Investigation of movement and factors influencing post-release survival of line-caught coral reef fish using recreational tag-recapture data

Six species of line-caught coral reef fish (Plectropomus spp., Lethrinus miniatus, Lethrinus laticaudis, Lutjanus sebae, Lutjanus malabaricus and Lutjanus erythropterus) were tagged by members of the Australian National Sportsfishing Association (ANSA) in Queensland between 1986 and 2003. Of the 14,757 fish tagged, 1607 were recaptured and we analysed these data to describe movement and determine factors likely to impact release survival. All species were classified as residents since over 80% of recaptures for each species occurred within 1 km of the release site. Few individuals (range 0.8–5%) were recaptured more than 20 km from their release point. L. sebae had a higher recapture rate (19.9%) than the other species studied (range 2.1–11.7%). Venting swimbladder gases, regardless of whether or not fish appeared to be suffering from barotrauma, significantly enhanced (P < 0.05) the survival of L. sebae and L. malabaricus but had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on L. erythropterus. The condition of fish on release, subjectively assessed by anglers, was only a significant effect on recapture rate for L. sebae where fish in “fair” condition had less than half the recapture rate of those assessed as in “excellent” or “good” condition. The recapture rate of L. sebae and L. laticaudis was significantly (P < 0.05) affected by depth with recapture rate declining in depths exceeding 30 m. Overall, the results showed that depth of capture, release condition and treatment for barotrauma influenced recapture rate for some species but these effects were not consistent across all species studied. Recommendations were made to the ANSA tagging clubs to record additional information such as injury, hooking location and hook type to enable a more comprehensive future assessment of the factors influencing release survival.     

Surviving the effects of barotrauma: assessing treatment options and a ‘natural’ remedy to enhance the release survival of line caught pink snapper (Pagrus auratus)

A new technique to ameliorate the effects of barotrauma was tested based on observations of pink snapper, Pagrus auratus (Forster), inadvertently piercing their everted stomach with their teeth and releasing trapped swim bladder gases. This technique was termed buccal venting and involved piercing the everted stomach protruding into the buccal cavity or out of the mouth with a 16‐gauge hypodermic needle (a practice previously not encouraged). Short‐term (~3 days) survival of buccal‐vented fish was not significantly different from laterally vented fish nor untreated controls. Both buccal and lateral venting techniques were shown to cause no harm and allowed fish to return to depth. The short‐term (1–3 days) post‐release survival of line caught snapper was 88% with no significant difference in survival across three depth ranges tested (37–50, 51–100 and 101–180 m). Survival of sublegal pink snapper (<35 cm TL) was not significantly different (P > 0.05) from that of legal‐sized fish (≥35 cm TL). Healing of the swim bladder was observed in 27% of pink snapper dissected after ≤3 days in captivity, and healing of stomachs was observed in 64% of pink snapper that had been buccal vented. Relatively high post‐release survival rates of line caught pink snapper may offer some protection for snapper stocks where high fishing pressure and legal size restrictions result in the majority of the catch having to be released.     

Effect of intraperitoneal passive implantable transponder (PIT) tags on the growth and survival of juvenile snapper, Pagrus auratus (Bloch and Schneider)

Abstract. This study examined whether passive implantable transponder (PIT) tags could be used to mark individually juvenile snapper, Pagrus auratus (Bloch and Schneider), without affecting their growth. Fifty juvenile snapper (25 tagged and 25 untagged controls) were placed in each of four 2000–1 tanks. At the start of the experiment the snapper had a mean weight of 59 ± 18g (SD). After 70 days, the mean weight of all fish was 115 ± 31 g (SD) and there was no significant difference between the growth of tagged and untagged fish. Apparent tag loss ranged from 4 to 8%.     

Depth-based barotrauma severity,reflex impairment and stress response in two species of ice-angled fish

Barotrauma is a frequent event in fish captured from depth, and anglers often attempt to remedy this problem by venting fish. Barotrauma has been frequently assessed in fish during the warm water season, but no work has been done during winter ice angling, and the need and/or effectiveness of venting for ice-angled fish has not been quantified. To answer these questions, bluegill Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque and black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus (Lesueur) were angled through the ice, barotrauma assessed, and the effect of venting on reflex responsiveness and blood glucose levels after 1 or 2.5 h of holding were determined. Greater capture depths resulted in more severe barotrauma, with bluegill experiencing symptoms at shallower depths than black crappie. Bluegill reflex action mortality predictor (RAMP) scores improved more than black crappie scores following venting. These results suggest barotrauma impacts fish in winter fisheries in a similar fashion to fish in warmer conditions, with species-specific differences in their susceptibility to barotrauma and their response to venting.     

Effect of plant protease inhibitors on digestive proteases in two fish species, Lutjanus argentiventris and L. novemfasciatus

This work provides a comparative study of the inhibitory effect of several plant protein sources on digestive proteases of two snappers: yellow snapper (Lutjanus argentiventris) and dog snapper (Lutjanus novemfasciatus). Seed extracts did not affect gastric proteases whereas they significantly inhibit intestinal proteases. Inhibition of alkaline proteases showed that pancreatic proteases of L. argentiventris were more sensitive to seed protease inhibitors than those of L. novemfasciatus. Legume seeds showed the highest inhibitory capacity on alkaline proteases causing inhibition higher than 50% in total proteolytic activity. Protease inhibition on digestive extracts was assessed using different relative concentration of seed extracts and represented by constructing dose response curves. In order to reduce the inhibitory effect, seed extracts were acid-treated before the inhibition assay. Results showed that acid treatment did not affect the inhibitory capacity of seeds on alkaline proteases in both species. However, when the action of gastric enzymes was simulated on seed extracts, the inhibitory capacity was reduced significantly, mainly in the case of L. novemfasciatus. The responses of fish enzymes to heat-treated seed extracts were also tested. Only higher temperatures were capable of reducing the inhibitory capacity of seed, with the specific response to the snapper species. The use of biochemical assays allows us to quantify the action of inhibitors on total proteolytic activity. In addition, zymograms obtained by substrate-SDS-PAGE provided qualitative information about the number and type of proteases affected by each inhibitor. Each seed extract produces a characteristic profile of inhibition on alkaline protease. The results obtained are important for future formulation of feeds for these snapper species.     

Infection of captive Pagrus auratus (Bloch & Schneider) by the monogenean, Anoplodiscus cirrusspiralis Roubal, Armitage & Rohde (Anoplodiscidae) in Australia

Abstract The monogenean Anoplodiscus cirrtisspiralis infects the fins and nares of snapper, Pagrus auratus (Bloch & Schneider). The epidermis beneath the haptor in both microhabitats is eroded and the parasite attaches to the basement membrane by an adhesive secretion. Captive snapper suffered fin damage through high levels of infection by this parasite. Laboratory experiments showed A. cirrusspiralis to be adversely affected by reduced salinity and killed within 1 h by diluted sea water of < 5%0 salinity.     

Ontogenetic development of digestive enzymes in larval and juvenile crimson snapper Lutjanus erythopterus (Bloch 1790)

Ontogenetic development of digestive system in crimson snapper (Lutjanus erythopterus Bloch 1790) larvae was histologically and enzymatically (alkaline phosphatase, amylase, lipase, pepsin, trypsin) examined from hatching to 36 days post hatching (DPH). The ontogenetic development of crimson snapper larval fish ontogeny was divided into three distinct phases: phase I starting from hatch to the onset of exogenous feeding, phase II starting from first feeding (2–3 DPH) until the formation of gastric glands (13–14 DPH) and phase III beginning from the appearance of gastric glands and continuing onwards. The specific activities of amylase, lipase, trypsin showed sharp increase and reached to the maximum from hatch to 4 DPH, 10 DPH, 20 DPH, respectively, followed by a declining trend with irregular fluctuation. In contrast to other enzymes, the specific activities of alkaline phosphatase showed a gradual increase from hatch to 29 DPH, followed by a sharp increase towards 36 DPH. The specific activity of pepsin was firstly detected on 17 DPH and gradually increased towards the end of this study. The total activities of these five enzymes showed a gradual increase till 29 DPH, followed by a sharp increase towards 36 DPH except for amylase and lipase reaching maximum at 32 DPH. The present study provides better understanding of the digestive ontogeny of crimson snapper during the larval stage and a guide to feeding and weaning of this economically important fish in hatcheries.     

Commercial marine fish farming in Singapore

Commercial marine fish farming in Singapore is mainly the culture of economically important foodfish species in floating cage nets. There are 84 licensed fish farms occupying 46.5 hectares (ha) of coastal waters. Production from these farms accounts for the bulk of aquaculture production in Singapore, being 3554 tonnes (‘metric tons’, t) in 1995, or 98% of total production of 3625t. The commonly cultured species are the green mussels, Perna viridis L., which form the bulk of production (70.4%), finfish like the groupers, Epinephelus tauvina Forsskal and E. malabaricus Schneider, Asian sea bass, Lates cakarifer Bloch, and snappers, Lutjanus johni Bloch and L. argentimaculatus Forsskal, and crustaceans like the mangrove crab, Scylla serrata Forsskal and spiny lobster, Panilurus polyphagus Herbst. The basic farm structure for fish and mussel culture is the floating wooden raft. In finfish farming, polyethylene cage nets are attached to the raft in which popular foodfishes are cultured. The mussel raft is a structure to which polyethylene ropes are attached to collect and grow out green mussels from natural spatfall. Fish seeds for farming are mostly wild-caught. Only the Asian sea bass and the banana shrimp (Penaeus merguiensis de Mann) are produced by commercial hatcheries in Singapore and the region. The fry of pompano (Trachinotus blochii Lacepede, and T. falcatus Klausewitz & Nielsen) are imported from Taiwan. Trash fish is still the main feed used for the farming of finfish and crustaceans like the mangrove crab and lobster because it is cheap and readily available. This paper also reviews the economics of commercial finfish and mussel farming in Singapore today.     

Low allozyme variation in snapper, Pagrus auratus, in Victoria, Australia

The population genetic structure of snapper, Pagrus auratus (Bloch and Schneider), in Victoria was investigated using six polymorphic allozyme loci. Fish were sampled from four sites in Victoria and single locations in South Australia, Western Australia and New Zealand. Although there were distinct genetic differences between the snapper populations from each of the Australian states and New Zealand, only minor and largely insignificant differences were detected among Victorian populations. The results are consistent with previous genetic and tagging studies that indicate no mixing between snapper stocks in Victoria and Spencer Gulf in South Australia. This justifies separate management of the snapper fisheries in these regions. The low levels of polymorphism and heterozygosity in Victorian snapper suggest an isolation by distance model of population structure rather than one of discrete subpopulations.     

Risk assessment of small‐scale reef fisheries off the Abrolhos Bank: Snappers and groupers under a multidimensional evaluation

In the Abrolhos Bank (Southwest Atlantic), multidimensional indicators were used in sustainability assessments of data‐poor reef fisheries. Potential impacts, risks and stocks vulnerabilities were evaluated based on biological, environmental, social and economic aspects by combining both adapted productivity and susceptibility analysis (PSA) and scale intensity consequence analysis (SICA). Data were obtained from local surveys with stakeholders and experts and from literature. A value chain map revealed final consumers at many locations and middleman presence. Vulnerability to overexploitation ranged from low (Cephalopholis fulva (L.), Lutjanus synagris (L.) and Ocyurus chrysurus (Bloch)) to moderate (Lutjanus jocu (Bloch & Schneider), Epinephelus morio (Val.) and Mycteroperca bonaci Poey). While moderate consequences of the catches were observed to C. fulva, major consequences were identified to the other five stocks. The main threat to coral reef habitats was found to be mining wastes. Poor governance may constrain fisheries sustainability in the region, while the empowerment of fishers in both governance and post‐harvest processes should enhance it.     

Vitrification of sperm from marine fish: effect on motility and membrane integrity

Our goal was to develop a standardized approach for sperm vitrification of marine fish that can be applied generally in aquatic species. The objectives were to: (i) estimate acute toxicity of cryoprotectants over a range of concentrations; (ii) evaluate the properties of vitrification solutions (VS); (iii) evaluate different thawing solutions and (iv) evaluate sperm quality after thawing by examination of motility and membrane integrity. Sperm were collected from red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus), spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) and red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus). A total of 29 combinations of cryoprotectants were evaluated for toxicity and glass formation. Samples were loaded onto 10‐μL polystyrene loops and plunged into liquid nitrogen. There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) in post‐thaw motility among VS and among species when using the same VS. The sperm in VS of 15% DMSO + 15% ethylene glycol + 10% glycerol + 1% X‐1000^? + 1% Z‐1000^? had an average post‐thaw motility of 58% and membrane integrity of 19% for spotted seatrout, 38% and 9% for red snapper, and 30% and 19% for red drum. Adaptations by marine fish to higher osmotic pressures could explain the survival in the high cryoprotectant concentrations. Vitrification offers an alternative to conventional cryopreservation.     

Multidecadal otolith growth histories for red and gray snapper (Lutjanus spp.) in the northern Gulf of Mexico,USA

Dendrochronology (tree‐ring analysis) techniques were applied to develop chronologies from the annual growth‐increment widths of red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) and gray snapper (Lutjanus griseus) otoliths sampled from the northern Gulf of Mexico, USA. Growth increment widths showed considerable synchrony within and across species, indicating that some component of environmental variability influenced growth. The final, exactly dated red snapper chronology continuously spanned 1975 through 2003, while the gray snapper chronology continuously spanned 1975 through 2006. To determine baseline climate‐growth relationships, chronologies were compared to monthly averages of sea surface temperatures, U winds (west to east), V winds (south to north), and Mississippi River discharge. The gray snapper chronology significantly (P < 0.01) correlated with winds and temperature in March and April, while the red snapper chronology correlated with winds in March. Principal components regression including springtime winds and temperature accounted for 28 and 52% of the variance in the red and gray snapper chronologies, respectively. These results indicate that snapper growth was favored by warm sea surface temperatures and onshore winds from the southeast to the northwest in March and April. Overall, this study provides preliminary, baseline information regarding the association between climate and growth for these commercially important snapper species.     

4种笛鲷属鱼类随机扩增多态性DNA及遗传多样性研究

使用RAPD技术分析了红鳍笛鲷、紫红笛鲷、勒氏笛鲷和约氏笛鲷的种内遗传多样性、种间遗传多样性和种间亲缘关系。在120个随机引物中筛选出扩增效果好的引物36个,平均每个引物在每个个体上产生7．7个条带。种内遗传多样性研究结果显示：遗传距离(D)分别为0．2257,0．2228,0．2679和0．2247;遗传多样性指数(H)分别为0．1854,0．1904,0．2015和0．1865。说明目前湛江近海这4种笛鲷的遗传多样性比较丰富,它们的种质资源仍处于一个良好的水平。种间遗传多样性结果显示：勒氏笛鲷与约氏笛鲷遗传距离(Dpq)最小,亲缘关系最密切,勒氏笛鲷与红鳍笛鲷种间Dpq最大,亲缘关系最远。     

Artificial Propagation of Mutton Snapper Lutjanus analis, A New Candidate Marine Fish Species for Aquaculture

Abstract Wild-caught mutton snapper Lutjanus analis , a high-value marine food fish species, matured in flow-through seawater (36 g/L) tanks after 3 yr in captivity. On 31 May 1995, a female with a mean oocyte diameter of 382 μm was injected with human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) (500 IU/kg body wt.) followed 24 h later by a second injection (1,000 IU/kg body wt.). At the time of the second injection, three males were injected with HCG (500 IU/ kg body wt.). Voluntary spawning occurred 33 h after the first injection, with a total of 534, 781 eggs released. Fertilization rate was 75.7%, while average diameter of fertilized eggs was 783 μm. Embryos were stocked in a 30-m³ outdoor tank at a density of 10.5/L. On day 2 post-hatching (d2ph), larval density was 8.61 larvae/L, and average notochord length was 2.6 mm. Larvae were fed ss-type rotifers from dl-d28ph, Artemia nauplii from 0–08ph, and artificial diets (52–48% protein) from d24-d38ph. On d38ph, fish averaged 0.308 g and 22.2 mm standard length. Survival (from d2ph) was 14.3%, with a total of 36,900 post-metamorphic juveniles produced. On d97ph, 1,390 hatchery-reared juveniles (avg. wt. = 10.5 g) were stocked into two 14.5-m³ recirculating seawater tanks (695 fish/tank; 48 fish/m³) and fed a 56% protein pellet. After 168 d, fish averaged 140.8 g, with a survival rate of 97.8% and a feed conversion ratio (dry wt./wet wt.) of 1.2. These preliminary results reveal the mutton snapper to be a prime, new candidate species for commercial cultivation.     

Cloning,expression of Vibrio alginolyticus outer membrane protein‐OmpU gene and its potential application as vaccine in crimson snapper,Lutjanus erythropterus Bloch

The outer membrane proteins of the marine aquatic animal pathogen, Vibrio alginolyticus, play an important role in the virulence of the bacterium and are potential candidates for vaccine development. In this study, the gene encoding an outer membrane protein‐OmpU was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Polyclonal antibodies were raised in rabbits against the purified recombinant OmpU, and the reaction of the antibody was confirmed by Western blotting using the isolated OmpU and the recombinant OmpU of V. alginolyticus. To analyze the immunogenicity of the recombinant OmpU, crimson snapper, Lutjanus erythropterus Bloch, were immunized by intraperitoneal injection, and antibody response was assessed by the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results demonstrated that the recombinant OmpU produced an observable antibody response in all sera of the vaccinated fish. The vaccinated fish were challenged by virulent V. alginolyticus and observed to have high resistance to infection. These results indicate that the recombinant OmpU is an effective vaccine candidate against V. alginolyticus in L. erythropterus.     

Egg and larval quality of natural and induced spawns of red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus

Egg and larval quality of red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus from natural spawns of domesticated brooders and hormone-induced spawns of wild fish were compared. Eggs and larvae from natural spawns were found to be more viable in terms of fertilization, hatching and survival rate. Also, eggs from natural spawns were larger, and eggs and recently hatched larvae had larger oil-globule. These findings indicate that natural spawning of red snapper can be a sustainable and reliable source of good quality eggs.     

基于COⅠ基因的中国及邻近海域部分笛鲷属鱼类DNA条形码研究

笛鲷属(Lutjanus)鱼类经济价值高,物种数量多,但外部形态保守,传统分类鉴定困难。为了解中国笛鲷属鱼类的物种多样性状况,测定了中国沿海19个地点11种笛鲷73个样本线粒体COⅠ基因5'端序列,并与从GenBank下载中国及邻近海域69条同源序列进行DNA条形码分析。研究表明,勒氏笛鲷(L. russelli)、金焰笛鲷(L. fulviflamma)、奥氏笛鲷(L. ophuysenii)、约氏笛鲷(L. johni)、蓝点笛鲷(L. rivulatus)、五线笛鲷(L. quinquelineatus)、千年笛鲷(L. sebae)、紫红笛鲷(L. argentimaculatus)、白斑笛鲷(L. bohar)、马拉巴笛鲷(L. malabaricus)、黄笛鲷(L. lutjanus)、印度笛鲷(L. indicus)、画眉笛鲷(L. vitta)、星点笛鲷(L. stellatus)、四带笛鲷(L. kasmira)、驼背笛鲷(L. gibbus)、焦黄笛鲷(L. fulvus)、红鳍笛鲷(L. erythopterus)等18种笛鲷142条COⅠ序列组成18个自展数据支持率(bootstrap)为99%～100%的单系分支,分支间平均遗传距离14.4%(2.9%～21.8%)约为分支内平均遗传距离0.17%(0～0.6%)的85倍,其中10种笛鲷独立成支,支持其物种有效性。勒氏笛鲷分成2小支,小支间平均遗传距离(2.9%)是小支内平均遗传距离(0.5%)的5.8倍,未满足"10×法则",其准确的物种分类地位尚待明确。印度笛鲷与勒氏笛鲷、画眉笛鲷与奥氏笛鲷出现混杂,推测从GenBank下载的印度笛鲷序列KF830898和KF830905可能来自勒氏笛鲷;画眉笛鲷序列KU943888可能来自奥氏笛鲷。中国近海星点笛鲷和蓝点笛鲷混杂且种间遗传距离仅为2.1%,接近一般种内遗传距离2%;红鳍笛鲷和马拉巴笛鲷遗传距离种间(0.3%)与种内(0.2%～0.3%)相当,且形态相似,推测是同一物种,也不排除它们存在种间杂交和为近期分化物种的可能。     

Capture and handling stress affects the endocrine and ovulatory response to exogenous hormone treatment in snapper, Pagrus auratus (Bloch & Schneider)

Sexually mature female hatchery‐reared snapper, Pagrus auratus (Bloch & Schneider) were captured from sea cages by handline and injected at first capture (control) or 24 h after capture, transport and subsequent confinement (delayed injection) with either saline, luteinizing hormone releasing hormone analogue, human chorionic gonadotropin, or 17α‐hydroxyprogesterone. Blood was sampled before hormone treatment and again after 168 h, and fish were checked daily for ovulation. Plasma levels of 17β‐estradiol (E2), testosterone (T), 17α, 20β dihydroxy‐4‐pregnen‐3‐one (17, 20βP) and cortisol were determined by radioimmunoassay. The ovulatory response was assessed from the proportion of fish ovulating, ovulation volume, egg quality and fertility. A delay in injection resulted in significantly lower plasma E2 and T levels in response to hormone treatment, smaller ovulation volumes, and poorer egg quality than in control fish. The results are consistent with the generally inhibitory effects of stress on reproduction in fish, and confirm the requirement to treat fish with hormones designed to induce ovulation, as soon as possible after capture and disturbance.     

The effects of epibenthic communities on reef fishes in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract  Reef fishes were compared between artificial reefs with ( n  =   20) and without ( n  =   20) epibenthic communities in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Artificial reefs were built in June 2003; half were coated with copper-based paint to prevent epibenthic community development. Reefs were surveyed by SCUBA divers to estimate fish abundance in the autumn and winter 2003 and spring 2004. Total fish abundance and abundance of red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus (Poey), and gray triggerfish, Balistes capriscus Gmelin, were significantly ( P  ≤   0.05) higher on reefs with epibenthic communities. In the spring 2004, the abundance of belted sandfish, Serranus subligarius (Cope), the size of red snapper and community measures of diversity and evenness were significantly ( P  ≤   0.05) greater on unpainted reefs. These significant differences provide evidence that reef fishes were positively affected by the presence of epibenthic organisms that probably provided increased food resources.