Do swimming fish always grow fast? Investigating the magnitude and physiological basis of exercise-induced growth in juvenile New Zealand yellowtail kingfish, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Seriola lalandi</Emphasis>

There is a wealth of evidence showing that a moderate level of non-stop exercise improves the growth and feed conversion of many active fishes. A diverse number of active fish are currently being farmed, and an optimal level of exercise may feasibly improve the production efficiency of these species in intensive culture systems. Our experiments have set out to resolve the growth benefits of juvenile New Zealand yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) enforced to swim in currents at various speeds over two temperatures (14.9 and 21.1°C). We also probed potential sources of physiological efficiency in an attempt to resolve how growth is enhanced at a time of high energetic expenditure. Results show that long-term exercise yields a 10% increase in growth but this occurs in surprisingly low flows (0.75 BL s⁻¹) and only under favourable environmental temperatures (21.1°C). Experiments using a swim flume respirometer indicate that exercise training has no effect on metabolic scope or critical swimming speeds but it does improve swimming efficiency (lower gross costs of transport, GCOT). Such efficiency may potentially help reconcile the costs of growth and exercise within the range of available metabolic energy (scope). With growth boosted in surprisingly low flows and elevated water temperatures only, further investigations are required to understand the bioenergetics and partitioning of costs in the New Zealand yellowtail kingfish.     

Branchial structure and hydromineral equilibrium in juvenile turbot (S<Emphasis Type="Italic">cophthalmus maximus)</Emphasis> exposed to heavy fuel oil

This study is an attempt to go further in the comprehension of the effects of heavy fuel oil in the context of an accidental oil spill at sea. It focuses on the link between morphological and functional impacts of realistic doses of the dissolved fraction of a heavy fuel oil on fish gills. Juvenile turbot, Scophthalmus maximus were exposed to the dissolved fraction of a heavy fuel oil for 5 days and then placed 30 days in clean sea water for recovery. During the contamination period, the concentration of the 16 US EPA priority poly-aromatic hydrocarbons showed small variations around a mean value of 321.0 ± 9.1 ng l⁻¹ (mean ± SEM). The contamination induced a 64% increase in hepatic cytochrome P 450 1A (Western blot analysis). Osmolality, [Na⁺] and [Cl⁻] rapidly and significantly increased (by 14, 23 and 28% respectively) and slowly decreased to normal levels during the recovery period. At the same time, branchial histology showed decreases in the number of mucocytes (by 30%) and of chloride cells (by 95%) in the interlamellar epithelium. Therefore, it is suggested that the osmotic imbalance observed after the 5 days of exposure to the dissolved fraction of the heavy fuel oil is the consequence of the structural alteration of the gills i.e, the strong reduction of ionocyte numbers.     

EMG telemetry studies on upstream migration of chum salmon in the Toyohira river,Hokkaido, Japan

The movements of 28 adult chum salmon, Oncorhynchus keta (Walbaum) tagged with electromyogram (EMG) transmitters were tracked along the Toyohira river, Hokkaido, Japan, in October of 2007 and 2008 to investigate and evaluate the upstream migratory behavior through the protection bed and fishway of ground sills. The approach time of fish that ascended successfully through the protection bed and fishway was shorter than that of unsuccessful fish. The unsuccessful fish were observed to swim in currents with high water velocity and shallow water depth at swimming speeds that exceeded their critical swimming speed (U _crit) during the approach to these structures. In consequence, unsuccessful fish frequently alternated between burst and maximum sustained speeds without ever ascending the fishway, and eventually became exhausted. It is important that fishway are constructed to enable chum salmon to find a passage way easily, so that they can migrate upstream rapidly without wasting excessive energy.     

Effects of weaning age and diets on ontogeny of digestive activities and structures of pikeperch (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sander lucioperca</Emphasis>) larvae

Growth and ontogeny of digestive function were studied in pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) larvae weaned on artificial food at different ages. Three weaning treatments initiated respectively on day 9 (W9), day 15 (W15) or day 21 (W21) post-hatching (p.h.) were compared with a control group, fed Artemia nauplii from first feeding until the end of the rearing trial on day 36 p.h. The digestive enzyme activities and the ontogeny of digestive structures were investigated using enzymatic assays and histological methods. Growth of pikeperch larvae was significantly affected by precocious weaning. Pancreatic (trypsin and amylase) and intestinal (leucine-alanine peptidase, leucine aminopeptidase N and alkaline phosphatase) enzyme activities were detected from hatching onwards, increased at the moment of first feeding and then decreased. Pepsin secretion occurred at day 29 p. h. only, concurrently with the stomach development and differentiation of gastric glands. In the early weaning group (W9) the maturation process of intestinal enterocytes seems to be impaired and/or delayed and several signs of malnutrition were recorded. Except for alkaline phosphatase activity, no differences in enzyme activities and development of digestive structures were observed among the control, W21, and W15 groups. Moreover, at the end of the experiment, no differences in proteolytic activities were observed among larvae from the different treatments, indicating that, in surviving individuals, the digestive structures were properly developed and the larvae had acquired an adult mode of digestion. Based on the artificial diet used, our results suggested that pikeperch larvae can be weaned from day 15 p.h. without significant adverse effect on digestive capacities (except for alkaline phosphatase) or development of digestive tract, while earlier weaning impaired the onset of the maturation processes of the digestive system, both in terms of morphological structures and enzymatic activities.     

Paralytic shellfish poison as an attractant for toxic snails

The attracting effect of paralytic shell poison (PSP) on eight toxic snail species (Polinices didyma, Natica lineata, N. vitellus, Zeuxis sufflatus, Niotha clathrata, Oliva miniacea, O. mustelina, O. hirasei) and two non-toxic species (Pomacea canaliculata, Satsuma bairdi) was investigated. Eight toxic species were reported to contain tetrodotoxin, and three out of these contained minor PSP. The minimum lethal dose of PSP in most toxic gastropods was estimated to be more than 150 MU PSP/20 g body weight, but in non-toxic gastropods was less than 15 MU PSP/20 g body weight. After the attracting test, all toxic gastropods showed significant positive linear relationship (Y=3.716X+0.363, r=0.8427) between comparative attracting variation and the toxicity reported. The relationship between PSP resistance ability and the toxicity also had a positive correlation (Y=0.91X+210.090, r=0.6803). However, the non-toxic species showed a negative response. This indicates that PSP is an attractant for toxic snails.     

Density effects on length at maturity of walleye pollock <Emphasis Type="Italic">Theragra chalcogramma</Emphasis> off the pacific coast of northern Japan in the 1990s

To determine how stock abundance fluctuations of walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma are related to variations in reproductive characteristics, the length at 50% maturity of the fish sampled off the Pacific coast of northern Japan from 1990 to 1999 was examined. In both sexes, the fish density increased, and the body length of age-3-5 fish decreased, but the condition factor and the age at 50% maturity showed no clear trend during this period. Male length at 50% maturity decreased, while value for females showed no clear trend. In both sexes, significant negative correlations were found between density index (combined age-3-5) and each body length at age-3-5. Significant positive correlations were seen between each body length at age-3-5 and length at 50% maturity in males. Positive correlation between body length at age-5 and length at 50% maturity was significant in females from 1990 to 1999, except for the samples in 1998. We suggest that the fish density might affect the length at maturity in males and possibly also in females.     

Identification of a telomere sequence type in three sponge species (Porifera) by fluorescence <Emphasis Type="Italic">in situ</Emphasis> hybridization analysis

The telomere sequence type (TTAGGG)_n is known to be distributed in various phyla in the Animalia and in Mastigophora (Protista). However, the telomere type of Porifera (sponges), a phylum comprising the lowest multicellular animals, has not been reported. In this study, we examined the three sponge species Leucetta chagosensis, Halichondria japonica, and Halichondria panicea for the presence of the telomere type (TTAGGG)_n by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The oligonucleotide probe (TTAGGG)₇ clearly displayed signals on the interphase nuclei of all three sponges. In contrast, the (TTAGG)₇ probe, which has one base fewer than (TTAGGG)₇, did not display the signals. These results suggest that the telomeres of the three sponges consist of (TTAGGG)_n, which is identical to the sequence type found in many higher multicellular animals and in Mastigophora. Additionally, this is the first study to reveal a telomere sequence type for Porifera. Moreover, these results suggest that Porifera are phylogenetically related to Mastigophora, and supports the general theory that Porifera evolved from Mastigophora. Further, this study strongly suggests that the origin of the (TTAGGG)_n telomere sequence is to be found in a common ancestor of either the Bilateria and Porifera, or the Protista.     

Influences of feeding frequency of extruded pellet and moist pellet on growth and body composition of juvenile Japanese flounder <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paralichthys olivaceus</Emphasis> in suboptimal water temperatures

This study was carried out to investigate the influences of feeding frequency of extruded pellet and moist pellet on growth and body composition of juvenile flounder (initial mean weight 6.3 g) in sub optimal water temperatures. A 2 (diets: extruded pellet and moist pellet)×2 (feeding frequencies: two and three times daily)×2 (water temperatures: 12 and 17°C) factorial design with three replications was used. After 60 days of feeding, the feeding frequency did not significantly affect growth performance of fish. Weight gain, daily feed intake, feed efficiency and protein efficiency ratio were significantly (P<0.05) higher for fish reared at the higher water temperature. At the same water temperature, weight gain, feed efficiency, and protein efficiency ratio were significantly (P<0.05) higher for fish fed the extruded pellet than moist pellet. The results of this study indicate that feeding frequency of two times daily is sufficient for optimal growth of juvenile flounder when reared in suboptimal water temperatures, and an increase in water temperature from 12 to 17°C improved growth and feed efficiency.     

Validation of multi-frequency inversion method by using dummy scatterers of zooplankton

ABSTRACT:   High- and multi-frequency acoustic measurement systems and the multi-frequency inversion (MFI) method have been used to measure spatial distributions and abundances of zooplankton by size. In this study, the calibration method for high- and multi-frequency systems was developed and the validation of MFI method was carried out by scatterer measurement. The standard sphere calibration method that has not been applied to such high- and multi-frequencies was applied to calibrate our high- and multi-frequency system, TAPS-6 (Tracor Acoustic Profiling System, BAE Systems). An optimum size of standard sphere of tungsten carbide of 1 mm radius was derived to have a small target strength variation for the six frequencies of TAPS-6, and the practicability and precision of the standard sphere calibration method was confirmed for those frequencies. A school or cluster of dummy scatterers of zooplankton with small tungsten carbide spheres were designed to validate the MFI method, and volume back-scattering strength values were measured by the multi-frequency system. By comparing the result of the inversion with their real composition, the features of the MFI method could be validated and examined.