Induced thermotolerance and expression of heat shock protein 70 in sea cucumber <Emphasis Type="Italic">Apostichopus japonicus</Emphasis>

ABSTRACT:   Thermal limits, induced thermotolerance and the expression of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) in an echinoderm Apostichopus japonicus were studied. The sublethal and lethal temperatures for the juveniles were 30 and 34°C, respectively; a previous sublethal heat shock exposure (30°C, 2 h) could increase the survival rates of the sea cucumbers when they were exposed to 34°C. This induced thermotolerance could last for at least 2 days. Levels of Hsp70 increased substantially after sublethal heat shock exposure and linearly decreased with time. This result indicated that a close relationship existed between the induction of thermotolerance and the levels of Hsp70 in A. japonicus.     

Effects of silvering state on induced maturation and spawning in wild female Japanese eel <Emphasis Type="Italic">Anguilla japonica</Emphasis>

ABSTRACT:   The effects of silvering state of wild female Japanese eels Anguilla japonica on the success of induced maturation and the following spawning were examined. Thirty-eight females, collected in Mikawa Bay, were divided into four stages based on their silvering state: yellow (Y1), late-yellow (Y2), silver (S1) and late silver eels (S2). Despite injections of salmon pituitary extract (SPE) through the standard technique, Y1 and Y2 eels did not respond to the treatment with undeveloped gonad (gonad-somatic index [GSI]: 0.3–0.9), and all these females died by 5 weeks, probably due to an abnormal physiological condition. Most S1 (81%) and S2 eels (100%) matured completely (GSI: 17.8–51.4), and finally spawned successfully (69% for S1, 89% for S2). S2 eels fully matured with oocytes of over 750 μm in diameter by significantly smaller number of injections of SPE (5–6 times) than the case of S1 eels (6–8 times). The amount of eggs released by S2 eels (0.65 ± 0.11 g/fish per body weight [BW]) was significantly larger than those by S1 eels (0.54 ± 0.09 g/fish per BW). There was no difference in fertilization and hatching rates between eggs released by S1 eels and those of S2 eels. These results indicate that the success of induced maturation and spawning in wild female Japanese eels depends on their silvering state, and matured eggs can be obtained efficiently through the use of S2 eels rather than other stages.     

Carbonic anhydrase and Na/K-ATPase activities at different molting stages of the giant freshwater prawn <Emphasis Type="Italic">Macrobrachium rosenbergii</Emphasis>

ABSTRACT:   In the present study, the role of carbonic anhydrase (CA) and Na/K-ATPase in the gill and epidermal tissues in the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii was examined as a function of molting stage. CA activity levels in the front and back gills were low at the intermolt stage C₀, but increased significantly at premolt stage D₃, and then decreased after molting. In the epidermal tissue, activity levels decreased gradually towards premolt to a minimum level at stage D₃, but became elevated at postmolt stages A and B. Na/K-ATPase levels in the front and back gills did not change significantly during the molt cycle. CA in the gill is possibly involved in supplying counter-ions for ion uptake, while CA in the epidermal tissue may play a role in mineralizing the exoskeleton after ecdysis. Na/K-ATPase in the gills may function in ion uptake from the ambient medium; however, since its activity was not influenced by the molt cycle, it probably does not have a major role in osmoregulation in the freshwater environment.     

Direct evidence of multiple paternities in natural population of viviparous Japanese surfperch by allelic markers of microsatellite DNA loci

This study was performed to obtain information on the occurrence of multiple paternities in three species of viviparous Japanese surfperch using allelic markers of microsatellite DNA loci. Direct evidence for multiple fertilizations was established by reconstructing paternal genotypes from the progeny of gravid females. Multiple paternities were ascertained in five of 10 broods of Ditrema temmincki and in three of nine broods of Neoditrema ransonneti, but not in Ditrema viride. The number of patrilines detected in the progeny of D. temmincki and N. ransonneti females were two or three, respectively, as determined by the GERUD v2.0 algorithm for reconstructing parental genotypes from half-sib progeny arrays.     

Bioaccumulation of cadmium and its biochemical effect on selected tissues of the catfish (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Clarias gariepinus</Emphasis>)

The present study examines the pattern of accumulation of cadmium (Cd) and its biochemical effects on selected tissues of a variety of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus), after exposure to various doses of Cd. The results obtained indicate that at the end of 21 days of exposure, the total tissue organ cadmium concentration followed the pattern kidney > gill > liver > muscle for each of the exposure concentrations. The levels of Cd in these organs were higher than those in ambient water. Moreover, while the rate of uptake of Cd increased with time in the kidney, liver and muscle, it decreased in the gill. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) was significantly elevated only in the kidney of catfish treated with 0.2 and 0.4 ppm of Cd for 7 days compared with the control. Conversely, gill SOD was significantly decreased in the same concentrations of Cd-treated catfish relative to the control. Statistically similar levels of SOD were observed in the liver, brain and muscle with all the treatments after the same duration of treatment. In the fish exposed for 21 days, SOD activity was significantly decreased in the kidney with a corresponding increase in lipid peroxidation (LPO), but it manifested only with the 0.2- and 0.4-ppm Cd treatment relative to the control. In the liver, however, Cd exposure significantly increased SOD in the 0.2- and 0.4-ppm treatments of the same duration. In conclusion, the present study indicates that the accumulation of Cd and its effect on SOD and LPO in C. gariepinus is dependent on concentration, tissue and time     

Phospholipase A<Subscript>1</Subscript> activity of crude enzyme extracted from the ovaries of skipjack tuna

The phospholipid class composition, fatty acid composition and phospholipase A₁ (PLA₁) activity from the ovaries of skipjack tuna were compared with those of six other species of marine fish. In the skipjack ovaries, the lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) proportion for the phospholipid, the docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) percentage for the total fatty acids of the phospholipids and the PLA₁ activity of the crude enzyme were the highest among those of the seven species. The optimum pH and temperature for the PLA₁ activity of the crude enzyme from the skipjack ovaries were in the range of pH 6–7 and 20–30°C, respectively, and calcium ions were not required. As a substrate, phosphatidylcholine was more easily hydrolyzed than phosphatidylethanolamine by this enzyme, and the plasmalogen-type phospholipid was much lower than the acyl-type phospholipid. After a 6-h hydrolysis reaction of the purified phospholipid extracted from the mixed ovaries of skipjack and yellowfin tuna by this enzyme, the LPC ratio of the phospholipid increased from 20 to 72.6% and the percentage of DHA for the total fatty acids of the phospholipid also increased. Thus, skipjack ovaries might possibly be used as a source of PLA₁.     

Reproductive season and female maturity size of coconut crab <Emphasis Type="Italic">Birgus latro</Emphasis> on Hatoma Island,southern Japan

Information about reproductive season, size at sexual maturity and size-dependent reproductive potentials is important for efficient resource management. Such information is necessary to determine seasonal closures and minimum legal size limits. To conserve resources of coconut crab Birgus latro, which are in danger of extinction due to excessive exploitation, their reproductive season, female size at functional maturity and relationship between female size and reproductive potentials were investigated. The reproductive season started in early June and ended late August, and females with higher reproductive potentials showed a tendency to spawn early in the reproductive season. The prohibition of exploiting the resources during the reproductive season, especially early in the season, would be appropriate for sustainability of high reproductive outputs. Fifty percent of investigated females matured functionally at 24.5-mm thoracic length (TL). However, the size at which all females reached functional maturity was 32.3 mm TL, and there was a wide variation in the size of functional maturity among individuals. We must determine minimum legal size by taking the variation into account to allow all individuals to mate at least once before they are caught, which may prevent serious depression in reproductive rate and genetic diversity.     

Specific dynamic action in two body size groups of the southern catfish (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Silurus meridionalis</Emphasis>) fed diets differing in carbohydrate and lipid contents

Specific dynamic action (SDA), the energy costs associated with meal digestion and assimilation, is generally affected by body size and food composition. We assessed the postprandial metabolic response and calculated SDA in two size groups of the southern catfish (Silurus meridionalis), each fed one of two diets, high lipid or high carbohydrate, at a meal size of 4% the body mass. Using a continuous-flow respirometer, we determined the oxygen consumption rate at 2-h intervals until the postprandial oxygen consumption rate returned to the prefeeding level. None of the parameters (resting metabolic rate, Rpeak, factorial ratio, time-to-peak, duration, energy expended on SDA, or SDA coefficient) were significantly affected by diet nor was there an interaction between diet and body mass. Rpeak and energy expended on SDA for the whole fish body were significantly higher in the larger fish than the smaller one in both dietary treatments, whereas no significant effect of body size was found in mass specific values. Factorial ratio (range 3.41 to 3.60), peak time (range 9.6 to 12.7 h), SDA coefficient (range 9.36 to 10.36%), and SDA duration (range 62.0 to 71.0 h) did not significantly differ between body size groups. These results suggest that in S. meridionalis the percentage of assimilated energy allocated to SDA may be independent of the body mass.     

Evaluation of three phytoplankton species as food for the pearl oyster <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinctada fucata</Emphasis>

In the pearl cultivation farms of the Ehime Prefecture, Japan, mass mortalities of the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata have occurred since 1994. The occurrences of mass mortality roughly coincided with a shift of the dominant phytoplankton from Skeletonema and Chaetoceros to Chaetoceros and Nitzschia all of which belong to Bacillariophyceae. Hence, we evaluated Nitzschia, together with Chaetoceros and Isocrysis, as food for the oyster. Wet weights, lengths, widths, glycogen contents, and growth rates in terms of wet weight of the oysters in all the feeding treatments were significantly higher than those in the non-feeding treatment. The highest glycogen content (2.34%) and growth rate (2.21 g month⁻¹) were found in the Chaetoceros treatment. Growth rate in the Isocrysis treatment (1.63 g month⁻¹) was also high, although glycogen content in this treatment (0.41%) was low. In the Nitzschia treatment, growth rate of the oyster (0.94 g month⁻¹) was the lowest and glycogen content (0.83%) was also low relative to that in the Chaetoceros treatment. Chlorophyll a concentration in fecal pellets was lowest in the Nitzschia treatment (<2.7 μg mg⁻¹), suggesting more complete digestion of Nitzschia by the oyster. Thus, Nitzschia was edible and digestible but not assimilated by P. fucata. We propose the following scenario for the relationship between Nitzschia dominance and mass mortality. When Nitzschia dominates in a culture area, the physiological condition of P. fucata deteriorates due to low assimilation of Nitzschia by the oyster, followed by susceptibility of the oyster to infection by agents lethal to the oyster.