Cloning of estrogen receptor-β cDNA of common Japanese conger Conger myriaster and expression of the gene during oocyte development

ABSTRACT:   Estrogen receptor (ER) cDNA was cloned from the liver of common Japanese conger Conger myriaster . Common Japanese conger ER cDNA contains 2543 nucleotides including an open reading frame that encodes 596 amino acids, with a molecular weight of 66.1 kDa. The deduced amino-acid sequence of the common Japanese conger ER shares 85% identity with that of eel Anguilla japonica ER-β, and 39–46% and 53–59% identity with the deduced sequences of ER-α and ER-β of other species, respectively. In a phylogenetic analysis, the common Japanese conger ER was found to cluster with the ER-β of other species. The common Japanese conger ER-β also has six domains (A–F), which are conserved in the nuclear receptor superfamily. The amino-acid sequences in the C and E domains were highly conserved between common Japanese conger ER-β and other ER. However, the other domains showed low homology. In the female common Japanese conger, ER-β mRNA was highly expressed in the liver and pituitary gland. The expression levels of the ER-β gene increased from the oil droplet stage to the primary yolk globule stage and were maintained until the migratory nucleus stage.     

Oogenesis in the common Japanese conger Conger myriaster

ABSTRACT:    We investigated the process and characteristics of oogenesis in the common Japanese conger Conger myriaster . Young fish caught in November 1996 were reared for use in this experiment. Fish were sampled monthly from December 1997 to August 1998. Some were injected with human chorionic gonadotropin to stimulate ovarian maturation from May to August 1998. Oocytes from the chromatin nucleolus stage to the secondary yolk globule stage were obtained from non-hormone-treated fish; those of more advanced stages were obtained from hormone-treated ones. We divided oocyte development into eight stages from the chromatin nucleolus stage to the maturation stage. The yolk vesicle stage was not separated because yolk vesicles began to appear just after appearance of yolk globules. Oocyte, oil droplet, yolk globule and nucleus diameters all increased concomitant with oocyte development. Oil droplet and yolk globule diameters increased remarkably at the maturation stage. However, zona radiata thickness peaked at the secondary yolk globule stage, decreasing gradually thereafter. Increased gonadosomatic index was related to oocyte development as found in European and Japanese eels receiving hormone treatment to mature. The present study is the first report describing oogenesis characteristics in congrid eels. It indicates that oogenesis is almost identical to that of other anguillid eels.     

Evidence for genetic differentiation in the european conger eel Conger conger based on mitochondrial DNA analysis

ABSTRACT:   The European conger eel Conger conger is an important marine benthic fish in the North-East Atlantic and represents a valuable fishery resource. However, little is known about its reproductive biology. In an attempt to gain a better understanding of the conger eel population structure, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences were examined. A region with 432 bp of the control region of the mtDNA was sequenced from 40 individuals from six different locations around the central and eastern North Atlantic Ocean. Thirty variable positions defined 28 distinct haplotypes. The average sequence difference within samples (1.3–4.2%) was comparable to those between samples (1.4–3.6%). MtDNA sequence-based statistical tests showed significant geographic differentiation between some local population samples, suggesting that the conger eel does not comprise a single panmictic population. However, given our sample sizes, these preliminary results should be interpreted with caution and more individuals from more sites, including the Mediterranean Sea, should be analyzed in detail. The genetic variability detected in this study is an initial step to elucidate the genetic background of the conger eel population structure.     

Development of the common dentex (Dentex dentex) eggs in relation to temperature

Embryonic development of common dentex (Dentex dentex) was investigated at nine different constant water temperatures (8°C, 10°C, 12°C, 14°C, 16°C, 18°C, 20°C, 22°C and 24°C). The observed effects were compared using of regression analysis. Constant water temperatures between 12°C and 18°C were found to support successful embryonic development. A negative relationship between the rate of embryonic development and incubation temperature was observed. While embryonic development was completed within this range (12°C–18°C), there was no cell division at water temperatures of 8°C and 24°C. Total mortalities were observed at the 128 cleavage stage at a temperature of 10°C, and after the beginning of gastrulation at 20°C and 22°C.     

Population status and distribution of whitespotted conger (Conger myriaster) in Yellow Sea: An important migratory species along coastal China with limited data

Whitespotted conger (Conger myriaster) is a marine migratory species with important economic and ecological values in Northwestern Pacific. The population status and distribution of whitespotted conger may have changed in the eastern coastal water of China owing to the intensive fishing pressure and human activities in the past few decades. There have been miscellaneous concerns about its population trend and potential environment‐driven variations in spatiotemporal distribution. Delta‐generalized linear models, generalized linear mixed models, and a set of correlation analyses were performed to answer the above concerns, and a stratified random sampling‐designed bottom trawl survey from 2011 to 2017 in Haizhou Bay of the central Yellow Sea was conducted to collect samples. Our study suggested that whitespotted conger remained a relatively stable population status with slight fluctuations likely caused by climate variability during 2011–2017. The hierarchical generalized linear mixed models with spatial random effect performed better than the generalized linear model and the common generalized linear mixed models. Spatiotemporal differences of whitespotted conger were significantly associated with bottom water salinity, depth, sampling time, and space, which were probably mainly influenced by a combination of the Cold Water Mass, the Yellow Sea Warm Current, and the Yellow Sea Coastal Current. The predicted spatiotemporal distribution of whitespotted conger has a monthly variation matching its seasonable migration and an overall higher abundance in the deeper water than that in the neritic areas in Haizhou Bay.     

人工条件下日本鳗鲡胚胎及早期仔鱼发育的生物学特征

在多年对日本鳗鲡人工育苗技术研究的基础上,通过采用对胚胎和早期仔鱼的活体观察、计算机图文分析以及组织切片等方法,系统研究了鳗鲡胚胎及孵化后19d前仔鱼的生物学特性。研究结果表明,在水温(23±0.5)℃条件下,日本鳗鲡从受精卵到仔鱼出膜需约38h30min,总积温为885.50℃·h。其特征与一般硬骨鱼类胚胎发育基本相同,鳗鲡胚胎发育可分为14期,为典型的盘状卵裂,原肠作用通过细胞的下包和内卷完成。但日本鳗鲡早期仔鱼与一般硬骨鱼类的仔鱼存在较大差异,表现为无色透明的血细胞和S形心管;开放型的口腔,发达且不能闭合的上下颌和3对颌齿;孵化后3～9d在身体两侧出现由神经细胞和支持细胞构成发达的感觉丘,其数目为6～9对不等;以及形态不断变化的尾垂体等生物学特性。分析认为这些生物学特性决定了日本鳗鲡仔鱼的孵化环境可能相对较稳定,以及仔鱼摄食方式可能为触碰后咬食的方式。     

黑龙江茴鱼胚胎的发育及仔、稚、幼鱼的生长

采用Bouin氏液固定、剥离卵膜的方法对黑龙江茴鱼(Thymallus arcticus grubei Dybowski)的胚胎发育及孵出后仔鱼卵黄囊的吸收情况进行了观察,同时测定65日龄内的仔、稚、幼鱼生长状况。结果显示:黑龙江茴鱼卵是典型的端黄卵,其卵裂方式为盘状卵裂。胚胎发育可分为22个期,包括受精卵、2细胞期、4细胞期、8细胞期、16细胞期、32细胞期、64细胞期、多细胞期、囊胚早期、囊胚中期、囊胚晚期、原肠早期、原肠中期、原肠晚期、神经胚期、胚孔封闭期、眼囊出现期、胸鳍芽出现期、晶体出现期、眼色素沉积期、循环期和出膜期,至发眼(晶体出现期)需75.84℃.d,至破膜需117℃.d;受精卵膜较鲑科鱼类薄而柔软,胚体头尾绕卵黄囊超过一周,晶体出现在眼色素沉积期之前;仔鱼卵黄囊的体积随着日龄的增加而逐渐减小,4日龄前吸收较快,此后吸收相对较慢;仔鱼在240℃.d(11日龄)左右时出现鳔并开始上浮,260℃.d(16日龄)左右时开口;积温达到346.9℃.d(20日龄)时卵黄囊完全被吸收,仔鱼期结束,进入稚鱼期;稚鱼在36日龄之前生长相对较缓慢,在36日龄后增长较快;在积温达到546.3℃.d(38日龄)时,稚鱼奇鳍褶开始退化,进入幼鱼期。     

真鲷与黑鲷杂交子一代的胚胎发育

以真鲷为母本,黑鲷为父本的人工杂交实验表明:在温度14.0~17.0℃的条件下,杂交卵50~72h孵出,受精率87.4%,孵化率80.2%,18.0~20℃,杂交卵胚胎畸形率7.3%~8%。     

牙鲆胚胎及其初孵仔鱼的盐度耐受力

实验盐度设置为５,１０,１５,２０,２５,３０,３５,４０,４５,５０。当盐度为５～３５时,牙鲆（Ｐａｒａｌｉｃｈｔｈｙｓ ｏｌｉ－ｖａｃｅｕｓ）胚胎的孵化率都高于９５％;仔鱼体态正常,７２ｈ后的存活率高于９５％。刚孵化的仔鱼在低盐度下的体长较长,但７２ｈ后,没有明显差异（Ｐ〉０．０５）。自然条件（盐度为３２）孵化的仔鱼转移到不同盐度的溶液中,在盐度５～４５内,仔鱼的存活率高于５０％。实验初步表明     

半滑舌鳎胚胎发育及稚鱼变态过程观察

利用显微镜对半滑舌鳎胚胎发育及稚鱼变态过程进行连续观察,对各个时期的发育时间进行了记录,并对不同时期的特征用进行了拍摄。结果表明：半滑舌鳎成熟卵子呈球形,为多油球浮性卵。受精卵培养在水温21．6—22．8℃,pH值7．0～8．2。盐度30的海水中,历时39h仔鱼孵出。与其他硬骨鱼类基本相似,半滑舌鳎胚胎发育属于盘状卵裂,发育过程可分为：受精卵、卵裂期、囊胚期、原肠期、神经胚期、器官分化期、出膜期和初孵仔鱼。仔鱼孵化出膜进入胚后发育阶段,之后进入变态期,向成鱼转化。与牙鲆、大菱鲆等鲆鲽鱼类不同,半滑舌鳎稚鱼变态初期是在头顶两眼前上方形成一个横裂,右眼由此横列穿过,最终到达身体左侧,此后横裂逐渐愈合,变态完成,该过程历时3-4d,其形成机制有待进一步深入研究。     

Development of microparticle diets for Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus larvae

ABSTRACT:   Two newly designed microparticle diets (MD), with two kinds of peptide (C700 and C800) as a protein source were developed. Microparticle diet Q (MD-Q) contained C700 (molecular weight ∼30 000 Da) and C800 (molecular weight 1000–2000 Da); in contrast, microparticle diet T (MD-T) contained C700 only. Two separate trials, representing larvae from different hatches, were conducted. Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus larvae were fed newly designed MD or a combination of them with live food (LF) between 3 and 10 days after hatching (d.a.h.) in experiment I, or between 11 and 20 d.a.h. in experiment II, and compared them to LF and a commercial diet (CD) feeding groups. The growth and survival rates in both experiments were the highest in the LF treatment. But in the microparticle treatment larvae fed MD-Q had a higher survival rate and better growth than those fed MD-T, either alone or in combination with LF. First-feeding larvae fed on MD-Q had a 20.5% survival rate and 1.12 mm gain by 10 d.a.h. Unfed larvae died within 6 d.a.h. These results indicate that using a mixture of different molecular weight peptides is good protein sources and also this type of microparticle diet can be applied to flounder from larval to juvenile stages.     

Effects of LED light quality on the growth,survival and metamorphosis of Haliotis discus hannai Ino larvae

Light is a key environmental factor influencing the growth, development and survival of aquatic organisms. We examined the effects of different light qualities (red, orange, white, blue, green or no light) and developmental stage at initial lighting [fertilized egg (FE), trochophore larva (TL), or eye‐spot larva (EL)] on the growth, development, and survival of larvae of the Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai Ino. Larva‐hatching success was significantly higher under blue, green, or no light compared with red, orange or white light (P < 0.05). Larval abnormalities were significantly increased under red, orange or white light compared with all other light qualities (P < 0.05). The incidence of metamorphosis in larvae illuminated from the TL stage was significantly higher under blue compared with other light qualities. Irrespective of the stage at initial illumination, the incidence of metamorphosis was lower in larvae cultured under red, orange or no light compared with other light qualities, but the differences were not significant (P > 0.05). Juvenile survival was significantly higher under blue or green compared with other light qualities (P < 0.05), with no significant effect of stage at initial illumination (P > 0.05). Larval size at completion of the shell was unaffected by stage at initial illumination, but was greater under blue or green light, while size at metamorphosis was greatest following illumination with blue or green light since the TL or EL stage (P < 0.05). Metamorphosis time was shortest with blue or green light and in cultures illuminated from the FE or TL stage (P < 0.05). Larval development from the FE to formation of the fourth tubule on the cephalic tentacles was fastest in larvae exposed since the FE or TL stage to blue or green light, compared with other light qualities (P < 0.05). However, there was no difference in terms of the rate of development from the FE to the TL stage between cultures lit or unlit since the FE egg stage (P > 0.05). These results suggest that a blue or green light source applied from the TL stage can increase the hatching and yield of H. discus hannai Ino, with important implications for the development of the aquaculture industry.     

鳜鱼的胚胎、仔稚鱼发育观察

以千岛湖中生长的性成熟鳜鱼Siniperca chuatsi(Basil.)进行人工催产,所获受精卵放入孵化缸中孵化,连续观察胚胎、及胚后(仔稚鱼)发育变化,直至16日龄止。在形态观察的同时,注意其营养方式的转化和食料的选择。在水温26℃(±2)条件下,仔鱼在4～6日龄卵黄囊消失,开始吞食其他活鱼苗,如缺乏适口的饵料鱼,鳜苗会相互吞食,这是鳜鱼人工繁殖过程中出苗率不高的主要原因。寻找鳜苗的开口饵料鱼是一个新的课题。