the quantity of diatom cell contents digested is an important factor affecting growth and survival of the sea urchins. Growth rates of sea urchins were higher in higher water temperatures, and significant differences in growth rate were observed between 6‐9 and 12‐15°C. ERs of C. sublittoralis were generally higher at higher temperatures, but DEs did not differ among the temperature treatments. Variations in growth rate among different water temperature appear to be caused by different food intakes of the urchins.     

虾夷马粪海胆体腔细胞的类型及功能

取平均壳径分别为1．9cm和4．4cm虾夷马粪海胆(Strongylocentrotus intermedius)进行实验观察。结果表明，海胆体腔有2种类型的细胞，即变形吞噬细胞和色素细胞。变形吞噬细胞形状不定，能伸出伪足，核较大，线粒体、溶酶体等细胞器丰富。色素细胞具突起，内有紫红色颗粒，颗粒溶于酒精等多种溶剂中，使得电镜下细胞内含有大量空泡，细胞核很少见，细胞器较少。变形细胞离体后可凝集，具吞噬酵母的能力，吞噬能力与温度成正相关。色素细胞具有辅助的免疫功能。     

饵料、家系及二者交互作用对中间球海胆生长、摄食与变异的影响

为研究饵料、家系及二者交互作用对中间球海胆(Strongylocentrotus intermedius)生长、摄食及变异的影响,利用两种饵料—裙带菜(Undaria pinnitafida)和配合饲料,对6个中间球海胆全同胞家系进行了60 d投喂,实验结束时测量了实验海胆的终末体重(FBW)和总摄食量,并计算了体重特定生长率(SGR)、饵料系数(FCR)和体重变异系数的变化(ΔCV),利用双因素及单因素方差分析的方法,检验了饵料、家系及二者交互作用对FBW、SGR、FCR及ΔCV的影响。结果表明,饵料与家系的交互作用对FBW和ΔCV无显著影响,摄食裙带菜的海胆较摄食配合饲料的海胆在终末体重(FBW)和整齐度(ΔCV)上表现出极显著的优势(P0.01),不同家系间海胆的FBW和ΔCV也有显著差异(P0.05)。饵料与家系的交互作用对体重SGR和FCR均有极显著影响(P0.01),在各家系内,裙带菜投喂下海胆体重SGR均极显著优于配合饲料投喂(P0.01);饵料系数(FCR)均极显著高于配合饲料投喂(P0.01);对于每种饵料,不同家系间SGR也均具有显著差异(P0.05),FCR亦是如此。两种饵料下家系SGR排位基本一致,说明家系与饵料在SGR上的交互作用是由于不同饵料下家系对SGR的影响程度有差异造成的,而家系FCR排位出现了较大变化则说明FCR受到交互作用的影响是由于不同饵料对不同家系的投喂效果不同造成的。本研究结果表明,家系选择可用于对中间球海胆生长、饵料系数和整齐度的遗传改良,饵料对这些性状的表现有显著的影响,对饵料系数进行家系选育时应注意家系与饵料的交互作用问题。     

虾夷马粪海胆溶菌酶基因全长cDNA的克隆与表达分析

本实验采用RT-PCR和cDNA末端快速扩增(RACE)技术克隆得到了虾夷马粪海胆(Strongylocentrotus intermedius)溶菌酶(LYZ)基因的全长cDNA序列。结果表明, 虾夷马粪海胆LYZ基因全长为912 bp, 含有1个480 bp的开放阅读框(ORF), 编码159个氨基酸, 其中第1−20个氨基酸为信号肽, 蛋白计算分子量为17.69 kD, 等电点为7.75。氨基酸比对分析表明, 虾夷马粪海胆LYZ基因与紫球海胆(Strongylocentrotus purpuratus)和刺参(Apostichopus japonicus)的i型LYZ基因相似百分比分别为91.4%和59.3%, 并且含有i型LYZ基因的保守序列DVGSLSCGP (Y)Y(F)QIK, 所以推断本实验克隆的溶菌酶为i型。采用实时定量PCR方法, 以β-actin为内标, 对其在虾夷马粪海胆各组织中的表达进行研究, 发现LYZ基因在围口膜中表达量最高, 其次是齿间肌、管足、肠、体腔液、雄性性腺和雌性性腺。利用脂多糖(LPS)刺激虾夷马粪海胆, 取刺激后不同时间的海胆体腔液, 对该基因的表达差异进行分析。结果表明, 虾夷马粪海胆的LYZ基因在LPS刺激后8 h时表达量最高, 12 h时开始逐步回落, 至36 h时回落至对照组相近水平。本结果可为虾夷马粪海胆免疫学研究及抗病相关分子标记的开发提供参考依据。

     

Long-term effects of stocking density on somatic growth,gonad index and survival of the juvenile sea urchin, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis</Emphasis>

Juvenile Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis (average wet weight = 4.0 g) were held at three initial stocking densities (15, 30 and 60 animals per tray, which equates to 0.25, 0.5 and 1 kg sea urchins/m² surface area, respectively) under constant light and temperature conditions (LD 24:0 and 8.8°C) for 380 days. The somatic growth and survival of the urchins were monitored during this period, and the gonad index (GI) was measured at the conclusion of the experiment. The sea urchins in the two lowest stocking density groups had 100% survival after 380 days in contrast to the highest stocking density group, which only had 67% survival at the conclusion of the experiment. Somatic growth was significantly higher in the lowest density group than in the medium density group, and this in turn was significantly higher than in the high-density group. The injury occurrence was highest in the high-density group (20%), lower in the medium group (7%), and there were no injuries observed (0%) in the low density groups. There were no significant differences in GI between the groups at the end of the experiment. In conclusion, the present study showed that stocking density has significant effects on somatic growth and survival of juvenile green sea urchin, S. droebachiensis and should be taken into consideration when designing sea urchin holding systems.