Relationship between soak time and number of enmeshed animals in experimentally lost gill nets

In order to determine the effects of ghost fishing by lost gill nets, the relationship was examined between soak time and number of enmeshed animals in experimentally lost gill nets by using diving observations. Two experimental gill nets were set at 13 m depth in Tateyama Bay, Chiba Prefecture, Japan for approximately 200 days. One gill net was deployed in a small trough surrounded by artificial reefs, and the other was deployed on an adjacent open sandy bed. Twelve species of crustaceans, six species of gastropods, and five species of bony fish were enmeshed in the experimental gill nets. The number of enmeshed animals in the artificial reef gill net was substantially larger than that in the sandy bed gill net. The number of enmeshed animals in the experimental gill nets increased rapidly within one month after deployment, and then declined gradually showing fluctuations caused by the decrease in newly enmeshed animals, and the drop off from gill nets caused by the decomposition of dead animals. The decrease in the number of enmeshed animals was expressed by logarithmic equations, and based on these equations, the duration of capture function for the lost gill nets was calculated to be 284–561 days in the artificial reef gill net and 200 days in the sandy bed gill net. The duration of capture function for the lost gill nets for non-commercial by-catch species such as small crustaceans and gastropods was longer than for commercial species such as Japanese spiny lobster and bony fish.     

Effects of genetically modified and non‐genetically modified soybeans with different heat treatments on growth and health of Cyprinidae species with different feeding habits

An 8‐week growth trial was conducted to investigate the effects of non‐genetically modified (nGM) soybean (Youchun 06‐1) and genetically modified (GM) soybean (Roundup Ready^®) with and without a heat treatment on the growth and health of three Cyprinidae species with different feeding habits (grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idellus, gibel carp Carassius auratus gibelio, and black carp Mylopharyngodon piceus; body weight: 283.0 ± 2.0 g, 60.5 ± 0.7 g, and 261.4 ± 3.1 g). Five diets (FM, nGMS, hnGMS, GMS, and hGMS) were made with fishmeal and full‐fat soybean (Youchun 06‐1, heat‐treated Youchun 06‐1, Roundup Ready^®, and heat‐treated Roundup Ready^®). The FM diet contained fishmeal as the sole protein source. The experimental diets contained full‐fat soybean meal as 60% of dietary protein. Both temperature (60, 80, 100, and 120°C) and duration (1 and 2 hr) of heating influenced trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA) and protein solubility of nGM soybean and GM soybean. The TIA in GM soybean was higher than that in nGM soybean. After heating at 120°C for 2 hr, each amino acid of soybean treatment showed a slight decline. Neither source of soybean nor heat treatment affected the growth performance, feed utilization, chemical composition of the whole fish body and muscle, and lipase or amylase activity of the three Cyprinidae species (p > 0.05). Heat treatment of soybean meal slightly increased the plasma antioxidant capacity of the three fish and plasma cholecystokinin of black carp and grass carp. The unheated soybean treatment adversely affected the height and density of black carp intestinal villi, and all the soybean treatments caused disruption of the grass carp intestinal epithelium.     

Generation and characterization of aptamers against grass carp reovirus infection for the development of rapid detection assay

Grass carp reovirus (GCRV) causes devastating viral haemorrhagic disease in farmed grass carp (Ctenopharyngon idellus). As novel molecular probes, aptamers have been widely applied in rapid diagnosis and efficient therapies against virus or diseases. In this study, three single‐stranded DNA (ssDNA) aptamers were selected against GCRV‐infected CIK cells via SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment technology). Secondary structures predicted by MFOLD indicated that aptamers formed stem‐loop structures, and GVI‐11 had the lowest ΔG value of ?30.84 KJ/mol. Three aptamers could specifically recognize GCRV‐infected CIK cells, with calculated dissociation constants (Kd) of 220.86, 176.63 and 278.66 nM for aptamers GVI‐1, GVI‐7 and GVI‐11, respectively, which indicated that they could serve as specific delivery system for antiviral therapies. The targets of aptamers GVI‐1, GVI‐7 and GVI‐11 on the surface of GCRV‐infected cells could be membrane proteins, which were trypsin‐sensitive. Furthermore, FAM‐labelled aptamer GVI‐7 could be applied to detect GCRV infection in vivo. It is the first time to generate and characterize aptamers against GCRV‐infected cells. These aptamers have great potentials in development of rapid diagnosis technology and antiviral agents against GCRV infection in aquaculture.     

Effects of dietary lipid level on growth performance,body composition and digestive enzymes activity of juvenile sea cucumber,Apostichopus japonicus

A feeding trial aimed to determine the effects of dietary lipid level on growth performance, body composition and digestive enzymes activity of juvenile sea cucumber, Apostichopus japonicus. Diets with six crude lipid levels (1.9, 13.8, 29.1, 43.6, 59.6 and 71.6 g kg^?1) were fed to sea cucumbers (initial weights 0.65 ± 0.01 g) at a density of 30 juveniles, once a day. After 60 days, body weight gain (BWG), specific growth rate (SGR), feed intake (FI) and protein efficiency ratio (PER) decreased with increasing dietary lipid levels. The sea cucumbers fed 1.9 g kg^?1 crude lipid showed significantly higher (P < 0.05) BWG than those of the sea cucumbers fed 59.6 and 71.6 g kg^?1 crude lipid. Intestinal protease and lipase activities generally increased with increasing dietary lipid levels. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) content of body walls generally increased with increasing dietary lipid levels. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content of body walls reached the maximum value at a dietary lipid level of 13.8 g kg^?1. N‐3 highly unsaturated fatty acid content followed the same pattern of DHA. According to the growth performance and body composition of sea cucumbers, it can be indicated that the optimum dietary lipid level for juvenile sea cucumbers is between 1.9 and 13.8 g kg^?1.     

Universal PCR primers for ribosomal protein gene introns of fish

Human ribosomal protein (RP) gene sequences with respect to intron/exon structures and corresponding cDNA or genomic data of fish species were obtained from the GenBank database. Based on conserved exon sequences, 128 primer pairs for 41 genes were designed for exon-primed intron-crossing (EPIC) polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In reference to the draft genome sequences of the Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis), 12 primer pairs expected to amplify introns of the bluefin tuna with lengths of 500–1000 bp were selected and applied to six distantly related fish species belonging to the Orders Clupeiformes, Tetraodontiformes, Pleuronectiformes, Perciformes, Scorpaeniformes, and Anguilliformes. PCR amplification was observed for at least four species in each primer pair, and all fragments were larger than those expected for intronless amplification. Single fragment amplification was observed for at least seven primer pairs per species. Fragment sizes of the bluefin tuna for nine primer pairs corresponded to those expected from the genomic data. Thus, our primer pairs are potentially applicable to a wide variety of fish species and serve as an initial step for isolating single-copy nuclear DNA sequences.     

白鲢出血病病原菌的鉴定

从患出血病的白鲢体内分离出两株细菌(编号为水_1、水_2),分别感染健康白鲢,人工复制白鲢出血病获得成功。对这两株细菌进行形态、营养需求、生长特性、以及生化反应等观察,作者认为,水_1菌为产碱假单胞菌(Pseudomonas alcaligenes);水_2菌为嗜水气单胞菌(Aeromonas hydrophila)。前者隶属于假单胞菌科(Pseudomonaceae),后者隶属于孤菌科(Vibrionaceae)。     

Validation of Xanthophyll Levels in Catfish Fillets Using Digital Photography

Catfish fillets with yellow coloration have become a prevalent problem for the catfish industry. This problem is due to the unacceptability in the market because the shift in fillet color is considered of lower quality by the consumers. To help the catfish industry better understand the yellow coloration of catfish fillet, a digital photography measurement method was developed to evaluate the yellowness. Sixty catfish fillets with a range of degrees of visible yellowness were taken directly from the processing line. The fillets were photographed in a light box with a digital camera. The photos were calibrated with the X-Rite ColorChecker standardized color target. CIELAB readings of the fillet photos were recorded, and the b* value was used to indicate the yellowness of catfish fillets. The xanthophyll levels of fillets were analyzed with high performance liquid chromatography. The actual xanthophyll level in catfish fillet was calculated as the sum of lutein, zeaxanthin, and alloxanthin. A linear correlation was found between the LAB b* values and xanthophyll levels of the 60 catfish fillets.     

饥饿和再投喂期间尼罗罗非鱼生长、血清生化指标和肝胰脏生长激素、类胰岛素生长因子-Ⅰ和胰岛素mRNA表达丰度的变化

在室内可控条件下,对尼罗罗非鱼[初始体质量(62.50±3.44)g]进行饥饿28d和随后再投喂21d的处理,于饥饿第0、7、14、21、28天和再投喂第14、21天进行采样分析,研究饥饿和再投喂期间尼罗罗非鱼生长、血清生化指标和肝胰脏生长激素(GH)、类胰岛素生长因子-Ⅰ(IGF-Ⅰ)和胰岛素(IN)mRNA表达丰度的变化。结果显示,与饥饿第0天相比,饥饿超过7d鱼体体质量显著降低(P<0.05),再投喂21d显著增加(P<0.05);肝体比随饥饿时间延长显著降低(P<0.05),恢复投喂后较饥饿时升高,但显著低于饥饿前水平(P<0.05)。在血清指标上,甘油三酯、血糖、碱性磷酸酶、谷草转氨酶和谷丙转氨酶均随饥饿时间延长而逐渐降低,恢复投喂后均有不同程度提高,但转氨酶活性显著低于饥饿前水平(P<0.05);饥饿和再投喂对血清总胆固醇、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇和低密度脂蛋白胆固醇无显著影响(P>0.05)。在激素方面,与饥饿第0天相比,饥饿使血清GH含量及其肝胰脏mRNA表达丰度显著升高,血清IGF-Ⅰ及其肝胰脏mRNA表达丰度降低,恢复投喂后两者均显著升高(P<0.05);INmRNA表达丰度在饥饿7~21d显著升高(P<0.05),饥饿第28天时无显著差异(P>0.05),再投喂后显著降低(P<0.05)。     

An artificial oyster‐shell reef for the culture and stock enhancement of sea cucumber,Apostichopus japonicus,in shallow seawater

Because of its high nutritional value and health benefits, aquaculture production of Apostichopus japonicus in China is the largest of any single species. Therefore, the development of new farming methods is of considerable significance. In this study, discarded oyster shells have been used to create an artificial reef for the culture of this species. The results have shown that from 6th March 2009 to 26th November 2009, the wet weight of sea cucumber increased from 49.57 ± 1.16 to 79.87 ± 1.46 g ind^?1. Between 16th July and 18th October, the specific growth rate and daily weight gain of A. japonicus differed significantly from other periods. Population density was higher within the reef compared with outside the reef area, and the difference was significant (P < 0.01). The maximum distance between A. japonicus individuals within the reef area on 3rd March and 16th July was 65.0 ± 3.3 and 62.9 ± 4.4 cm, respectively, but the difference was not significant (P > 0.05). The diatom species attached to the oyster shells were similar to those found in the stomach content of A. japonicus. In conclusion, the oyster‐shell reef provides a suitable habitat and shelter for the culture of the sea cucumber, A. japonicus.     

Replacement of fish oil with soybean oil in diets for juvenile Chinese sucker (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Myxocyprinus asiaticus</Emphasis>): effects on liver lipid peroxidation and biochemical composition

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of the replacement of fish oil (FO) by soybean oil (SO) on growth performance, liver lipid peroxidation, and biochemical composition in juvenile Chinese sucker, Myxocyprinus asiaticus. Fish (13.7 ± 0.2 g) in triplicate were fed five experimental diets in which 0% (FO as control), 40% (SO40), 60% (SO60), 80% (SO40), and 100% (SO100) FO were replaced by SO. The body weight gain of fish fed SO40, SO60, or SO80 diet was similar to FO group, but diets that have 100% soybean oil as dietary lipid significantly reduced fish growth (P < 0.05). Although the level of SO resulted in increasing crude lipid content of the liver, the level of SO did not significantly alter the hepatosomatic index (HSI). Indicators of peroxidation, such as vitamin E (V_E) and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) contents, were changed as increasing dietary SO. It was shown that the inclusion of SO in the diets increased V_E concentrations, but reduced TBARS in the liver and total cholesterol (T-CHO) in the plasma. Linoleic acid (LA) and linolenic acid (LNA) significantly increased in fish liver fed diets that contained SO, but eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and the ratio n-3/n-6 were significantly reduced by the inclusion of dietary SO (P < 0.05). Our results indicated that the inclusion of SO increased the hepatic V_E content and reduced lipid peroxidation in fish. However, diet containing 100% SO as dietary lipid could reduce growth performance. Thus, we recommended that 40–80% SO can be used as dietary lipid to replace FO for juvenile Chinese sucker.