Influence of water quality and temperature on adhesion of high and low virulence Flavobacterium columnare strains to isolated gill arches

The ability of Flavobacterium columnare ( Flexibacter columnaris ) to attach to the gills of common carp, Cyprinus carpio L., was evaluated using a gill perfusion model. A comparison between a high and a low virulence strain of F. columnare was made and evaluated in comparison to results obtained previously with an in vivo model. The ion composition of the water of the organ bath in which the gills were suspended was varied and the influence on adhesion processes assessed. Experiments were carried out to examine the influence of water quality (i.e. nitrite and organic matter) and temperature on the capacity of the bacteria to adhere. It was found that the high virulence strain adhered more readily than the low virulence strain, as was found during the in vivo experiments. Moreover, it was observed that adhesion of the high virulence strain was enhanced by a number of factors. These were immersion of the gill in bivalent, ion-rich water, the presence of nitrite or organic matter, and high temperatures.     

Histological alterations in gills of shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei in low‐salinity waters under different stocking densities: Potential relationship with nitrogen compounds

Two experimental modules with different stocking densities (M1 = 70 and M2 = 120 shrimp /m²) were examined weekly over a culture cycle in tanks with low‐salinity water (1.9 g/L) and zero water exchange. Results showed survival rates of 87.7 and 11.9% in M1 and M2, respectively. Water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity and chlorophyll a were not significantly (p > .05) different between modules. In contrast, the concentrations of nitrogen compounds were significantly (p < .05) different between modules, except nitrite‐N (M2 were 2.31 ± 1.38 mg/L N‐TAN, 0.18 ± 0.49 mg/L N‐NO₂^? and 6.83 ± 6.52 mg/L N‐NO₃^?; in M1: 0.97 ± 0.73 mg/L N‐TAN, 0.05 ± 0.21 mg/L N‐NO₂^? and 0.63 ± 0.70 mg/L N‐NO₃^?). When waters of both modules reached higher levels of ammonia and nitrite, histological alterations were observed in gills. The histological alterations index (HAI) was higher in M2 (5‐112) than in M1 (2‐22).     

Tailoring codend mesh size to improve the size selectivity of undifferentiated trawl species

Tiger flathead, Neoplatycephalus richardsoni (Castelnau), and sand flathead, Platycephalus bassensis Cuvier, are undifferentiated and managed with a common legal minimum length (LML). The Commonwealth Trawl Sector (CTS) and the Tasmanian Danish‐seine fishery (TDSF) use a minimum codend mesh sizes of 90 and 70 mm, respectively. The codend mesh size should be tailored to the LML, which is based on the length of first maturity of females (M₅₀). This study found the length–girth relationship of N. richardsoni and P. bassensis was not significantly different. Using the covered codend method, these two species had 50% retention lengths (L₅₀) of 294 ± 2 and 307 ± 3 mm, in 70‐mm and 90‐mm codends, respectively. L₅₀ estimates for mesh sizes from this study and others produced a curvilinear relationship: y = 120 ln(x) ? 214, with an r² of 0.8504. The size at maturity (M₅₀) for female N. richardsoni was 337 mm, which is larger than the estimate for female P. bassensis (247 mm). There is a mismatch between the estimates of L_50, the estimates of M₅₀ and the LMLs in each fishery, leading to suboptimal exploitation of female Platycephalus. The model produced in this paper recommends a codend mesh size of 98 mm for both fisheries to exploit Platycephalus species sustainably.     

Effects of varying dietary compositions using common feed ingredients on growth and feed efficiency of pond‐raised channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque)

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate various ingredient combinations in a 28% or 32% protein diet for optimum performance of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus. All diets contained soybean meal and corn, but with or without cottonseed meal, wheat middlings or fish meal (FM). Channel catfish fingerlings were stocked into 0.04 ha earthen ponds at 18 530 fish ha^?1. Fish were fed one of eight diets once daily to apparent satiation for two growing seasons. Results demonstrated that the dietary ingredient composition used had significant effects on fish performance, but magnitude of differences was relatively small. Overall, diets containing FM resulted in greater weight gain (Experiments 1 and 2) and lower feed conversion ratio (Experiment 1) than fish fed all‐plant diets. However, certain combinations of plant ingredients provided the similar fish growth as some diets containing FM. There were no significant differences in weight gain between fish fed soybean meal–corn or soybean meal–corn–wheat middlings‐based diets with cottonseed meal or FM. The use of wheat middlings in the diet had no significant effects on fish production characteristics.     

Preliminary study to evaluate the effects of dietary bile acids on growth performance and lipid metabolism of juvenile genetically improved farmed tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fed plant ingredient‐based diets

A 9‐week feeding experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary bile acids (BAs) on juvenile genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT) (Oreochromis niloticus) based on the evaluations of growth performance and parameters relevant to lipid metabolism. Each of five vegetable protein‐based diets containing BAs at a level of 0, 0.05, 0.15, 0.45 or 1.35 g/kg diet was fed to three replicates with 40 fish (8.2 g per fish). The results showed that weight gain (WG) increased significantly with the increase in BAs from 0 to 0.15 g/kg diet and then decreased significantly at a higher BA supplementation. Dietary BAs significantly reduced the crude lipid content in the whole body, muscle and liver tissue of GIFT. Fish fed diet with 1.35 g BAs/kg diet developed serious nuclear migration and vacuolization in hepatocytes. Gall bladder appeared to contain white solid and has fragile capsules. Dietary BA supplementation had significant effects on serum biochemical indices and activities of lipid metabolism enzymes in liver and intestine. In conclusion, dietary bile acid supplementation (0.15 g/kg) can facilitate the lipid metabolism and therefore promote the growth of tilapia. However, overdosed dietary BAs induced gallstone development, disrupted lipid metabolism and depressed the growth performances of GIFT.     

Bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) vertical movements in the Azores Islands determined with pop-up satellite archival tags

Movement patterns of 17 bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) near the Azores Islands were analyzed between April and May 2001 and 2002 using pop‐up satellite archival tags. Despite short attachment durations (1 to 21 days, 8.2 days on average), their vertical movements revealed much shallower distribution of bigeye tuna in comparison with previous studies in the tropical Pacific and tropical Atlantic. Depth and temperature histograms were unimodal, although overall depth distribution during the day was deeper than during the night due to daily incursions in deeper waters. Although generalized additive models showed significant non‐linear relationships with weight of the fish and sea level anomaly (as a proxy for variability of thermocline depth), the effect of these variables on bigeye depth appeared minor, suggesting that vertical movements of bigeye in the Azores during the spring migration may be influenced by food availability in upper water layers.     

Effect of Artificial Diets on Growth,Survival and Condition of Adult Cuttlefish, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sepia officinalis</Emphasis> Linnaeus, 1758

The effects of artificial diets on growth and body condition of adult cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis were tested in two experiments. Supplemented prepared diets (fish myofibrillar protein concentrate) were fed during a 30-day and a 21-day experiments. Growth, feeding rate and food conversion of group-reared cuttlefish were analyzed. The first of these experiments tested four artificial diets, made with increasing levels of lysine, on adult cuttlefish. According to the chemical analysis, diets 1–3 had limiting concentrations of lysine and other essential amino acids (compared to mantle composition of the cuttlefish), while diet 4 was the only one where almost all essential amino acids were present in concentrations similar or higher than the ones present in cuttlefish mantle. A second experiment was conducted by isolating 16 adult cuttlefish individually, and feeding them the same four artificial diets, in order to obtain individual data. During Experiment 1, only the diet with the best chemical score (diet 4) produced growth (p < 0.05), with a mean instantaneous growth rate (MIGR) of 0.30% wet body weight (BW) d⁻¹. Similarly, individually reared cuttlefish fed diet 4 produced the highest IGR’s (0.26, 0.38 and 0.48% BW d⁻¹) and grew larger (p < 0.01). Comparison of cuttlefish fed the artificial diets vs. thawed shrimp and unfed cuttlefish indicated that cuttlefish fed the artificial diets were in an intermediate state. Growth rates obtained with the artificial diets (<0.4% BW d⁻¹) were considerably lower compared to natural prey, live or frozen, reported by other authors.     

Growth and production of the Amazonian tambaqui in fixed cages under different feeding regimes

Experimental culture of the native Amazonian fish tambaqui, Colossoma macropomum, in fixed cages was carried out over a period of 8 months, in Lake Urubu (Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil), to assess the viability of fixed cage culture of tambaqui and to test the influence of diet on growth rates. Nine synthetic net cages (1 m³) were each stocked with 45-day-old fish (mean weight 3 g; mean total body length 51 mm) at a density of 34 fry m^–3. During the first 2 months of culture, fish were fed a balanced formulated feed on an as-fed basis at the rate of 5% body weight day^–1. During months 3–8 this continued for fish in treatment 1 while those in treatment 2 were fed tropical regional fruits, on a wet weight basis at the rate of 5% body wt day^–1. Fish in treatment 3 were given no supplementary feed. Monthly biometric measurements were made on all fish. Fixed cage fish culture was shown to be a viable and simple technique. Survival in all treatments was 100%. With balanced supplementary feed, production was 14.4 kg m^–3, compared with 4.9 kg m^–3 and 2.1 kg m^–3, respectively, in the treatments where fish were fed with fruits and were not given any supplementary feed.     

Characterization and Film-Forming Properties of Gelatins from Whitemouth Croaker (Micropogonias furnieri) Skin and Bones

The Whitemouth croaker (Micropogonias furnieri), due to its abundance, is considered one of the most traditional and important species fished in the coastal waters and estuaries of South America. The aim of this work was to produce biopolymeric films of gelatins obtained from skin and bones of Whitemouth croaker. The fish gelatins were characterized through the yield, chemical composition, physiochemical, and rheological properties. The films were characterized by tensile strength (TS), elongation at break (EAB), water vapor permeability (WVP), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and optical properties. The values of protein yield, hydroxyproline content, gel strength, melting temperature, gelling temperature, and viscosity of the skin gelatin were higher than the values of the bone gelatin. The films obtained of skin gelatin showed all properties and thermal analysis superior in relation to the films of bone gelatin; this can be justified by the best physicochemical and rheological characteristics of the skin gelatin.     

Molecular characterization of microalgae used in aquaculture with biotechnology potential

Microalgae are the main component of first tropic level in aquatic food chain; it is for this reason that they are used as food in aquaculture. Also due to its biotechnological potential properties, they are used in the production of diverse components, dyes, antioxidants, enzymes, emulsifiers, etc. The extended ways of microalgae applications require physiologically and genetically stable cultures as well as correctly identified organisms to guarantee reproducibility and reliability. But the variety of species and the morphological similarity between some of them make difficult the identification of some microalgae. The use of molecular markers has supplied a very useful tool for identification of microalgae in fast mode, such as in classification. The present study has worked on the molecular characterization of main species of microalgae used in aquaculture in base of the molecular markers 18S rRNA and 16S rRNA. Microalgae DNA has been amplified and sequenced, and the resultant sequences were analyzed and reflected in phylogenetic trees. The phylogenetic analyses obtained reflect as both molecular markers allow to differentiate the main genus used in aquaculture.