Effects of water flow velocity and fish culture on net biofouling in fish cages

The effects of water flow, fish feed and cage position on net biofouling was examined in a floating cage fish farm. Fouling of 16 mm mesh net panels suspended inside and outside net cages and exposed to different treatments were monitored weekly until net apertures were completely occluded by the fouling organisms (8 weeks). Results indicate a dramatic reduction in water flow velocity throughout the fish farm due to the cage units themselves and net biofouling. The reduced water flow (<10 cm s^?1) inside net cages promoted rapid net biofouling, while rapid water flow outside the net cages (>25 cm s^?1) kept the net fouling organisms at bay. Although fish rearing in net cages with inputs of commercial pellet feed increased sessile biofouling (222% higher than outside the net cages) and non‐sessile biofouling (570% higher), the type of fish feed used did not significantly affect biofouling development. The study recommends that the geometry of serially arranged net cages, as commonly deployed in tropical tidal estuaries, be reconfigured to improve flow through in order to minimize the impact of fouling.     

Biofouling of salmon cage netting and the efficacy of a typical copper-based antifoulant

With the relatively recent advent of intensive aquaculture practices, there is a need for data on the contemporary biofouling and antifoulants associated with it. Therefore, experiments were conducted to yield data on the biological communities that develop on contemporary fish cage netting, both antifouled and untreated. The efficacy of a typical copper-based antifouling treatment was assessed through netting immersion trials performed at a salmon farm site in Clift Sound, Shetland. Over a 10-month period, regular samples were taken and data generated on the fouling biomass and species composition of the communities that developed. Furthermore, percentage net aperture occlusion values (PNO) were calculated with the aid of an image capture and analysis system, which is a methodology that shows excellent potential for use in future net fouling trials. Over the course of the trial, PNO values calculated from control netting rose quickly, but remained low for 150 days longer on treated nets; by day 210, PNO values were 98.72% and 3.06% for control and copper nets, respectively, immersed at 3 m. Following 10 months immersion, treated nets significantly reduced the biomass accumulation of biofouling compared to control nets (1.8 kg m^− 2 as opposed to 4.9 kg m^− 2). A total of 40 separate taxa were identified during the study, and species richness and composition data were significantly affected by the application of copper-based antifouling; for example, average species richness values were 16 and 9.75 for control and copper nets, respectively, immersed at 1 m. Of significance, the species Mytilus edulis and members of the Ascidiacea, including Ciona intestinalis and Ascidiella aspersa, were observed fouling the copper-treated netting.     

Effects of cage netting colour and density on the skin pigmentation and stress response of Australian snapper Pagrus auratus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

The unnaturally dark pigmentation of cultured Australian snapper Pagrus auratus can be improved through dietary astaxanthin supplementation and by holding fish in tanks with a white background. The practical application of these laboratory‐based findings was examined with two experiments to establish if the advantages of transferring fish to light coloured tanks before harvest could be achieved on‐farm using white cages and to determine the effects of fish density on skin colour. For the first experiment, snapper (mean TL=29.7 cm) were transferred from a commercial snapper sea cage to black or white netted cages and fed diets supplemented with unesterified astaxanthin (supplied as Lucantin^® Pink, BASF) at 0 or 39 mg kg^?1 for 42 days. Skin colour was measured using the CIE (black–white), (green–red), (blue–yellow) colour scale. Snapper held in white netting cages became significantly lighter (higher ) than snapper held in black cages; however, values were not as high as previous laboratory‐based studies in which snapper were held in white plastic‐lined cages. Snapper fed astaxanthin displayed significantly greater and values, and total carotenoid concentrations after 42 days. In addition, total carotenoids were higher in fish from black than white cages. The second experiment was designed to investigate whether density reduced the improvements in skin colour achieved by holding fish in white coloured cages and whether cage colour affected stress. Snapper (mean weight=435 g) were acclimated to black cages and fed 39 mg kg^?1 astaxanthin for 44 days before transferring to black or white plastic‐lined cages at 14 (low), 29 (mid) or 45 (high) kg m^?3 for 7 days after which time skin colour, plasma cortisol and plasma glucose concentrations were measured. Skin lightness () was greater in snapper transferred to white plastic‐lined cages with the lightest coloured fish obtained from the lowest density after 7 days. Density had no effect on plasma cortisol or glucose levels after 7 days, although plasma cortisol was elevated in snapper from black cages. For improved skin colouration we recommend feeding unesterified astaxanthin at 39 mg kg^?1 for approximately 6 weeks and transferring snapper to white plastic‐lined cages or similar at low densities for short periods before harvest rather than producing fish in white netting sea cages subject to biofouling.     

Preliminary study on the effects of exclusion of wild fauna from aquaculture cages in a shallow marine environment

Previous investigations into the environmental impacts at a shallow-water oligotrophic marine experimental cage aquaculture site in Western Australia have found no accumulation of organic material, and limited changes in macrofaunal communities. It was hypothesised that wild fish populations in the area consumed particulate wastes emanating from the cage, thus reducing the benthic impacts. An experiment was designed to quantify the accumulation of organic material on the seabed occurring in the presence and absence of wild fauna. Three treatments were arranged in duplicate, cages without exclusion nets (normal situation) (CAGE-FISH); cages surrounded by a 35-mm mesh exclusion net (preventing wild fish access to the sea bed and water column near the cage) (CAGE-FISH-EXCL); and empty cages surrounded by exclusion nets (to control for effects from the exclusion net) (CAGE-EXCL). In addition, four reference sites without cages (REF) were sampled. Following baseline sampling, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were stocked into the CAGE-FISH and the CAGE-FISH-EXCL treatments at an initial stocking density of 2.4 kg m⁻³. The experiment was terminated after 62 days, at a final stock density of 5.6 kg m⁻³. Sampling found significantly greater accumulation of nutrients and fine sediments under the cages enclosed in the exclusion net than in other treatments and sites. Levels of organic carbon deposition at cages with exclusion nets was found to be 4.5±1.0 g C m⁻² day⁻¹ (mean±S.E.) compared to 0.7 to 1.1 g C m⁻² day⁻¹ at control and reference sites.The accumulation of nutrients at the CAGE-FISH-EXCL sites was correlated to distinct changes in macrofaunal community composition, with a sharp increase in overall macrofaunal abundance and a growing dominance of capitellid polychaetes. Based on a comparison between sedimentation rates within and outside excluded areas, the proportions of the total sedimenting nutrients consumed by wild fish were calculated to be 40% to 60%. It was concluded that in the natural coastal system of Western Australia or comparable environments, wild fish are potential important consumers of cage aquaculture waste materials. The fact that sediment C, N and P did not increase below cages with fish and no exclusion nets suggests that the benthic fauna, including surface grazing fish, at these sites were able to assimilate much of the remaining total sedimentary nutrients.     

Use of artificial hides to increase the stocking density and production of estuary grouper, Epinephelus salmoides Maxwell,reared in floating net cages

The relative growth and production of estuary grouper, Epinephelus salmoides, in response to seven combinations of hiding space and stocking density were studied in floating net cages. Used car tyres were suspended in the net cages to provide hiding space for the fish. The seven combinations of hiding space and stocking density were as follows:

Provision of hiding space in the net cages was found to permit an increase in the stocking density from the optimal rate of 60 fish/m³ (without artificial hides) to 156 fish/m³. The net production was found to increase from 8.5 kg/m³ to 19.5 kg/m³ after 3 months. Growth in terms of weight gain per fish, survival rate and food conversion ratio at stocking rates below 156 fish/m³ with hiding space between 116 and 222 cm³/fish was comparable to that observed at the optimal stocking density without hiding space (60 fish/m³). The growth of fish stocked at 180–204 fish/m³ with hiding space of 272–289 cm³/fish, respectively, was found to be significantly depressed. Thus, with the provision of hiding space of 251 cm³/fish, the stocking density could be increased to as high as 156 fish/m³ and the production of fish could be increased by 230% over that at the usual optimal stocking rate of 60 fish/m³ without artificial hides.     

Ontogeny of the cortisol stress response in yellow perch (Perca flavescens)

The ontogeny of the cortisol stress response in yellow perch (Perca flavescens) was documented by measuring resting and stress-induced whole-body cortisol levels in fish at several early development stages. In newly fertilized eggs resting cortisol levels averaged 41.0 ± 3.0 pg/embryo, and decreased to 8.0 ± 3.0 pg/embryo by day 6 where they remained constant until hatch on day 10. Acute stress challenge tests (30 sec cold shock) conducted on embryonic (days 6 and 8 post-fertilization) and larval (hatch and 2 days post-hatch) yellow perch revealed no differences in whole-body cortisol levels between stressed and unstressed individuals. In acute stress challenge tests (30 sec net confinement) conducted on post-hatch yellow perch, differences in cortisol levels between stressed (30 min post-stress) and unstressed fish were detected one week after hatching (12.3 ± 1.6 ng/g and 7.0 ± 1.3 ng/g, respectively). The magnitude of the stress response was greater in 2- to 5-week-old fish than in one-week-old fish. Changes in post-stress cortisol levels were closely associated with changes in interrenal morphology. Cumulatively, these results indicate that cortisol biosynthesis, integration and maturation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis can be observed in yellow perch as early as one week after hatching. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The effectiveness of several commercial antifouling treatments at reducing biofouling on finfish aquaculture cages in British Columbia

Biofouling in finfish aquaculture is an important issue because copper based antifoulants contribute to marine pollution and biofouling management incurs heavy costs to the industry. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness five treatments (non‐biocidal: Dyneema, Netpolish, Aquacoating and ThornD; biocidal using cuprous oxide: Netrex) as compared with an untreated nylon net. After 8 months, effectiveness was determined by quantifying changes in: per cent net occlusion, per cent cover of major fouling groups, and biomass. Only one non‐biocidal treatment performed better than the control in one performance index (Dyneema had lower biomass), and overall, the copper treatment was most effective. The results from this study demonstrated that the effectiveness of copper treatments will continue to be a barrier to the implementation of non‐biocidal antifoulants, and that more research is needed to develop effective, non‐biocidal antifoulant coatings for aquaculture operations.     

Efficacy of Netminder® silicone release coating for biofouling reduction in bay scallop grow‐out and comparative effects on scallop survival,growth and reproduction

Netminder^®, a water‐based silicone barrier release coating, was highly effective in reducing biofouling of lantern nets during grow‐out/overwintering of bay scallops, Argopecten irradians irradians, in a large‐scale restoration programme in New York, USA. Compared with untreated nets, scallops held in Netminder^®‐coated nets experienced reduced survival after 8 months, probably due to higher loads of epibionts on their shells. However, this was countered by higher reproductive and overall condition of scallops in treated vs. untreated nets; there were no consistent differences in shell growth in different net treatments. Although further testing is recommended under a wider range of conditions, we conclude that for the purposes of our scallop restoration work, coating nets with Netminder^® would eliminate the need for a gear change in spring, thus reducing labour costs; the coating process should be refined so that Velcro closures of nets do not become sealed shut.     

The cause of death of juvenile Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) reared in sea net cages

Although the survival rate of juvenile Pacific bluefin tuna Thunnus orientalis (PBT) during 30 days after stocking in sea net cages has been as low as approximately 50%, the reason for this high mortality is not clear. The dead fish were collected and counted during 30 days after stocking in a sea net cage, and the growth performance, stomach contents, and bone injury were investigated. Nearly half (47.9%) had died within the first 4 days. The total length and body weight of the dead fish were significantly smaller than those of the live fish, and the weight of the dead fish did not increase during the first 7 days. Approximately one-third of the dead fish (21.9–42.9% per day) had ingested inorganic matter such as wood or Styrofoam waste during the first 7 days, and 25.0–45.0% of the dead fish sampled per day showed poor growth. The daily ingestion rate of inorganic matter decreased dramatically from the eighth day, when the daily mortality rate decreased. The percentage of dead fish with bone injuries due to collision or contact was low (less than 15%). These results suggest that one of the causes of high mortality during several days after stocking in a sea cage was accidental ingestion of inorganic matter by juvenile PBT. Improvement in feeding method can increase the survival rate of juveniles in sea net cages.     

Effect of feed colour on growth and feed utilization of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) larvae and fingerlings

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of feed colour on the performance of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) larvae and fingerlings. In the first experiment, triplicate groups of newly hatched larvae (0.01 g fish⁻¹) were stocked in 40 L glass aquaria at a density of 2 fish L⁻¹. The fish were fed a test diet (400 g kg⁻¹ crude protein) with six different colours (dark blue, dark green, red, dark brown, yellow and light brown) for 60 days. The best performance and survival were achieved in fish fed on dark‐coloured diets, while light‐coloured diets (yellow and light brown) resulted in inferior performance. Dark diets also produced higher body protein than light diets. Body water, lipids and ash showed irregular trends. In the second experiment, triplicate groups of Nile tilapia fingerlings (5.30 g fish⁻¹) were stocked in 140‐L aquaria, in a recirculating indoor system. The fish were fed a test diet (350 g kg⁻¹ crude protein) with the same colours used in the larval trial, for 60 days. Growth rates, feed efficiency, survival and body composition were not significantly affected by feed colours. These results suggest that Nile tilapia larvae are visual feeders, and they prefer dark‐coloured diets to light‐coloured diets, while fingerling fish showed no preference to diet colours.     

大亚湾海水养殖箱、笼上附着的污损生物

1986～1987年对粤东大亚湾的网箱养殖场和马氏珠母贝养殖场网箱和珠贝壳上的污损生物进行研究。共记录 124种生物。优势种是粘附山海绵、总合草苔虫、独角裂孔苔虫、华美盘管虫、放射牡蛎、网纹藤壶、皱瘤海鞘和冠瘤海鞘等。全年都有生物污损。最严重的季节是3月至6月。网箱污损生物的月湿重为8.3—545.0g/m~2;季湿重 150.0—6250.5g/m~2。最大的月覆盖面积为73.4％;季覆盖面积94.9％。网笼受生物污损上半年比下半年严重,最高记录为 4506.2g/m~2。上半年珠贝壳上的污损生物多达50种,最大湿重为 16.5g/1个珠母贝。     

Drag force acting on biofouled net panels

Measurements were made to assess the increase in drag on aquaculture cage netting due to biofouling. Drag force was obtained by towing net panels, perpendicular to the incident flow, in experiments conducted in a tow tank and in the field. The net panels were fabricated from netting stretched within a 1 m² pipe frame. They were towed at various speeds, and drag force was measured using a bridle-pulley arrangement terminating in a load cell. The frame without netting was also drag tested so that net-only results could be obtained by subtracting out the frame contribution. Measurements of drag force and velocity were processed to yield drag coefficients.Clean nets were drag tested in the University of New Hampshire (UNH) 36.5 m long tow tank. Nets were then exposed to biofouling during the summer of 2004 at the UNH open ocean aquaculture demonstration site 1.6 km south of the Isles of Shoals, New Hampshire, U.S.A. Nine net panels were recovered on 6 October 2004 and immediately drag tested at sea to minimize disturbing the fouling communities. The majority of the growth was skeleton shrimp (Caprella sp.) with some colonial hydroids (Tubularia sp.), blue mussels (Mytilus edulus) and rock borer clams (Hiatella actica). Since the deployment depth was 15 m (commensurate with submerged cages at the site), no algae were present. The net panels had been subject to several different antifouling treatments, so the extent of growth varied amongst the panels. Drag force measurements were made using a bridle-pulley-load cell configuration similar to that employed in the tow tank. Fixtures and instruments were mounted on an unpowered catamaran that was towed alongside a workboat. Thus, the catamaran served as the “carriage” for field measurements.Increases in net-only drag coefficient varied from 6 to 240% of the clean net values. The maximum biofouled net drag coefficient was 0.599 based on net outline area. Biofouled drag coefficients generally increased with solidity (projected area of blockage divided by outline area) and volume of growth. There was, however, considerable scatter attributed in part to different mixes of species present.     

Assessment of the fate and effect of ivermectin in a simulated aquaculture ecosystem

As a potent anti‐parasitic agent, ivermectin (IVM) has been commonly used by the aquaculture industry. In this study, the environmental fate and effects of IVM in a simulated aquaculture ecosystem were evaluated. The simulated ecosystem was composed of water, sediment, aquatic plants, invertebrates and fish. According to the new fishery drugs manual, IVM was introduced into the water at a final concentration of 1.6 × 10^–4 mg·L^–1. The samples, including the roots and leaves of aquatic plants, the visceral mass and muscle of fish, the soft tissue of mud snails, sediment and water were collected at 0.5 hr, 1, 7, 15, 30, 45, 60 and 70 days after the treatment. Our results indicated that IVM was distributed quickly and widely into the whole ecosystem and accumulated to high levels in organisms resulting in residues that persisted for a long time. The IVM concentration in the sediment increased continuously and reached a peak (2.896 ng·g^–1) at 30 days. Moreover, the concentration of IVM in the water declined from 0.5 hr to 1 day and then increased to a peak of 0.130 ng·mL^–1 at 7 days. The IVM concentrations in the fish reached a peak in muscle (192.10 ng·g^–1) and visceral mass (259.82 ng·g^–1) at 7 days. IVM was quickly accumulated by the aquatic plants, and it was found at higher levels in the leaves than in the roots. The IVM concentration in the mud snails reached its peak with a value of 24.750 ng·g^–1 at 7 days and then decreased quickly at 15 days. It was notable that a second peak of IVM accumulated in the fish and aquatic plants after 30 days. The aquaculture ecosystem simulated in this study was feasible and effective and could be applied to assess the fate of IVM in aquatic environments.     

Element concentrations in meals from krill and amphipods, — Possible alternative protein sources in complete diets for farmed fish

In the marine environment, organisms from lower trophic levels seem as a good alternative to the traditional meal and oil sources. In the present study, meals were produced from Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba), Arctic krill (Thysanoessa inermis) and the Arctic amphipod Themisto libellula. Diets were then prepared for Atlantic salmon and Atlantic cod where up to 100% of the fish meal protein was replaced by protein from these organisms. Concentrations of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) were determined by ICP-MS in the various krill and amphipod meals, complete diets and muscle samples from fish fed these diets. The element concentrations were related to growth and general fish health as well as present EU legislations on feed ingredients and complete diets. The cod showed no difference in growth during the trial, while salmon fed diets where 40% of the fish meal protein was replaced with Arctic krill or amphipod meal shoved improved SGR during the first period of feeding (first 100 days). No adverse effects on growth rate or fish health were observed in any fish species or treatment. Nevertheless, high levels of Cu were found in the meal from Antarctic krill (46 mg kg^− 1 dry matter (dm)) resulting in a dietary level of Cu exceeding the upper limit for complete feedingstuff set by EU. Furthermore, the Cd level found in the meal from amphipod (12 mg kg^− 1 dm) was 6 times higher than EU's upper limit. This indicates limitations for the use of certain zooplanktons as alternative protein sources in feed for farmed fish, unless future processing methods yield lower levels of these unwanted elements.     

Pinger affects fish catch efficiency and damage to bottom gill nets related to bottlenose dolphins

There is some evidence that the presence of Tursiops truncatus in fishing areas represents a real economic threat to fishermen due the dolphin feeding on the entangled fish, damaging the nets and reducing the fish catch. We have carried out experiments to assess the efficiency of a pinger in decreasing the interaction between the dolphins and fishing nets, in a fishing area off the coast of southern Italy, where Tursiops truncatus is frequently observed to interact with bottom gill nets. Two identical monofilament bottom gill nets (900 m long), one equipped with pingers and the other without, were used to measure the effect of these pingers on the abundance of the catch and net damage. For each haul (58 in total), data on dolphin sightings near the nets, damage judged to have been done by dolphins, weight and species composition of the catch were collected. All damage to the nets were recorded at the end of each haul. Dolphins in the fishing area were sighted 11 times out of 29 fishing activities (38%). The net equipped with pingers contained 28% more fish (biomass) than the net without pingers (t test, P < 0.04) and was less damaged (−31%, t test, P < 0.01). To assess whether the efficacy of these pingers remain constant over long period, long-term experiments should be carried out.     

Effects of dietary vitamin C on survival, growth, and immunity of large yellow croaker, Pseudosciaena crocea

An 8 weeks growth experiment was conducted to determine the effects of dietary vitamin C on the survival, growth, tissue ascorbic acid contents and immunity of large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) with initial weight of 17.82 ± 0.68 g. Seven practical diets were formulated to contain 0.1, 12.2, 23.8, 47.6, 89.7, 188.5 and 489.0 mg ascorbic acid equivalent kg^− 1 diet, supplied as l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (LAPP). Each diet was fed to triplicate groups of fish in seawater floating cages (1.5 × 1.5 × 2.0 m), and each cage was stocked with 120 fish. Fish were fed twice daily (05:00 and 17:00) to apparent satiation for 8 weeks. The water temperature fluctuated from 19.5 to 25.5 °C, the salinity from 25 to 28‰ and dissolved oxygen content was approximately 7 mg l^− 1 during the experimental period. Results showed that the specific growth rate (SGR) (from 1.80 to 1.96% d^− 1) had an increasing trend with the increase of dietary vitamin C, but no significant difference was observed among dietary treatments. No gross deficiency signs were observed in any of the experimental fish. Survival rate, however, significantly increased with increasing dietary vitamin C (P < 0.05). The vitamin C contents in liver and muscle correlated positively with the vitamin C in diets. The vitamin C requirement was estimated to be 28.2 mg kg^− 1 based on survival, and 87.0 mg kg^− 1 on liver content of vitamin C. The activities of serum lysozyme and alternative complement pathway (ACP), phagocytosis percentage (PP) and respiratory burst activity of head kidney significantly increased with increasing dietary vitamin C. The challenge experiment with Vibrio harveyi showed that fish fed the diets with supplementation of vitamin C had significantly lower cumulative mortality compared to the control group (66.7%), and the cumulative mortality (16.7%) in fish with 489.0 mg kg^− 1 ascorbic acid was significantly lower than that (41.7%) in fish with 23.8 mg kg^− 1 ascorbic acid. These results suggested that vitamin C significantly influenced the immune response and disease resistance of large yellow croaker.     

Cage culture of sutchi catfish, Pangasius sutchi (Fowler 1937): effects of stocking density on growth, survival, yield and farm profitability

The sutchi catfish, Pangasius sutchi (Fowler 1937) was grown at 10 stocking densities in cages suspended in a river‐fed channel during the summer of 2000. Catfish fingerlings (mean length 9.1–9.7 cm and mean weight 5.9–6.7 g) were stocked at densities of 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140 and 150 fish m^?3. After 150 days, growth and yield parameters were studied and a simple economic analysis was carried out to calculate profitability. The mean gross yield ranged from 15.6±0.27 to 34.5±0.44 kg m^?3 and the net yield ranged from 15.2±0.22 to 33.5±0.36 kg m^?3 and showed significant variations (P<0.05). The mean weights of fish at harvest were inversely related to stocking density. Both gross and net yields were significantly different and were directly influenced by stocking density but the specific growth rate, survival rate and feed conversion rate were unaffected. Higher stocking density resulted in higher yield per unit of production cost and lower cost per unit of yield. The net revenue increased positively with increasing stocking density. A density of 150 fish m^?3 produced the best production and farm economics among the densities tested in this experiment.     

High incidence of death due to collision of hatchery-reared Pacific bluefin tuna Thunnus orientalis juveniles in sea cages, as revealed by head and spinal injuries

High mortality of hatchery-reared Pacific bluefin tuna (PBT) juveniles is frequently observed in sea cages after transfer from indoor tanks, and is likely due to collisions of the fish with the net wall of the sea cages. Because collisions frequently cause bone injuries due to physical impact, such injuries can be considered an index of obvious collisions. In the present study, bone injuries of dead juveniles were investigated in order to examine the prevalence of net collision as a cause of death among hatchery-reared PBT juveniles in sea cages. Juvenile PBT were reared in sea cages for 90 days after transfer, and dead fish were collected and examined by the clearing and staining method or by dissection to detect injury to the vertebral column and parasphenoid. The prevalence of injuries to the vertebral column and parasphenoid until day 30 after transfer was low (0.0–12.0 %) when the fish were 5.5–15.2 cm in total length (TL). However, it drastically increased to 17.8–78.0 % for fish 21.0–39.2 cm TL from day 31 onward after transfer. These results suggest that the mortalities of juvenile PBT larger than 20 cm TL in cages were induced by net collisions.     

Effect of carotenoids and background colour on the skin pigmentation of Australian snapper Pagrus auratus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

Three 2‐factor experiments were conducted to determine the effects of background colour and synthetic carotenoids on the skin colour of Australian snapper Pagrus auratus. Initially, we evaluated the effects on skin colour of supplementing diets for 50 days with 60 mg kg^?1 of either astaxanthin (LP; Lucantin^® Pink), canthaxanthin (LR; Lucantin^® Red), apocarotenoic acid ethyl ester (LY; Lucantin^® Yellow), selected combinations of the above or no carotenoids and holding snapper (mean weight=88 g) in either white or black cages. In a second experiment, all snapper (mean weight=142 g) from Experiment 1 were transferred from black to white, or white to white cages to measure the short‐term effects of cage colour on skin L^*, a^* and b^* colour values. Skin colour was measured after 7 and 14 days, and total carotenoid concentrations were determined after 14 days. Cage colour was the dominant factor affecting the skin lightness of snapper with fish from white cages much lighter than fish from black cages. Diets containing astaxanthin conferred greatest skin pigmentation and there were no differences in redness (a^*) and yellowness (b^*) values between snapper fed 30 or 60 mg astaxanthin kg^?1. Snapper fed astaxanthin in white cages displayed greater skin yellowness than those in black cages. Transferring snapper from black to white cages increased skin lightness but was not as effective as growing snapper in white cages for the entire duration. Snapper fed astaxanthin diets and transferred from black to white cages were less yellow than those transferred from white to white cages despite the improvement in skin lightness (L^*), and the total carotenoid concentration of the skin of fish fed astaxanthin diets was lower in white cages. Diets containing canthaxanthin led to a low level of deposition in the skin while apocarotenoic acid ethyl ester did not alter total skin carotenoid content or skin colour values in snapper. In a third experiment, we examined the effects of dietary astaxanthin (diets had 60 mg astaxanthin kg^?1 or no added carotenoids) and cage colour (black, white, red or blue) on skin colour of snapper (mean weight=88 g) after 50 days. Snapper fed the astaxanthin diet were more yellow when held in red or white cages compared with fish held in black or blue cages despite similar feed intake and growth. The skin lightness (L^* values) was correlated with cage L^* values, with the lightest fish obtained from white cages. The results of this study suggest that snapper should be fed 30 mg astaxanthin kg^?1 in white cages for 50 days to increase lightness and the red colouration prized in Australian markets.     

Monitoring of oxygen fluctuations in seabass cages (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) in a commercial fish farm in Greece

Dissolved oxygen and temperature were monitored in cages stocked seabass at a commercial fish farm in Greece during summer and autumn. During the first part of the study, October–November 2012, current velocity monitoring outside the cages supported the sampling program. The latter sampling took place during May–July 2014. Including both periods, temperature fluctuated within the range 18–26°C while the current velocity, dominated by the tidal flow, varied from 0 to 28 cm/s in autumn. During sampling, seabass of 400–550 g individual weight was stocked at a density of 10–15 kg/m³. Within the cages, dissolved oxygen (DO) saturation decreased by 10% to 50% compared with outside levels. In‐cage oxygen concentrations seemed to be affected by current speed, temperature and diurnal fluctuations due to the fish stock's activity and the day‐night rhythm of algae. Hypoxia within the range 40%–70% of oxygen saturation was shown in several cases, despite the fact that the feeding intensity was quite low in the farm. The diurnal pattern of DO saturation showed that minimum levels coincided with feeding of the fish, while photosynthesis played a minor role in this case. This level of DO saturation although does not result in any mortalities may have other severe implications, especially at high temperature, such as lower feed utilization, increased metabolic expenses due to osmo‐respiratory compromise, increased stress level, lower disease resistance and diminished fish welfare.