Salinity Effects on Early Life Stages of Southern Flounder Paralichthys lethostigma

Abstract.— In South Carolina, studies have been conducted to develop rearing techniques for southern flounder Paralichthys lethostigma a candidate for aquaculture development and stock enhancement programs. To help define environmental tolerances, a variety of salinity studies were conducted with the early life stages of this species. Eggs were buoyant at 32 ppt and sank at 29 ppt with salinities of 30–31 ppt providing varying levels of suspension in the water column. Eggs incubated at 0 and 5 ppt all died, whereas 82.5% hatched at 10 ppt but larvae died shortly thereafter. At 63 h post-fertilization, there were no differences in hatch level for eggs incubated at salinities of 15 to 35 ppt (mean hatch level 98.5%). In a 72-h study, fish 3 wk post-metamorphosis (13.7 mm TL, 50-d-old) were acclimated to seven salinities ranging from 0–30 ppt. Fish held at 0 ppt salinity exhibited a statistically (P < 0.05) lower survival (20.0%) than those exposed to 5–30 ppt salinity concentrations. No differences were detected in survival (mean 99.1%) among fish held in the higher salinities. A second study examined the tolerance of older juveniles to lower salinities. Juvenile flounder (95.2 mm TL, 220-d-old) were acclimated to 0, 1,5 and 10 ppt salinities and reared for 2 wk. Results showed that fish could tolerate salinities of 0–10 ppt (100% survival). These data indicate that salinity tolerance of southern flounder increases with age. In addition to the short duration studies, a replicated 11-mo duration tank grow-out study was conducted at mean salinity 5.4 ppt and mean temperahue 22.6 C with an all male population. Flounder grew from a mean length of 100 mm to 213 mm TL and weight from 8.9 to 104.3 g. Growth of the cultured fish approximated that observed among male flounders in the wild.     

Growth of Tiger Puffer, Takifugu rubripes, at Different Salinities

Two 12‐wk rearing experiments were conducted to examine the effect of rearing salinities of 10–35 ppt on the growth of 3‐ and 170‐g‐size tiger puffer, Takifugu rubripes. Fish were reared in a closed recirculation system without introducing fresh culture water at 23 C and were fed commercial pellet diet for tiger puffer twice or three times daily to apparent satiation each, almost everyday. Growth of 3‐g‐size fish seemed to increase with decreasing salinity; however, there were no significant differences in the specific growth rate and weight gain among treatments because of differences in initial body weight. Final body weight and length of fish reared at 10 ppt were significantly higher than those for fish reared at 30 ppt although initial sizes were similar. Differences were not found for the feed efficiency (FE) and daily feed consumption. Apparent relationships were not observed between salinity and blood characteristics or proximate compositions of muscle of the cultured fish. Differing from smaller fish, growth of 170‐g‐size fish tended to decrease with decreasing salinity from 30 to 10 ppt and with increasing salinity from 30 to 35 ppt. Similar trends for FE were observed.     

A Preliminary Study on the Effects of Salinity on Growth and Survival of Mulloway Argyrosomus japonicus Larvae and Juveniles

Abstract.— Tko experiments were conducted to determine the effects of salinity on growth and survival of mulloway Argyrosomus japonicus larvae and juveniles. First, 6-d-old larvae were stocked into different salinities (5, 12.5, 20, 27.5 and 35 ppt) for 14 d. Larvae grew at all salinities, but based on results for growth and survival, the optimum range of salinity for 6-d-old to 20-d-old larvae is 5–12.5 ppt. During this experiment larvae held in all experimental salinities were infested by a dinoflagellate ectoparasite, Amyloodinium sp. Degree of infestation was affected by salinity. There were very low infestation rates at 5 ppt (0.2 parasites/larva). Infestation increased with salinity to 20 ppt (33.1 parasites/larva), then declined with salinity to 35 ppt (1.5 parasites/larva). For the second experiment, juveniles (6.1 ± 0.1 g/fish) were stocked into different salinities (0.6, 5, 10, 20 and 35 ppt) for 28 d. Juveniles were removed from freshwater 3 d after transfer as they did not feed, several fish died and many fish had lost equilibrium. However, when transferred directly to 5 ppt. these stressed fish recovered and behaved normally. Trends in final mean weight and food conversion ratio of juvenile mulloway suggest that fish performed best at 5 ppt. Although salinity (5 to 35 ppt) had no significant ( P > 0.05) effect on growth, survival, or food conversion ratio of juveniles, statistical power of the experiment was low (0.22). Based on these results we recommend that mulloway larvae older than 6 d be cultured at 5 to 12.5 ppt. Optimum growth of juveniles may also be achieved at low salinities.     

Survival, growth, food conversion efficiency and plasma osmolality of juvenile Siganus guttatus (Bloch, 1787): experimental analyses of salinity effects

We studied the effects of salinity on survival, growth, food conversion efficiency and plasma osmolality of juvenile Siganus guttatus in two independent experiments. In the first experiment, fish were transferred from 30 ‰ salinity to freshwater, 5, 10, 20 and 30 ‰ salinities for 192 h. No fish died when transferred directly from 30 ‰ to salinities >5 ‰. However, all fish died in the freshwater treatment. In the second experiment, survival, growth, feeding rate, food conversion efficiency and plasma osmolality of fish were analyzed during 6 weeks in salinities of 5, 10, 20 and 30 ‰ (control). At the end of this experiment, the final weight and the specific growth rate of fish were significantly greater at 10 ‰ than fish in all other treatments. Feeding rate increased significantly with decreasing salinity: 10 ‰ > 20 ‰ > 30 ‰. However, the food conversion efficiency was not significantly different between fish in any treatment. Plasma osmolality of fish in 20 and 30 ‰ salinity was significantly greater than fish reared at 10 or 5 ‰. A salinity of 13.95 ‰ (411.88 mOsmol/kg) was the point of isosmolality for juvenile S. guttatus.     

Effect of Salinity on Larval Rearing of Pacu,Piaractus mesopotamicus,a Freshwater Species

The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth and survival of pacu, Piaractus mesopotamicus, larvae reared in different salinities and to determine the Artemia nauplii life span in freshwater and in saline water. First feeding 5‐d‐old pacu larvae were reared in freshwater or at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 ppt salinities. The larvae were reared in 1.5‐L aquaria at a density of 10 larvae/L with three replicates per treatment. After 10 d of rearing, significant differences (P < 0.05) were observed for growth and survival. Larval growth was higher at 2 and 4 ppt, and survival at 2 ppt was 100%. In freshwater and at 4, 6 and 8 ppt, the survival was 91.1, 93.3, 73.3, and 39.9%, respectively. At higher salinities, there was 100% mortality after 2 h (12 and 14 ppt) and 8 h (10 ppt) of exposure. The slightly saline water of at least 2 ppt increased the Artemia nauplii life span compared to the life span in freshwater. Later, in a second trial, 5‐d‐old pacu larvae were reared in freshwater and at 2 and 4 ppt salinities during the first 5 or 10 d of active feeding, and then the fish were transferred to freshwater. At the end of 15 d, larval growth was lower in freshwater (42 mg) than in treatments 2 and 4 ppt (59–63 mg). The abrupt transfer of fish from freshwater to slightly saline water and the return to freshwater did not affect the survival rates (89–97%). The larvae were able to adapt to these saline environments and handle abrupt changes in salt concentration. We concluded that salinity concentration of 2 ppt can be used for pacu larval rearing, allowing the Artemia nauplii lifetime to last longer and cause faster fish growth.     

Survival and Growth of White Bass Morone chrysops Reared at Different Salinities

Abstract.— Juvenile white bass Morone chrysops (age 158 d, 110.4 mm total length) were reared at salinity levels of 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 parts per thousand (ppt). Fish (10/tank) were stocked in 64-L tanks with four replicates/treatment ( N = 40heatment) and fed a pelleted feed daily. Fish were sampled semimonthly for 70 d. Fish reared at salinities of 12 ppt and below were significantly ( P ≤ 0.05) larger (mean = 151.5 mm total length; range 146.8–155.7 mm) than fish reared at salinities of 16 and 20 ppt (mean 133.7 mm total length; range 131.5–135.8 mm) after 70 d. Survival was also higher ( P ≤ 0.05) among fish reared at salinities of 12 ppt or lower (mean 85.6%; range 77.5%–92.5%) compared to those reared at the two highest salinities (42.5% survival at 16 ppt; 5.0% survival at 20 ppt). Thus, although typically found in freshwater habitats, white bass can survive and grow in brackish water.     

Effects of Salinity on Growth and Energy Budget of Juvenile Cobia,Rachycentron canadum

The effects of salinity on the growth and energy budget of juvenile cobia, Rachycentron canadum, were evaluated. Triplicate tanks with ten fish per tank (initial weight 17.58 ± 0.26 g/fish, mean ± SD) reared at salinities of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 ppt were fed with fresh squid to satiety for 15 d. Results indicated that there were no significant differences in daily ration level in wet weight (RL_w), dry weight (RL_d), and energy (RL_e) of the fish. There were also no significant variations in daily fecal production (f_e) and apparent digestibility coefficient of energy (ADC_e) among salinity treatments. Specific growth rates (SGRs) in wet weight (SGR_w), dry weight (SGR_d), and energy (SGR_e) showed domed curves relative to salinity. Quadratic regression analyses of SGR_w, SGR_d, and SGR_e against salinity indicated that the optimal salinity for maximal growth of juvenile cobia was 29.9, 29.9, and 28.5 ppt, respectively. Similar to the trend of SGR, food conversion efficiency for juvenile cobia in wet weight (FCE_w), dry weight (FCE_d), and energy (FCE_e) increased with the increases in salinity, maximized at 30 ppt, and then decreased when salinity reached 35 ppt.     

Tetrodotoxin accumulation conflicts with low salinity tolerance in juvenile tiger puffer Takifugu rubripes

We evaluated whether bearing tetrodotoxin (TTX) affects salinity stress in the juvenile tiger puffer Takifugu rubripes. Juveniles of hatchery-reared non-toxic T. rubripes [body weight (BW): 1.7?±?0.2 g, n?=?120] were divided into six tanks and acclimatized to salinity (8.5 ppt) that is equivalent to blood osmolality. Fish in three tanks were fed non-toxic diet, and those in the other three tanks were fed a TTX-containing diet (356 ng/g diet) three times a day until satiation. In each diet treatment, salinity of one tank was kept at 8.5 ppt, and the other two tanks were adjusted to either 1.7 or 34.0 ppt, and fish were reared for another 33 days. Then, we compared survival, growth, TTX accumulation, plasma osmolality, plasma cortisol, and glucose levels among treatments. We detected TTX only in the fish in the TTX-diet groups. Survival was highest at 8.5 ppt (70%) and lowest at 1.7 ppt in the TTX-diet group (20%). The BW was greater at 8.5 ppt, and plasma osmolality was significantly higher at 34.0 ppt than at any other salinities. Plasma cortisol level was significantly higher but glucose level was lower at 1.7 ppt. Possessing TTX at a low salinity may be lethal to tiger puffer juveniles.

     

Effects of Light Intensity and Salinity on Growth, Survival, and Whole-Body Osmolality of Larval Southern Flounder Paralichthys lethostigma

The southern flounder Paralichthys lethosligma is a high‐valued flatfish found in estuarine and shelf waters of the south Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Wide temperature and salinity tolerances exhibited by juveniles and adults make it a versatile new candidate for commercial culture, and studies are underway in the southeastern U.S. to develop hatchery methods for this species. The objectives of this study were to establish illumination and salinity conditions that optimize growth and survival of larval southern flounder reared through the yolk‐sac and first feeding stages to 15‐d post‐hatching (15 dph). Early embryos were stocked into black 15‐L tanks under light intensities of 5, 50, 100, and 1,000 Ix and at salinities of 24 and 34 ppt in a 4 ± 2 factorial design. Significant (P 0.05) effects of both light intensity and salinity on growth and survival were obtained, with no interaction between these effects. On 11 dph and 15 dph, growth was generally maximized at the intermediate light intensities (50 and 100 Ix) and minimized at the extremes (5 and 1,000 Ix). By 15 dph, growth was higher at 34 ppt than at 24 ppt. Survival to 15 dph showed trends similar to those of growth. Survival was higher at 100 Ix (avg. = 46%, range = 41–54%) than at 5 Ix (avg. = 11%, range = 6–17%) and higher at 34 ppt (avg. = 43%, range = 3145%) than at 24 ppt (avg. = 17%, range = 8–38%). Whole‐body osmolality (mOsmol/kg) was significantly lower in larvae reared at 24 ppt (avg. = 304, range = 285–325) through 11 dph than in larvae reared at 34 ppt (avg. = 343, range = 296–405). Larvae reared under the extreme light intensity treatments (5 and 1,000 Ix) at 34 ppt appeared to exhibit osmoregulatory stress, particularly on 11 dph, when a marked increase in whole‐body osmolality was observed. The mid‐intensity treatments (50 and 100 Ix) at 34 ppt optimized growth and survival of larval southern flounder in this study; and elicited the most stable osmotic response. These conditions appear to be consistent with those that southern flounder larvae encounter in nature during this early developmental period.     

The Effects of Air Exposure on Hemolymph Osmoregulatory Capacity of Brown Tiger Shrimp,Penaeus esculentus,and Western King Shrimp,Penaeus latisulcatus,Reared at Different Salinities

Abstract

Hemolymph osmolality and osmoregulatory capacity (OC) of brown tiger shrimp, Penaeus esculentus (0.94±0.04 g mean initial weight) and western king shrimp, P. latisulcatus (5.37±0.10 g mean initial weight) from four salinities (10, 22, 34 and 46 ppt) were determined following 7, 14 and 21 minutes of air-exposure. Hemolymph osmolality of both species increased with increasing salinity. Isosmotic points of brown tiger shrimp calculated from regression lines between hemolymph and medium osmolality were 30.9, 31.9, 32.1 and 31.1 ppt at 0, 7, 14, and 21 minutes of air-exposure, respectively. Isosmotic points of western king shrimp were 33.8, 33.3, 32.8 and 33.1 ppt at 0, 7, 14, and 21 minutes air-exposure, respectively. OC of brown tiger shrimp at salinity of 34 ppt did not change when exposed to air for any length whereas OC of shrimp at other salinities (10, 22 and 46 ppt) were significantly different (P < 0.05) when exposed to air for 21 minutes. OC of western king shrimp at salinity 10 ppt was reduced (P < 0.05) when exposed to 14 and 21 minutes of air when compared to control and 7 minutes of air exposure. The results indicate that both species spent less energy (P < 0.5) for osmoregulation from 30 to 34 ppt. Furthermore, salinities 10 and 46 ppt were unsuitable for rearing brown tiger shrimp and salinity 10 ppt was unsuitable for growing western king shrimp.     

The effects of salinity on the survival, growth and haemolymph osmolality of early juvenile blue swimmer crabs, Portunus pelagicus

The blue swimmer crab, Portunus pelagicus, is an emerging aquaculture species in the Indo-Pacific. Two experiments were performed to determine the effects of salinity on survival, growth and haemolymph osmolality of early juvenile P. pelagicus crabs. The salinities tested for the first experiment were 10, 15, 25 and 40 ppt, and for the second experiment 5, 20, 30, 35 and 45 ppt. Each salinity experiment was triplicated, with each replicate consisting of 10 stage 4 juveniles. Each experiment lasted 45 days. Mortalities and incidence of “molt death syndrome” were recorded daily, while the intermolt period, carapace length, carapace width and wet weight were measured at each molt. At the end of the experiments the haemolymph osmolality and dry weights were measured.

Results demonstrate that salinity significantly affects both the survival and growth of early P. pelagicus juveniles. Mortality was significantly higher (p < 0.01) for juveniles cultured at salinities ≤ 15 ppt and at 45 ppt. At a salinity of 5 ppt a complete mortality occurred on day 20. In all salinity treatments, the majority of mortalities were due to “molt death syndrome”. In experiment 1, immediate effects of salinity on growth and development were seen at 10 ppt as the intermolt period was significantly longer (p < 0.01) and the mean carapace size increase was significantly less (p < 0.01) at the first molt compared to the other treatments. Meanwhile, the specific growth rates (carapace length, width and wet weight) were significantly lower (p < 0.05) at high salinities (≥ 40 ppt) due to longer intermolt periods and significantly lower (p < 0.05) carapace size or wet weight increases.

The haemolymph osmolality exhibited a positive linear relationship with the culture medium with an isosmotic point of 1106 mOsm/kg, equal to a salinity of approximately 38 ppt. Based on the osmolality graph, high metabolic cost for osmoregulation due to increased hyper- and hypo-osmotic stress appeared to cause lower survival and specific growth rates of the crabs. The results demonstrate that a salinity range of 20–35 ppt is suitable for the culture of early juvenile P. pelagicus.     

Physiological responses during stress and subsequent recovery at different salinities in adult pejerrey Odontesthes bonariensis

Mortality and physiological responses (plasma cortisol, glucose, osmolality, ions Na⁺ and Cl⁻ and hematocrit values) were examined in adult pejerrey Odontesthes bonariensis subjected to transport or crowding and subsequent recovery for 1 week at 0, 5 and 20 ppt NaCl. Two experiments were conducted using fish from different hatcheries; the following responses were consistent for both stocks. Mortality was observed only during post-stress recovery at 0 and 20 ppt NaCl but not at 5 ppt. During recovery, blood cortisol and glucose were generally higher, whereas osmolality and blood electrolytes (Na⁺ and Cl⁻) were lower at 0 ppt than at the other salinities. A salinity of 5 ppt NaCl could not prevent the rise in cortisol and glucose levels caused by the stress of transport, but during recovery, it prevented further increases in these features and/or accelerated their return to basal levels. This salinity also helped maintain stable blood electrolyte levels. During recovery at 20 ppt NaCl, osmolality and blood ions increased, whereas plasma cortisol and glucose generally decreased. Hematocrit values were lower at 20 ppt than at the other salinities. These results suggest that freshwater is not an adequate medium for post-stress recovery and that the presence of NaCl in the water either decreases the secretion of cortisol or promotes its clearance in O. bonariensis.     

Effects of salinity on growth characteristics and osmoregulation of juvenile cobia,Rachycentron canadum (Linnaeus 1766), reared in potassium‐amended inland saline groundwater

The suitability of inland saline groundwater as a medium to culture juvenile cobia, Rachycentron canadum, was assessed. In the first experiment, juvenile cobia stocked in raw (unamended) saline groundwater at salinities of 5, 10, and 15 g/L exhibited complete mortality after 108, 176, and 195 hr, respectively. The second experiment evaluated the rearing of juvenile cobia (mean weight ~9.23 ± 0.12 g) in potassium (K⁺)‐amended saline groundwater (100% K⁺ fortified) and reconstituted seawater at salinities of 5, 10, and 15 g/L to assess growth and osmoregulation in distinct culture media. Following 60 days of culture, all fish survived the experimental period. Final mean bodyweight of cobia reared in K⁺‐amended saline groundwater (103.2–115.8 g) and seawater (111.2–113.8 g) of different salinities did not vary significantly (p > .05). No differences (p > .05) were observed in specific growth rate, weight gain (%), and feed conversion ratio between treatment groups. Serum osmolality increased with salinity and was significantly higher (p < .05) for fish in K⁺‐amended saline groundwater (353–361 mOsmol/Kg) than in reconstituted seawater (319–332 mOsmol/Kg), although differences were not observed between salinities by water type. Cobia stocked in saline groundwater of different salinities were osmoregulating normally, and the higher values observed may be because of variations in ionic composition and other interfering ions in saline groundwater. Trial results suggest that juvenile cobia can achieve optimal growth in K⁺‐amended saline groundwater of low and intermediate salinities.     

Physiological short-term response to sudden salinity change in the Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis)

The physiological responses of Senegalese sole to a sudden salinity change were investigated. The fish were first acclimated to an initial salinity of 37.5?ppt for 4?h. Then, one group was subjected to increased salinity (55?ppt) while another group was subjected to decreased salinity (5?ppt). The third group (control group) remained at 37.5?ppt. We measured the oxygen consumption rate, osmoregulatory (plasma osmolality, gill and kidney Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase activities) and stress (plasma cortisol and metabolites) parameters 0.5 and 3?h after transfer. Oxygen consumption at both salinities was higher than for the control at both sampling times. Gill Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase activity was significantly higher for the 55?ppt salinity at 0.5?h. Plasma osmolality decreased in the fish exposed to 5?ppt at the two sampling times but no changes were detected for high salinities. Plasma cortisol levels significantly increased at both salinities, although these values declined in the low-salinity group 3?h after transfer. Plasma glucose at 5?ppt salinity did not vary significantly at 0.5?h but decreased at 3?h, while lactate increased for both treatments at the first sampling time and returned to the control levels at 3?h. Overall, the physiological response of S. senegalensis was immediate and involved a rise in oxygen consumption and plasma cortisol values as well as greater metabolite mobilization at both salinities.     

Combined effects of photoperiod and salinity on growth,survival, and osmoregulatory ability of larval southern flounder Paralichthys lethostigma

The southern flounder, Paralichthys lethostigma, is an important commercial and recreational marine flatfish that inhabits estuaries and shelf waters in the south Atlantic, from North Carolina through the Gulf coasts, with the exception of south Florida. Because juvenile and adult fish are highly euryhaline, it is a prime candidate for aquaculture. Methods for captive spawning of southern flounder are well developed; however, information on optimal culture requirements of the early larval stages is required for reliable mass production of juveniles.To determine the optimal photoperiod and salinity conditions for culture from hatching to day 15 post-hatching (d15ph), embryos were stocked into black 15-l tanks (75 l⁻¹) under four photoperiods (24L:0D, 18L:6D, 12L:12D, and 6L:18D) and two salinities (25 and 34 ppt) in a 4×2 factorial design. Temperature was 18 °C, light intensity was 150 lx, and aeration was 50 ml min⁻¹. Significant (P<0.05) effects of photoperiod and salinity on growth (notochord length, wet and dry weights) were obtained. Growth increased with increasing photoperiod and salinity and was significantly greater at 24L and 18L than at 12L or 6L, and at 34 than at 25 ppt. On d11ph and d15ph, significant interactive effects between photoperiod and salinity on growth (wet and dry weights) were also evident. Growth of larvae reared at 25 ppt increased with increasing photoperiod to a maximum at 24L, while growth of larvae at 34 ppt reached a plateau at 18L. While there were no significant photoperiod effects on these parameters, larval survival, body water percentage, and larval osmolality on d15ph were significantly higher at 34 than at 25 ppt (41% vs. 16% survival; 322 vs. 288 mosM kg⁻¹; and 84% vs. 76% water, respectively), suggesting stress and nonadaptation to 25 ppt, a salinity more nearly isoosmotic than full-strength seawater. Since larvae from both salinity treatments were neutrally or positively buoyant at 34 ppt, but negatively buoyant at 25 ppt, larvae reared at 25 ppt probably allocated energy to maintain vertical positioning, compromising growth and survival.The results demonstrate that growth and survival of early-stage southern flounder larvae are maximized under long photoperiods of 18–24L and in full-strength seawater. Longer photoperiods probably extend the time larvae have for feeding, while full-strength seawater salinity optimizes buoyancy and vertical positioning, conserving energy. The results show that early larval stage southern flounder larvae are not entirely euryhaline, which involves not only the ability to osmoregulate, but to conserve energy under reduced buoyancy. This is consistent with suboptimal vs. maximal growth of larvae reared at 25 and 34 ppt, respectively, under 18L (i.e., photoperiod×salinity interaction). This is also consistent with other reports that tolerance to lower salinities in these euryhaline flatfish increases post-metamorphosis when transition from a pelagic to benthic existence alleviates the need to counteract reduced buoyancy.     

Growth performance of gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata in different osmotic conditions: Implications for osmoregulation and energy metabolism

The influence of three different environmental salinities (seawater, SW: 38 ppt salinity; brackish water, BW: 12 ppt; and low salinity water, LSW: 6 ppt salinity) on the growth, osmoregulation and metabolism of young gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata L.) was studied over a period of 100 days. 480 inmature fish (20 g mean body weight) were randomly divided into six tanks of 2500 l (80 fish per tank) and maintained under three different salinities (38 ppt, 12 ppt and 6 ppt) in an open system. Every three weeks, 10 fish from each tank were anesthetized, weighed and lenghed. At the end of experiment, 10 fish from each tank were anesthetized, weighed and sampled for plasma, brain, gill and liver. Gill Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase activity, plasma osmolality, ions (sodium and chloride), glucose, lactate, protein and triglyceride, and hepatosomatic index were examined. In addition, levels of glycogen, lactate, ATP and activities of potential regulatory enzymes (hexokinase, pyruvate kinase, glycogen phosphorylase, and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase) were assesed in liver, brain, and gill. BW-acclimated fish showed a better growth with respect to SW- or LSW-acclimated fish (12 > 38 > 6 ppt). The same relationship was observed for weight gain and specific growth rate. Osmoregulatory parameters in plasma (osmolality, Na⁺ and Cl⁻ levels) were similar in SW- and BW-acclimated fish but significantly higher than those of LSW-acclimated fish. Gill Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase activity showed lower values in intermediate salinity (6 > 38 > 12 ppt). No changes were observed in metabolic parameters analyzed in plasma, whereas only minor changes were observed in metabolic parameters of liver, gills and brain that could be correlated with the higher growth rates observed in fish acclimated to BW, which do not allow us to attribute the best growth rate observed at 12 ppt to lower metabolic rates in that salinity.     

The effect of salinity on growth and survival of juvenile black bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri)

Growth and survival of juvenile black bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri) were determined at salinities from 0 to 60 ppt (in 12-ppt increments) and from 0 to 12 ppt (in 4-ppt increments) in two separate trials of 6 and 4 months duration, respectively. Juvenile black bream were able to survive and grow at salinities ranging from freshwater (0 ppt) to 48 ppt. Osmotic stress was evident at 60 ppt, however, survival was not significantly affected. Fish reared at 24 ppt in trial 1 had a specific growth rate of 2.34±0.03%/day, a rate significantly higher only to those fish reared at 60 ppt (2.16±0.04%/day). Growth was greater at 24 ppt in association with the highest food intake and most efficient FCR. Although both food intake and FCR were not significantly higher than those obtained with fish reared at 12, 36 and 48 ppt, the combination of the two factors being optimised at 24 ppt lead to the greatest growth. Analysis of data from the second trial found no significant difference in the growth rate of black bream reared at salinities ranging from freshwater to 12 ppt, with SGR ranging from 1.92±0.05%/day to 2.05±0.02%/day. Variable results in freshwater between the two trials suggested that total hardness of freshwater may influence survival and/or an ontogenetic change in salinity tolerance may occur.     

Effects of Nitrite Exposure on Growth and Survival of Sea Bass,Lates calcarifer,Fingerlings in Various Salinities

Sea bass, Lates calcarifer, fingerlings were acclimated to 0. 15, and 32 ppt, and the toxic effects of nitrite exposure were assessed. The 96-hour median lethal concentrations (96-hour LC₅₀ for nitrite were estimated to be 14.5 mg/L at 0 ppt, 105 mg/L at 15 ppt and 93 mg/L at 32 ppt salinity. Chronic exposure to a nitrite concentration equivalent to 10% of the respective 96 hour LC₅₀ resulted in marked growth reduction: growth being reduced in the order of 0 ppt > 32 ppt > 15 ppt. In nitrite-free water, growth rate for fish raised at a salinity of 15 ppt was higher compared to fish raised at salinities of 0 ppt and 32 ppt, a phenomenon which probably reflected the advantage of a reduction in osmoregulatory work in an iso-osmotic environment.     

Effect of salinity at constant 10 °C on grow-out of anadromous Arctic charr from Labrador

The goal is to determine the requirements allowing cultured Salvelinus alpinus to thrive in seawater, as they do in the wild. In late-June, eight families of individually identified 1+ year-old charr (mean wt: 427 g) of a domesticated strain derived from the Fraser River population were directly transferred from freshwater (9 °C) to salinities of either 0, 10, 20 and 30 ppt at 10 °C, then on-grown in tanks until December. Cumulative mortality was 16% in 30 ppt salinity, and < 4% in the lower salinities. Repeated measures analysis revealed somatic growth was inhibited by both elevated salinity and sexual maturation. Among immature fish, final mean weight and condition factor in 30 ppt salinity was 490 g and 1.2, compared to nearly 1 kg and > 1.7 in 0 and 10 ppt. In 20 ppt salinity, growth was initially similar to that in ≤ 10 ppt salinity but deteriorated from September onwards. Sexually maturing fish in ≤ 10 ppt salinity attained a final mean weight about 35% less than immatures. Plasma osmolality was only slightly elevated in the 30 ppt salinity, remaining < 340 mOsm kg^− 1. Food intake and conversion were affected by the interaction between salinity and time, being optimum in 0 and 10 ppt treatments. Family effects on final body size were large, but the effect of salinity on growth was independent of family. In conclusion, despite their large body size, direct transfer of this strain from freshwater to seawater does not appear viable for commercial aquaculture.     

Optimum low salinity to reduce cannibalism and improve survival of the larvae of freshwater African catfish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Clarias gariepinus</Emphasis>

The freshwater African catfish Clarias gariepinus is carnivorous and cannibalistic even during the larval and juvenile stages and this behavior causes economic losses in aquaculture. This study examined for the first time the effect of salinity on cannibalism, survival, and growth of African catfish larvae in the hatchery. Larvae (4 days old, median 7.8 mm TL, 2.8 mg BW) of the African catfish were reared for 21 days at nominal salinity 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 ppt. After 21 days, they grew to 10–39 mm (median 22 mm) and 10–490 mg (median 90 mg), with no significant difference by salinity treatments. Survival ratios were similarly low (24–31%) at 0, 1, 3, and 7 ppt and significantly higher (49–55%) at 2, 4, 5, and 6 ppt. Cannibalism was significantly lower, 15–30% at 4–6 ppt, than the 40–50% at 0–3 and 7 ppt. Size variation was lower at 4–6 ppt and higher at 0–3 and 7 ppt. We recommend hatchery rearing of African catfish at the optimum low salinity of 4–6 ppt rather than in full fresh water at least up to 21 days. This rearing method fosters larval welfare and improves hatchery production.