Phenotypic trait of Crassostrea hongkongensis♀× C. angulata♂ hybrids in southern China

The Hong Kong oyster (Crassostrea hongkongensis) and the Portuguese oyster (Crassostrea angulata) are important aquaculture species in southern China. To understand the potential feasibility of hybridization between the two species, two‐by‐two factorial cross‐experiments were conducted in Shenzhen (Guangdong province). An asymmetry in fertilization was revealed: C. hongkongensis eggs could be fertilized by C. angulata sperm, but the reciprocal cross was not possible. The fertilization and hatching success in the C. hongkongensis females × C. angulata males (HA) cross was lower than the two intraspecific crosses. Moreover, hybrid larvae had a slower growth rate than those from parental progenies due to genome incompatibility. However, the size of the spat and adult growth were greater than those of the two parental progeny, with obvious heterosis during the grow‐out stage. The survival advantage of hybrids was examined at all times. The surprising finding was that all hybrids were completely fertile, meaning they could produce normal and functional gametes. Genetic analysis by molecular markers was applied to confirm that the HA spat were true hybrids. Our results revealed that the interspecific hybridization between C. hongkongensis and C. angulata is completely successful in one direction. Furthermore, hybrids are viable, fast growing and completely fertile, which provides a promising method for the genetic improvement of oysters as a new aquaculture stock in southern China.     

熊本牡蛎中国群体与美国群体杂交效应及杂交三倍体优势分析

为了评估熊本牡蛎(Crassostreasikamea)中国群体与美国群体的杂交效应与杂交三倍体优势,构建了杂交群体和自交群体,并使用细胞松弛素B诱导了杂交三倍体,比较分析了幼虫、稚贝与成贝的生长与存活优势。自交群体和杂交群体的幼虫、稚贝与成贝的培养条件均相同,室内培育幼虫,培育密度为4～5个/mL,自然海区养殖稚贝与成贝,养殖密度为40～45个/吊。结果表明,与自交组相比,杂交二倍体具有较高的卵裂率(13.61%)与D幼率(5.67%)(P0.05),但杂交二倍体幼虫的壳高生长表现杂种劣势(–0.43%),而稚贝、成贝的壳长与壳高的生长表现杂种优势,平均优势率分别为3.96%与6.65%。杂交三倍体诱导组幼虫的壳高生长优势率为3.69%,稚贝及成贝的壳长与壳高平均生长优势率分别为12.69%与13.64%,并且日龄越大生长优势越显著。总体上,杂交三倍体诱导组在3～180日龄具有存活劣势,并且15日龄存活劣势率最大(–48.72%),而在360日龄存活优势率为6.70%。杂交二倍体幼虫与成贝均具有存活优势,平均优势率分别为10.44%与4.59%。本研究表明熊本牡蛎中美地理群体杂交二倍体的生长和存活优于自交二倍体,而杂交三倍体诱导组的生长优势较显著,并且在成贝期具有显著的成活率优势,表明杂交三倍体诱导组的优势来源于三倍体优势和部分杂种优势。     

Broodstock conditioning of the Portuguese oyster (Crassostrea angulata,Lamarck, 1819): influence of different diets

The Portuguese oyster Crassostrea angulata shows great potential in oyster farming. The conservation of pure populations of this species is important for production diversification and biodiversity preservation. In this way, the zootechnological development for seed hatchery production is extremely important. Broodstock conditioning is a key step in the process of rearing bivalves in a hatchery. Many factors regulate the reproductive cycle, being food one of the most important ones. To evaluate the effect of different diets on C. angulata reproductive performance, broodstock were conditioned with different food regimes formulated fundamentally by flagellates (Diet 1 – Pavlova lutheri and Isochrysis galbana clone T‐ISO; Diet 2 – P. lutheri, T‐ISO and Skeletonema costatum) and constituted fundamentally by diatoms (Diet 3 – S. costatum and Chaetoceros calcitrans; Diet 4 – P. lutheri, S. costatum and C. calcitrans). During conditioning, samples of oysters were collected to evaluate condition index, gonadal development and biochemical composition. At the end of the conditioning period, oysters were induced to spawn to evaluate reproductive output (fecundity, fertilization rate and D‐larvae development). The diets had an impact on the gametogenesis process, energy storage and reproductive output performance, being the best results those obtained in broodstock fed with the diatoms‐predominant diets. However, those fed with diets majority flagellates had an unsuccessful performance. Holistic approaches incorporating all results in this study reveal and reinforce the idea that the diatom species used presented the nutritional requirements to C. angulata broodstock, being essential in the conditioning phase.     

Survival and growth of reciprocal crosses between two stocks of the Hong Kong oyster Crassostrea hongkongensis (Lam & Morton, 2003) in southern China

The Hong Kong oyster, Crassostrea hongkongensis, is one of the most economically important and well‐known oyster species in southern China. To explore the possibility of improving the performance of the Hong Kong oyster, complete diallel crosses between two oyster stocks, the Zhuhai stock (Z: fast growth line F4) and the Maowei Sea stock (M: resistant line F3), were conducted using pooled gametes. Three replicates, each consisting of two pure stocks (ZZ and MM) and two reciprocal crosses (ZM and MZ), were successfully generated. High fertilization rate and hatching level were observed among all the experimental groups, suggesting that there was no sperm–egg recognition barrier between geographic populations. Reciprocal crosses had higher survival rate compared to the pure stock crosses and the rate of survival increased with progeny growth. Growth heterosis became obvious both in larval and adult stages, and was primarily influenced by the egg origin and mating strategy at the larval stage. Also, the phenotypic traits of all progeny differed amongst the culture sites, suggesting a significant environmental effect. The Zhuhai site was more suitable for oyster aquaculture than the Maowei Sea site. Thus, our results demonstrated that crossbreeding between Zhuhai and Maowei Sea stocks of Hong Kong oyster to produce superior heterosis represents a promising means to improve the fishery yield of this species in southern China.     

Insights on the association between somatic aneuploidy and ostreid herpesvirus 1 detection in the oysters Crassostrea gigas,C. angulata and their F1 hybrids

Cytogenetic abnormalities associated with viral infections, including from viruses of the Herpesvirales order, have been reported in vertebrate species. Ostreid herpesvirus 1 (OsHV‐1) has been detected worldwide during mortality outbreaks of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. On the other hand, a high proportion of aneuploid cells in somatic tissues have been observed in C. gigas. In this study, we analysed the putative association between aneuploidy levels and the detection of OsHV‐1 in gills of C. gigas, the Portuguese oyster C. angulata and their F1 hybrids cultured in Ria Formosa (Portugal). OsHV‐1 was detected by PCR in 5.4% of the total of oysters analysed (n = 111) namely in 11.1%, 8.0% and 1.7% of C. gigas, C. angulata and F1 hybrid respectively. Sequencing analysis of a viral fragment amplified with the C2/C6 primer pair revealed a high similarity with the OsHV‐1 reference type. Moreover, in situ hybridization confirmed the presence of OsHV‐1 in gill tissue. Oysters where OsHV‐1 was detected had a significantly higher mean percentage of aneuploid cells (25%) than the ones where the virus was not detected (18%). However, the overall low percentage of positive samples contrasted with the high mean percentage of aneuploidy observed, with 50% of the oysters analysed showing a percentage of aneuploid cells between 20% and 30%. We hypothesize that somatic aneuploidy may adversely affect oysters making them more prone to OsHV‐1 infection, but the virus is unlikely to be the cause of somatic aneuploidy.     

长牡蛎中国群体和美国群体杂交效应与三倍体的优势

将长牡蛎中国群体二倍体分别与美国群体二倍体和四倍体进行杂交,实验共设置4组,分别为杂交二倍体组、杂交三倍体组、中国二倍体组和美国二倍体组,比较了各实验组卵裂率、D幼率、D形幼虫大小及幼虫期、稚贝期的壳高生长、存活率等生物学指标,并估算杂交二倍体的杂种优势率和杂交三倍体的三倍体优势率。结果表明,杂交二倍体幼虫壳高生长的杂种优势率不明显,平均杂种优势率为1.21%,幼虫的存活率及稚贝的壳高生长表现出明显的杂种优势,平均杂种优势率分别为34.47%和20.39%。杂交三倍体的D形幼虫大小、幼虫和稚贝的壳高生长、存活率均表现出三倍体优势,D形幼虫大小三倍体优势率为5.19%,幼虫期壳高生长和存活的平均三倍体优势率分别为4.00%和19.92%,稚贝壳高生长和存活的平均三倍体优势率分别为30.18%和54.43%,200日龄,杂交三倍体鲜体质量的三倍体优势率为202.96%,存活三倍体优势率为73.60%。此外,稚贝期的杂交二倍体生长性状的杂种优势率和杂交三倍体的三倍体优势率均高于幼虫期的优势率。研究表明,中、美两地理群体杂交获得的三倍体长牡蛎子代生长和存活性状都比二倍体优良。杂交三倍体的优良性状主要是三倍体优势,杂交优势的贡献率还有待进一步实验证实。     

Enhancing lipid nutritional quality of oysters by hybridization between Crassostrea gigas and C. angulata

In the present study, hybrid and inbred oysters were produced by factorial hybridization between two closely related species, the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas and the Portuguese oyster C. angulata. Tissues samples were used for the analysis of total lipid content (TLC) and fatty acid composition (FAC). In general, FAC but not TLC in hybrid oysters was significantly different from inbred oysters. Hybrid oysters have significantly lower ∑SFA composition but higher ∑PUFA composition than inbred oysters, with heterosis for ∑SFA, ∑MUFA and ∑PUFA of ?6.03%, ?6.53% and 14.31% respectively. Moreover, hybrid oysters have significantly higher EPA + DHA content and n3/n6 PUFA ratio than inbred oysters, indicating higher lipid nutritional quality than inbred oysters. Among them, the hybrid ♀ C. gigas × ♂ C. angulata appears to be the most nutritious. These results indicated that the lipid nutritional quality of oysters can be improved by hybridization.     

Comparative studies of the growth,survival, and reproduction of diploid and triploid Kumamoto oyster,Crassostrea sikamea

Triploid oysters have been used for farming to improve growth but have not been created in the Kumamoto oyster, Crassostrea sikamea, which is one of the crucial aquaculture species on the southern coast of China. In the present study, triploids were created using cytochalasin B to inhibit polar body II release in C. sikamea, with the untreated oysters as controls. Triploidy rates of 87 and 57.67%, on average, were obtained in larvae and adults, respectively. Larval growth and survival of the triploid were significantly lower than that of the controls (p < 0.05). In contrast, the triploid postlarvae and adults had a significant growth advantage over the controls (p < 0.05) during the period of 180 (December) to 450 days (September of the next year). Moreover, the triploids clearly exhibited significant sterility in the reproductive season. The glycogen and triglyceride contents in the gonad, adductor muscle, mantle, and gill were higher in triploids than in controls from 180 to 450 days. As a result, high physiological energy supply was strongly correlated with superior growth and reduced reproduction in triploid C. sikamea. The triploid C. sikamea is an excellent oyster species and can be used to improve growth for C. sikamea farming.     

美国熊本牡蛎基础群体构建及生产性能评估

为了获得优良熊本牡蛎(Crassosrea sikamea)种质资源,于2015年从美国Taylor贝类养殖公司引入熊本牡蛎,采用2种配对方式构建了核心基础群体;以中国熊本牡蛎选育群体为对照,评估了美国熊本牡蛎引种的生产性能及可行性。结果表明,美国熊本牡蛎相对于中国群体而言,表现出生长较快,商品规格比率较高,但存活力较低的特点。经过1周年养成,美国熊本牡蛎较中国群体子代壳高提高了11.48%,总重提高了48.12%。评估表明,群体来源对子代生产性能造成了显著的影响,而配对策略尚未产生显著影响。本研究发现美国熊本牡蛎在中国华南沿海具有较好的生产性能,这为熊本牡蛎种质改良提供了宝贵的繁育材料,也为华南牡蛎产业提供了一个可选择的优良品种。     

香港巨牡蛎与长牡蛎种间杂交及早期杂种优势分析

为测定香港巨牡蛎(Crassostrea hongkongensis♀×C.hongkongensis♂)、长牡蛎自繁家系(C.gigas♀×C.gigas♂)及其两者种间杂交家系(C.hongkongensis♀×C.gigas♂)子代的早期表型性状,评估种间杂种潜力,分析早期种间杂种优势,实验于2010年7月,采用1雄对3雌的巢式设计建立了9个香港巨牡蛎自繁家系(Crassostrea hongkongensis♀×C.hongkongensis♂)(HH11、HH12、HH13……HH33)、9个长牡蛎自繁家系(C.gigas♀×C.gigas♂)(GG11、GG12、GG13……GG33)及45个种间杂交家系(C.hongkongensis♀×C.gigas♂)(HG11、HG12、HG13……HG153)。结果发现,种间杂交家系受精率及孵化率平均水平的杂种潜力hp<-1,表现出显著的杂种劣势;出现了一定程度的种间配子不兼容现象,而且存在着显著的个体间差异。从其总体水平上看,幼虫生长性状的杂种潜力hp<-1,表现出显著的杂种劣势,出现了远交衰退现象;幼虫存活性状的杂种潜力hp在-1～1之间,虽然具有正向优势,但达不到显著标准;幼虫变态率的杂种潜力hp>1,表现出显著的杂种优势。     

Hot water immersion lowers survival,shell growth rate and lysosomal membrane stability of oysters Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin)

This study compares the effect of two anti‐fouling treatments, hot water immersion (15 s at 60°C) and air drying (72 h) on the physiological status of the Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica. The negative impact of hot water immersion was greater than that of air drying, but varied depending on the initial size of the oysters (40 vs. 60 mm shell height) and the time of the year (June vs. August). Groups treated with hot water exhibited a higher proportion of haemocytes with destabilized lysosomal membranes (HDLM; 47.5 ± 3.1%) than those exposed to air drying (37.5 ± 2.9%). This suggests that the oyster immunocompetency may be lowered by hot water immersion. Overall, the large oysters had lower HDLM values (32.9 ± 3.5%) than the small individuals in June (45.7 ± 2.8%) but similar values in August (46.6 ± 3.5%). Small oysters subjected to hot water immersion in June exhibited a 50% reduction in shell growth and a 50% mortality rate after one month. Our results indicate that air drying is more suitable than hot water immersion as an anti‐fouling treatment for <45 mm oysters.     

福建牡蛎选育群体的遗传多样性

利用8个微卫星标记对福建牡蛎(Crassostrea angulata)基础群体、‘金蛎1号’选育系F6和野生群体进行遗传多样性分析。结果表明,每个位点在各群体的等位基因数为7~24个,各群体在所有位点的平均等位基因数为10.3~17.6个,平均等位基因丰度为9.8~16.8。平均观测杂合度和平均期望杂合度分别为0.655~0.662和0.788~0.872。经邦弗朗尼校正,哈迪–温伯格平衡检验结果显示,在24个群体–位点组合中18个群体–位点组合显著偏离平衡(P0.01)。群体内近交系数F_(is)值介于0.0095~0.2874,平均值为0.1992,遗传分化系数F_(st)介于0.0224~0.1627,平均值为0.0767,暗示选育群体中存在较低水平的非随机交配现象,属于中度偏低分化。研究表明,连续的选育对群体的遗传分化产生了一定的影响,但是,选育群体仍然具有较高水平的遗传多样性。     

Rearing equipment on the quality aspects and growth performance of Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg, 1793): Implications for marketability

Shell characteristics and consequent marketability of the oyster Crassostrea gigas are influenced by several factors, and most important of which are the rearing methods and gears. In this study, we investigated the effects of two different gears on the quality aspect (shell shape, weight meat percentage, backward shell shape, epibionts and blisters) and growth rate (weight and length) of C. gigas by adopting the innovative Ortac Oyster Farming System, during the field grow‐out phase of production. Aspect and growth of oysters farmed in Ortac and floating bags were compared. After 14 weeks, the aspect of the animals was influenced by the gear, resulting in a lower quality in the Ortac (i.e. worse shell shape, lower weight meat percentage, higher percentage of backwards and blisters) than in the floating bag, while the incidence of epibionts was less in the Ortac. Regarding the growth performance, total wet weight gained in the Ortac was lower (~28.3 g) than in the floating bag (~32.4 g; p < .05). These results highlight the efficiency of the floating bag as oyster rearing system in the Mediterranean basin and suggest the need to alter the Ortac gear to these environmental conditions.     

Assignment of parentage in triploid species using microsatellite markers with null alleles,an example from Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas)

Triploid production in aquaculture is increasing because of their more profitable growth and reproduction traits. Triploids are mostly produced through mass spawning techniques, meaning that exact pedigree is unknown. The ability to trace the pedigree of high performing triploids would allow selection of broodstock to perpetuate triploids of greater economic value. This study aimed to develop a method of determining parental assignment in triploids and test its accuracy on triploid oysters. Using a likelihood approach and accounting for null allele frequencies, a method was developed which proved to be efficient at determining the pedigree of triploid oysters. This method was able to provide accurate pedigree on simulated data and two commercial cohorts of triploid oysters. The analysis of the triploid cohorts showed that mass spawning to produce triploid oysters, like that for diploid and tetraploids, results in a strong bias in parental contributions, with the effective population size being 34‐49% lower than the census population. This highlights the need for pedigree control in breeding programs and indicates that the ability to determine parentage of triploids will be a valuable tool for breeding programs.     

Effect of ploidy on the mortality of Crassostrea gigas spat caused by OsHV‐1 in France using unselected and selected OsHV‐1 resistant oysters

The effect of ploidy on the mortality of Crassostrea gigas spat caused by the ostreid herpesvirus (OsHV‐1) genotype μVar was investigated at five sites along the Atlantic coast in France in 2011. Sibling diploids and triploids were produced using either unselected or selected OsHV‐1‐resistant oysters. No significant interactions were found between the factors of environment, genotype and ploidy at the endpoint dates. The mean mortality rates at the sites were 62% and 59% for diploids and triploids, respectively, and the two rates were not significantly different. The mean mortality rates were 33% and 32% for sibling diploids and triploids, respectively, when OsHV‐1‐resistant parents were used and 91% and 85%, respectively, when unselected parents were used. The results were confirmed through other broodstocks tested in 2013. Our study is the first to clearly show that mortality related to OsHV‐1 is similar between diploids and triploids in C. gigas when the same germplasm is used for both ploidy. Furthermore, OsHV‐1 resistance was not substantially altered by triploidization, indicating that the achieved selective breeding of diploid oysters for OsHV‐1 resistance can be translated into improved survival in triploids.     

Ostreid herpesvirus OsHV‐1 μVar in Pacific oysters Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg 1793) of the Wadden Sea,a UNESCO world heritage site

The Wadden Sea is an extensive wetland area, recognized as UNESCO world heritage site of international importance. Since the mid‐1990s, the invasive Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg 1793) population in the area has grown exponentially, having a distinct impact on the ecosystem. The recent spread of the emerging oyster pathogen Ostreid herpesvirus OsHV‐1 μVar worldwide and specifically in the oyster culture areas in the south of the Netherlands raised the question whether the virus may also be present in the Wadden Sea. In the summer of 2012 juvenile Pacific oysters were collected from five locations in the Dutch Wadden Sea. The virus was shown to be present in three of the five locations by real‐time PCR and sequencing. It was concluded that OsHV‐1 μVar has settled itself in Pacific oyster reefs in the Wadden Sea. These results and the recent discoveries of OsHV‐1 microvariants in Australia and Korea indicate that OsHV‐1 μVar and related variants might be more widespread than can be deduced from current literature. In particular in regions with no commercial oyster culture, similar to the Wadden Sea, the virus may go undetected as wild beds with mixed age classes hamper the detection of mortality among juvenile oysters.     

Effects of controlled air exposure on the survival,growth, condition,pathogen loads and refrigerated shelf life of eastern oysters

The benefits of exposing eastern oysters to air during commercial culture have not been well‐characterized. An adjustable longline system (ALS) designed in Australia and recently adopted by the nascent aquaculture industry in the northern Gulf of Mexico, allows growing oysters at any position in the water column and is perfectly suited to study the benefits of air exposure. Four‐month old diploid oysters were deployed in an ALS and divided into three groups: 1) oysters exposed to air daily for 8–12 hr during low tide, 2) oysters exposed to air weekly (~24 hr once a week), and 3) oysters kept subtidally. Oyster mortality and growth rates, Perkinsus marinus load and condition index were then determined every 3 months over 2 years, while refrigerated shelf life and Vibrio vulnificus load were determined in summer and early fall of the second year. Summer mortalities were delayed, P. marinus infection intensities tended to be lower and condition index was significantly higher in oysters exposed to air daily compared with oysters exposed to air weekly or held subtidally. Shell heights of oysters exposed to air daily were lower for most of the study due to a lower growth rate during the initial sampling interval following deployment. No consistent differences were found in V. vulnificus loads or refrigerated shelf lives between the groups. It is recommended that ALS be set so that oysters are kept subtidally fall through spring to promote growth, and exposed to air daily during summer to delay P. marinus proliferation.