Sponge‐fishing,disease and farming in the Mediterranean Sea

1. Some Mediterranean sponge species belonging to the genera Spongia and Hippospongia, have been harvested for commercial purposes since ancient times. Recently, a widespread epidemic has greatly reduced the density of sponge populations which has had serious repercussions in the commercial field. 2. The synergetic action of harvesting and disease has taken a number of populations to the brink of extinction. Sponge‐population densities are steadily decreasing and their recovery after the disease event is incomplete and has taken a long time. 3. There is a simple solution to the problem: sponge‐farming. Trials have been underway since the beginning of the century and recently, Cuba, the Philippines and Micronesia Islands have started commercial sponge‐farming. 4. Sponges are naturally able to remove dissolved organic matter, organic particles and bacteria from the water‐column and this ability could be exploited in an integrated mariculture system. Floating cages for fish production result in the release of a lot of organic wastes that can be used as a source of food for surrounding intensive commercial sponge communities. Such an integrated system could result in effective eutrophication control, commercial sponge production and a consequent reduction of fishing effort on already heavily‐stressed natural sponge populations. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Total population density during the first year of life as a major determinant of lifetime body‐length trajectory in marble trout

Abstract – The conditions experienced early in life can strongly influence life‐history trajectories in a variety of animal species. Here, we use data from four isolated populations of the endangered stream‐dwelling salmonid marble trout (Salmo marmoratus Cuvier 1817) living in the Soca and Idrijca river basins (Slovenia) to explore the influence of the total density experienced during and after the first year of life by marble trout year‐classes on body length of marble trout through the lifetime. Analyses were performed by pooling together the stream‐specific datasets to cover a wider range of densities. Mean body length of marble trout year‐classes through the lifetime (from age 1+ to 5+) was negatively related to total density of marble trout during the first year of life. The relationship between density during the first growth period and body length through the lifetime was well described by negative power curves. Total population density after the first year of life was not correlated with body length, thus suggesting that body growth trajectories are heavily determined early in life. Given size‐dependent sexual maturity and egg production in marble trout, the relationship between density early in life and lifetime individual growth may have strong implications in terms of population dynamics and regulation of population size.     

Genetic variation and population structure of the caramote prawn Penaeus kerathurus (Forskäl) from the eastern and western Mediterranean coasts in Tunisia

Ten populations of Penaeus kerathurus (Forskäl), a prawn of high commercial value, were sampled from the eastern and western Mediterranean coastal waters of Tunisia and screened electrophoretically for genetic variation at 13 allozyme loci. Four among the six polymorphic loci were out of Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (H–WE) in at least one population. In the same way, the multilocus test showed deviation from H–WE in six populations. These populations showed heterozygote deficiency whereas the average heterozygosity for the four remaining ones is quite similar to the expected levels. Genetic variability was low. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 1.2 to 1.5 (average=1.3), and the observed heterozygosity varied between 0.010 and 0.048 (average=0.021). Significant population differentiation (F_ST=0.076, P<0.05) in the total data set reflected the differentiation of the two populations, which were at the margins of the range sampled, from all the others (Pairwise F_ST values ranged from 0.035 to 0.208). Although there was no significant differentiation among the other populations (pairwise F_ST values ranged from ?0.006 to 0.201, P>0.05). Our data suggest a population structure consistent with separation by Mediterranean Sea basins that might reflect different local biogeographical zones.     

Observation of virus particles in the spleen, kidney, gills and erythrocytes of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., during a disease outbreak with high mortality

An annual disease problem with high levels of mortality in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., on a freshwater farm was investigated. In 2000, mortalities began early in October and peaked in December, being unevenly distributed between tanks. Histopathological changes included severe hyperplasia of gill epithelium, with fusion of secondary lamellae, and extensive necrosis of the haematopoietic centres in the kidney and spleen, the latter being consistent with a diagnosis of phagocytolytic syndrome (PCLS). Moribund fish were anaemic, with multiple, circular basophilic inclusion bodies, 1–2 μm in diameter and suggestive of erythrocytic inclusion body syndrome (EIBS), being observed on blood smears. Thin section electron microscopy (EM) revealed primarily membrane-bound aggregates of non-enveloped virus particles (73 ± 7 nm) with an electron dense core (35 ± 3 nm) in spleen, kidney and gill tissue and the erythrocytes therein. These particles had morphology and distribution consistent with those previously described separately for both EIBS and PCLS. Virus isolation attempts in a wide range of cell lines were unsuccessful. In the absence of suitable alternative infectious or environmental explanations, it is postulated that the aetiology was primarily viral, with possible contributory secondary environmental factors. It is further hypothesized that the agents of EIBS and PCLS may be the same or closely related viruses.     

Increased dietary protein‐to‐lipid ratio improves survival during naturally occurring pancreas disease in Atlantic salmon,Salmo salar L.

This study demonstrated that increased dietary protein‐to‐lipid ratio (P/L‐ratio) improved survival of farmed Atlantic salmon naturally affected by pancreas disease (PD). In addition to diet, body weight (BW) and delousing mortality prior to the PD outbreak also contributed significantly (p < 0.05) to explain the observed variation in PD‐associated mortality. Subsequent to the PD outbreak, large amount of fish failed to grow and caused thin fish with poor condition (runts). At the end of the trial, significantly (p < 0.05) lower amounts of runt fish and increased amount of superior graded fish where detected among fish fed increased P/L‐ratio and within the fish with the largest BWs prior to PD. Diet, BW and delousing mortality contributed significantly (p < 0.05) to explain the variation in the amount of superior graded fish, whereas BW and diet explained the variation in the amount of runt fish. A significant (p < 0.01) negative linear relationship was observed between the amount of superior graded fish and the total mortality, whereas a positive linear relationship was detected between percentage of fillets with melanin and the total mortality. Thus, increased dietary P/L‐ratio seem to reduce the mortality and impaired slaughter quality associated with PD.