Aquaculture performance of triploid barfin flounder Verasper moseri

ABSTRACT:   To evaluate the aquaculture performance of triploid barfin flounder Verasper moseri , the sex ratio, maturation, growth and the relative proportion of body parts were examined. The sex ratio of triploids was similar to diploids under communal rearing conditions, but the proportion of female diploids was higher than that of triploids under separate rearing conditions. The gonadosomatic index of triploid females was very low even during the spawning season, and the ovaries were rudimentary. These results suggest that triploid barfin flounder females were sterile. In addition, triploid males produced a small quantity of milt containing very few spermatozoa with abnormal shapes. Spermatozoa obtained from triploids were aneuploidies. When normal eggs were fertilized with sperm from triploid males, no fry developed. These results suggest that triploid barfin flounder males were functionally sterile. Triploid males grew more slowly than diploid males, and triploid females showed similar or slower growth than diploid females, whether reared separately (23 months) or communally (35 months). The ratios of visceral weight to the edible parts for triploid males were similar to those for diploid males, but ratios for triploid females were higher than for diploid females during the spawning period. In conclusion, a significant improvement of growth was not found in triploid barfin flounders.     

条斑星鲽精子超微结构研究

分别以扫描电镜和透射电镜方法研究了条斑星鲽精子的超微结构。条斑星鲽精子全长45.57±3.23μm,主要包括三部分:头部、中段和鞭毛。头部呈圆形,主要结构为近圆形的细胞核;中段不发达,主要包括线粒体和中心粒复合体两部分,具有多个未分化的圆形小线粒体;鞭毛细长,结构为典型的"9+2"型双联微管结构,无侧鳍。这些特征表明,条斑星鲽的精子属于简单的原始类型。条斑星鲽精子不具顶体,但具有开口于核前端稍偏处呈不规则状的核前部凹陷及核内核泡结构,核前凹陷与染色质区无界膜分隔,部分精子在凹陷前端存在由核膜构成的凸起。凹陷区的前部及其开口处常有多个小的具单层界膜的囊泡,这些结构可能是顶体的遗迹,但也不排除其是向外释放核内物质的一种途径的可能性。     

温度、盐度对条斑星鲽胚胎发育的影响

就温度、盐度对条斑星鲽胚胎发育的影响作了初步探讨。实验表明,胚胎发育的适宜温度为6～12℃,最适水温为8～10℃,在适温范围内胚胎孵化速度与温度呈正相关关系（N=65.925T^-0.9672）。盐度低于27,受精卵下沉,27～30之间悬浮于水体中,盐度高于35,受精卵浮于水面。胚胎孵化的适宜盐度范围、最适盐度范围分别为25～40和28～36;盐度低于25或高于40,孵化率都降低。研究表明,条斑星鲽胚胎发育的生物学零度（阈温度）为-0.1℃,有效积温值为1726.48℃.h。另外,根据其Q10值推算的胚胎发育的适宜水温与实验结果相似。     

条斑星鲽卵巢发育规律和性类固醇激素周年变化研究

采用组织学方法、形态测量法、放射免疫法(RIA)等技术方法,研究了人工养殖条件下条斑星鲽雌性亲鱼卵巢发育成熟和性类固醇激素的年周期变化规律.结果表明,条斑星鲽属于非同步分批产卵类型.卵母细胞按其组织学特点可分为6个时相,卵巢发育依据其形态特征可划分为相应的6个时期.卵巢年周期发育过程中,性腺指数(GSI)、肝脏指数(HSI)和肥满度(CF)发生变化,表现出与性腺发育协同一致的变化规律.统计分析表明,卵巢年周期发育过程中,GSI和HSI值与CF值都存在显著的正相关关系,GSI值的变化与水温调控呈显著的负相关关系.亲鱼血浆中雌二醇(E2)在6月份开始升高,9月份达到年周期中的第1个小高峰,翌年2月份,E2表达水平达到最高峰值,4月产卵结束后,E2表达水平降低并维持较低水平至下一个生殖季节.血浆中睾酮(T)含量在7月达到第1个峰值,并在翌年1月份达到第2个峰值,在4月份产卵后降至最低水平并维持至下一个生殖季节.统计分析表明,E2与T存在正相关关系,E2与光周期调控存在正相关关系,同时与GSI和CF呈弱的正相关关系.     

Fishery characteristics of barfin flounder Verasper moseri in southern Tohoku,the major spawning ground,after the start of large-scale stock enhancement in Hokkaido,Japan

Commercial landings of a rare pleuronectid flatfish, barfin flounder Verasper moseri, recovered drastically after large-scale stock enhancement in Hokkaido conducted since 2006. This study investigated commercial landings, fishing grounds, size distributions, and sex and age compositions of barfin flounder during 2007–2011 in southern Tohoku, their major spawning ground, which is over 700 km south of Hokkaido. Landings, mostly comprising stocked fish, increased drastically in southern Tohoku: from 2.0 tons in 2007 to 20.8 tons in 2010. Over 98 % of them were landed during January–April, with the peak period during February–March. Fishing logbook data of offshore bottom-trawl vessels during 2007–2010 revealed the upper continental slope off southernmost Tohoku as the main fishing ground (35°40′–36°50′N, annual weighted mean depth 267–299 m). Two size modes in the landings consisted of males (ca. 40 cm) and females (ca. 60 cm). The main age at fishery recruitment in southern Tohoku was younger for males (age 2+) than for females (ages 3+ and 4+), the result of which was that the female percentage was lowest at 1.5 % in 2009 and highest at 7.9 % in 2011. Our results showed clearly how the effectiveness of large-scale stock enhancement in Hokkaido extended to southern Tohoku in association with spawning migration of stocked barfin flounder.     

Stress inhibits insulin release induced by feeding and arginine injection in barfin flounder Verasper moseri

We evaluated the effect of stress and adrenaline injection on insulin release in barfin flounder Verasper moseri. Flounders were fed to satiation and then exposed to 30 min of stress (chasing using a blunt stick), beginning 15 min after feeding. Plasma insulin concentrations were measured using a time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay for barfin flounder insulin. Peak insulin concentrations in the stressed flounders (3.4 ± 1.0 ng/ml, mean ± SEM) were lower than in the control group (8.3 ± 1.7 ng/ml). Similarly, in flounders injected with l-arginine (Arg; 3.5 mmol/kg body weight), the most potent insulinotropic factor for flounders, insulin levels were lower for up to 5 h in individuals exposed to chasing stress. Furthermore, plasma insulin levels did not increase after injection with Arg followed by exposure to 10 min of stress. This was also true for flounders co-injected with Arg (20 nmol/kg body weight) and adrenalin instead of the chasing stress. We conclude that stress induces a powerful and extended inhibition of insulin release in flounders, even when the stress is acute. We hypothesize that this effect is mediated partly by adrenaline release. Our results provide insight into the deleterious effects of stress on growth.     

Genetic evaluation of interindividual relatedness for broodstock management of the rare species barfin flounder Verasper moseri using microsatellite DNA markers

ABSTRACT:   The barfin flounder has been recently declared to be rare, as the number of wild individuals in Japan has greatly reduced since 1975. The Japanese National Center for Stock Enhancement started the stocking program for this species on 1987. In the present study, microsatellite DNA loci were applied in order to determine the pedigree of the hatchery-produced juveniles for stock enhancement. Additionally, using six polymorphic microsatellite markers, the accuracy to assign dyads to categories of kinship was estimated using the relatedness estimator ( R _XY), similarity indexes (individual genetic identity [GI] and proportion of shared alleles [ P _S]), identification of kin groups using unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) clustering based on interindividual genetic distances (1- R _XY, 1- P _S, and 1-GI), a likelihood ratio approach, and partition methods to separate individuals into cohorts. The results were compared with the pedigree relationship previously obtained from parentage analysis. Estimation of the kinship relationship between individuals could be better inferred by means of UPGMA dendrogram clustering based on 1-GI or 1- P _S as interindividual genetic distances, or using computer software to perform partitioning of set of individuals.     

日本条斑星鲽的生物学及增养殖概况

条斑星鲽(Verasper m oseri)为星鲽属中比较大型的鲽类,雌鱼全长可达70 cm,体重可达8 kg,人工放流的2龄鱼全长可达37.8 cm,体重794 g,3龄鱼体长达45.8 cm,体重1325 g。条斑星鲽体表象松树皮一样,因此日文名为“松皮鱼”,由于个体大,其商品名叫“王鲽”。该鱼肉质细嫩,口感好,在     

Distribution patterns of five pleuronectid species on the continental slope off the Pacific coast of northern Honshu,Japan

Information on the distributions of demersal and benthic fishes is fundamental for stock assessment and management. Spatiotemporal changes in the distribution patterns of five pleuronectid species (flathead flounder Hippoglossoides dubius, Kamchatka flounder Atheresthes evermanni, roughscale sole Clidoderma asperrimum, slime flounder Microstomus achne, and Korean flounder Glyptocephalus stelleri) off the Pacific coast of northern Honshu, Japan, at depths of 150–900 m, were examined using a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM). Densities of flathead and Korean flounder were highest in the southernmost area, where the fish were small. The body lengths of both of these species increased from 2003 to 2008, suggesting that an abundant year class was recruited in 2003. The density of Kamchatka flounder was highest in the northern area. In roughscale sole and slime flounder, there were no distinctive annual and latitudinal trends in the density distributions. The density distribution of Korean flounder was bimodal; the peaks were at depths of 210 and 410 m. The body length increased as the depth increased from 150 to 410 m, and then decreased from 410 to 550 m. Moreover, “bigger–deeper” trends were observed in flathead, Kamchatka and slime flounder.     

Decadal changes in the diet of northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus) migrating off the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan

Decadal changes in northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus) diet were examined based on the stomach contents data collected off the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan from January to April, 1953–1988. Seventeen families of fish and seven families of squid were identified from the stomach contents. Dominant prey species in terms of percentage of occurrence and wet weight were Japanese sardine (Sardinops melanostictus), chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus), and myctophid fishes. Demersal fishes, sparkling enope squid (Watasenia scintillans), and oceanic squids were also preyed on at low incidences. Decadal‐scale diet composition of northern fur seals revealed shifts in the significance of Japanese sardine and chub mackerel in parallel with the decadal alternation in the dominance of these species within the pelagic fish community off the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan. These results suggest that northern fur seals can use a variety of prey resources in this wintering area by switching the diet according to the distribution and abundance of prey species.     

Occurrence of Pacific bluefin tuna Thunnus orientalis larvae off the Pacific coast of Tohoku area,northeastern Japan: Possibility of the discovery of the third spawning ground

Recently, based on the histological studies it is suggested that Pacific bluefin tuna (PBF) spawns in the Kuroshio–Oyashio transition, off the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan, in addition to the previously identified two spawning areas of the northwestern Pacific around the Nansei Islands and the Sea of Japan. Distributional surveys for PBF larvae have not been conducted in the Kuroshio–Oyashio transition, and thus, we conducted PBF larval surveys at twenty stations in this area in early August 2018 to obtain evidence for the spawning of PBF. Twelve PBF larvae (3.9–7.2 mm in body length) were collected at six stations where sea surface temperature ranged from 27.2 to 28.2°C. Otolith microstructure analysis indicated that age of these larvae ranged from 4 to 11 days after hatching and the larvae hatched in late July. Growth of the collected larvae was comparable to those in the other two spawning grounds. Therefore, PBF spawns, hatches, and at least survives to the postflexion stage, 11 days after hatching in the Kuroshio–Oyashio transition. This fact potentially has a large impact on recruitment processes of PBF if they survive to recruitment in this third spawning ground.     

Age validation and growth variability of Japanese flounder <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paralichthys olivaceus</Emphasis> off the Pacific coast of northern Japan

ABSTRACT:   This study examined age and growth of Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus off the Pacific coast of northern Japan, and determined whether the growth patterns of male and female fish in northern (40–41°N) and southern (37–38°15'N) waters differ. In total 8095 specimens were collected between January 1999 and December 2005. Zonation consisting of opaque and translucent bands on the otolith was evident. Within each opaque band a thin and clear check (ring mark) was observed in all specimens examined. Monthly change in the frequency of appearance of a ring mark on the outer margin of the otolith indicates that ring marks form between July and August. The von Bertalanffy growth model showed a sexual dimorphism in growth, as females grew faster and reached a larger size than males. The growth patterns obtained by tracking the observed total length for monthly collections showed a rapid increase in total length between August and October. Spatial variation in the growth pattern of male and female fish between northern and southern waters was evident, as southern fish were significantly larger than northern counterparts during 1.25–3.00 years post hatch.     

Weight-based virtual population analysis of Pacific cod Gadus macrocephalus off the Pacific coast of southern Hokkaido, Japan

ABSTRACT:   Age-based population assessment is widely used, but there are cases where information on age or even body length of landed fish is difficult to collect. In the present study, the biomass and fishing mortality of the southern Hokkaido stock of Pacific cod Gadus macrocephalus was estimated directly from body weight composition, using weight-based virtual population analysis, from 1994 to 2000. The estimated biomass over 1 kg body weight was 5607 t in 1994 and increased to 7908 t in 2000. The increase was explained by an increase in recruitment.     

Discrimination of nursery locations of juvenile Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus on the Pacific coast of northern Japan based on carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios

Fisheries Science - To test whether stable isotope ratios of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) can be used to understand the ecological connectivity of Japanese flounder Paralichthys...     

Characteristics of a Pacific herring Clupea pallasii spawning bed off Minedomari, Hokkaido, Japan

ABSTRACT:   The spawning bed selection of herring Clupea pallasii off Minedomari, Atsuta, on the west coast of Hokkaido, Japan, is discussed in relation to the topography of the rocky shore and wave conditions during the spawning season. From 1998 to 2003, herring have spawned their eggs mainly on the leaves of the seagrass Phyllospadix iwatensis Makino in almost the same site on the rocky shore off Minedomari in the Atsuta area. The site is connected to a valley-like feature offshore. Wave conditions were surveyed at Minedomari during the spawning season in 2000 and the wave height was estimated from 1998 to 2003, except for in 2000, using the correlation of wave height between Minedomari and Ishikari Bay New Port, approximately 18 km south-west of Minedomari. Herring spawned under calm conditions, during which the wave height was approximately 0.5 m off Atusta and Aoshima and was 0.18–1.28 m off Minedomari. The distribution of water particle velocity on the sea bottom surface as a result of ocean waves off the Minedomari area, which was estimated based on the wave height and the topography of the coast, suggested herring could swim easily into the shallower area along the valley-like feature off Minedomari. Therefore, topographical features are thought to be one of the reasons why herring have used Minedomari as a spawning bed. Additionally, seepage of freshwater from the bottom, which was observed in this area, could also be the reason why herring spawn in Minedomari repeatedly.