Apparent digestibility coefficients of selected feed ingredients for juvenile snakehead,Ophiocephalus argus

Apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) of dry matter, crude protein, crude lipid, gross energy, phosphorus and amino acids in Peruvian fish meal, poultry by‐product meal, meat and bone meal, spray‐dried blood meal, hydrolysed feather meal, corn gluten meal, soybean meal, peanut meal, cottonseed meal and rapeseed meal were determined for juvenile snakehead (Ophiocephalus argus) with initial mean body weight of 78.1 g. A reference diet and test diets that consisted of a 70 : 30 mixture of the reference diet to test ingredient were used with 5 g kg^?1 Cr₂O₃ as an external indicator. Fish meal, poultry by‐product meal and corn gluten meal had higher ADCs of dry matter, crude protein, and gross energy among ingredients tested. Dry matter ADCs ranged 61.9–81.5% for animal ingredients and corn gluten meal and ranged 52.2–68.0% for soybean meal, peanut meal, cottonseed meal and rapeseed meal. Energy ADCs of ingredients followed similar trends to differences in dry matter digestibility. Protein ADCs of animal and plant ingredients ranged 73.6–92.8% and 75.3–85.6%, respectively. Amino acid ADCs generally reflected protein digestibility. Lipid ADCs were relatively high for the ingredients tested. Phosphorus ADCs of animal and plant ingredients ranged 39.5–65.2% and 38.7–57.1%, respectively.     

Movements by adult cutthroat trout in a lotic system: implications for watershed-scale management

Abstract  Movements by adult cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarkii (Richardson), were assessed from autumn to summer in the Salt River watershed, Wyoming-Idaho, USA by radio telemetry. Adult cutthroat trout were captured during September and October 2005 in the main stem of the Salt River, surgically implanted with radio transmitters, and tracked through to August 2006. Adult cutthroat trout were relatively sedentary and resided primarily in pools from October to March, but their movement rates increased during April. Higher movement rates were observed among tagged fish during May and early June. Among 43 fish residing in the Salt River during April 2006, 44% remained in the river, 37% moved into mountain tributaries and 19% moved into spring streams during the spawning season. Fish did not use segments of mountain tributaries or the upstream Salt River where fish passage was blocked by anthropogenic barriers or the channel was dewatered during summer. Almost all the fish that moved into spring streams used spring streams where pools and gravel–cobble riffles had been constructed by landowners. The results suggest that adult Snake River cutthroat move widely during May and early June to use spawning habitat in mountain tributaries and improved spring streams. Maintaining the ability of adult fish to move into mountain streams with spawning habitat, preserving spawning habitat in accessible mountain tributaries and removing barriers to upstream movements, and re-establishing summer stream flows in mountain tributaries affected by dams appear to be habitat management alternatives to preserve the Snake River cutthroat trout fishery in the Salt River.     

吉富罗非鱼生长过程中氮收支变化的研究

为充实有关鱼类研究数据,提供实际生产理论依据,研究了吉富品系尼罗罗非鱼（Oreochromis niloticus）从鱼种（18 g）生长至成鱼（180 g）过程中氮收支变化。试验为期73 d,每日饱食投喂并收集鱼粪,溶解氧质量浓度为8.0-6.0 mg·L-1,pH为 7.5-6.5,水温为24-30 ℃。在鱼均质量达到50 g、100 g和180 g时测定并计算当前生长阶段氮收支。结果表明,生长氮比例在养殖初期最高（64%）,养殖中期最低（47%）;粪氮比例在养殖中期最高（9%）,养殖初期和末期分别为5%和4%;排泄氮比例随鱼的生长而逐渐增加。此外,试验期间水中总氮增加速度在养殖中期减慢,养殖末期再次加快。     

红枣提取物对虹鳟血清指标和头肾免疫相关基因表达的影响

为了探讨添加红枣提取物对促进虹鳟(Oncorhynchus mykiss)机体健康的可能性,选取体长为7.2~8.4 cm的健康虹鳟,随机分成4个试验组,分别投喂红枣提取物添加量为0%(对照组)、0.25%、0.50%和1.00%的等氮等脂饲料,饲养56 d,养殖结束后测定12项血清生化指标和头肾的6个免疫相关基因mRNA表达量。结果显示:与对照组相比较,血清中肌酐(CREA)和尿素氮(BUN)含量三个红枣提取物组均出现极显著下降;谷丙转氨酶(GPT)活性在0.50%和1.00%组极显著下降,谷草转氨酶(GOT)活性也在0.50%和1.00%组出现了一定程度下降,但差异不显著;酸性磷酸酶(ACP)和碱性磷酸酶(AKP)活性无显著变化;总蛋白(TP)和白介素6(IL-6)含量在0.25%组出现显著增加;溶菌酶(LZM)活性三个红枣提取物组均显著升高;超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性在0.50%组极显著增加;补体4(C4)和肿瘤坏死因子(TNF-α)含量在0.25%和0.50%组均极显著增加。在头肾中,与对照组相比,SOD、白介素1β(IL-1β)和补体3(C3)基因表达量在0.50%和1.00%组均为显著或极显著上调;Factor H基因表达量在0.50%组显著上调;过氧化氢酶(CAT)和LZM基因表达量在0.50%和1.00%组仅出现差异不显著上调。上述结果表明,在虹鳟饲料中添加一定量的红枣提取物,可以起到促进肾功能,保护肝脏和提高其非特异性免疫功能的作用。     

Cloning, tissue distribution and hormonal regulation of stearoyl-CoA desaturase in tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus

The stearoyl-CoA desaturase cDNA in tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) was cloned by RT-PCR and RACE, and it was compared with those in grass carp, common carp and milkfish. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that the full length of cDNA (1172 bp) clone encompasses 1008 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding 336 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence shares 78–82% identity with the teleosts and 64–66% with mammals compared, and like these fish, the cloned tilapia stearoyl-CoA desaturase amino acid sequence conserves three histidine cluster motifs (one HXXXXH and two HXXHH), which functioned as non-heme iron binding sites, essential for stearoyl-CoA desaturase activity. RT-PCR and Northern blot analysis reveal that tilapia stearoyl-CoA desaturase is expressed only in liver, but the stearoyl-CoA desaturase expression in multiple tissues was observed in milkfish, grass carp and carp. Further, the hormonal regulation of stearoyl-CoA desaturase gene expression was investigated by a single injection of 17β-estradiol and testosterone. The results showed that the administration of 17β-estradiol to tilapia led to a greater increase in desaturase activity than testosterone, and higher doses of steroids produced greater increases in enzyme activity. The comparative RT-PCR analysis showed that the stearoyl-CoA desaturase mRNA level increased significantly in 17β-estradiol treated animals, especially in the groups receiving a single injection of 50 mg 17β-estradiol. This was reflected in the decrease in the saturated fatty acids and the increase in the monounsaturated fatty acids. The proportion of the polyunsaturated fatty acids was not affected.     

投喂频率对黄鳝幼鱼摄食、生长及饵料利用效率的影响

研究了不同投喂频率对黄鳝(Monopterus albus)摄食率、特定生长率、饵料效率、体重分化、鱼体组成的影响。试验共设5组不同投喂频率(2、3、4、12次/d和24次/d),每组3个重复,试验持续30 d。结果显示:投喂频率4次/d组的摄食率显著高于其它各组(P<0.05);特定生长率有不同程度增高,4次/d组达到最高(P<0.05);饲料利用效率4次/d组显著高于2次/d组(P<0.05),与其它组无显著性差异(P>0.05);随着投喂频率增加,各试验组组内个体体重无显著差异(P>0.05),黄鳝的规格趋于整齐。试验各组黄鳝的鱼体成分无显著性差异(P>0.05);饵料蛋白质和能量的表观消化率,在4次/d时达到最高(P<0.05)。试验表明:黄鳝的生长受投喂频率的影响,每天投喂4次是黄鳝养殖的最佳投喂频率。     

Characterizing environmental and spatial variables associated with the incidental catch of olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) in the Eastern Tropical Pacific purse‐seine fishery

In the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP), a region of high fishing activity, olive ridley (Lepidochelis olivacea) and other sea turtles are accidentally caught in fishing nets with tuna and other animals. To date, the interaction between fishing activity, ocean conditions and sea turtle incidental catch in the ETP has been described and quantified, but the factors leading to the interaction of olive ridleys and fishing activity are not well understood. This information is essential for the development of future management strategies that avoid bycatch and incidental captures of sea turtles. We used Generalized additive models (GAM) to analyze the relationship between olive ridley incidental catch per unit effort (iCPUE) in the ETP purse‐seine fisheries and environmental conditions, geographic extent and fishing set type (associated with dolphins, floating objects or in free‐swimming tuna schools). Our results suggest that water temperature, set type and geographic location (latitude, longitude and distance to nesting beaches) are the most important predictor variables to describe the probability of a capture event, with the highest iCPUE observed in sets made over floating objects. With the environmental predictors used, sea surface temperatures (SST) of 26–30°C and chlorophyll‐a (chl‐a) concentrations <0.36 mg m^?3 were associated with the highest probability of an incidental catch. Temporally, the highest probability of an incidental catch was observed in the second half of the year (June to December). Four regions were observed as high incidental catch hotspots: North and south of the equator between 0–10°N; 0–10°S and from 120 to 140°W; and along the Colombian coast and surrounding regions.     

Effects of intraspecific hybridisation between two hatchery‐reared strains of Atlantic salmon,Salmo salar,on juvenile survival and fitness‐related traits

Intraspecific hybridisation may result in hybrid offspring exhibiting superior (heterosis) or inferior (outbreeding depression) fitness relative to their parental populations. As both have been demonstrated in salmonids, consequences of interbreeding between divergent populations are relevant to their conservation. Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. were extirpated from Lake Ontario by the late 19th Century due to anthropogenic causes. Multiple allopatric populations of hatchery‐reared Atlantic salmon are being stocked in an effort to re‐establish a self‐sustaining population. This study evaluated whether interbreeding between Sebago Lake (Maine) and LaHave River (Nova Scotia) individuals will result in heterosis or outbreeding depression in juveniles. This was accomplished through full‐factorial 2 × 2 mating crosses between the strains and comparing multiple fitness‐related traits between the cross types. Hybrid juveniles displayed no signs of outbreeding depression nor heterosis. Further studies on comparative fitness of backcross and F₂ hybrids are recommended to assess potential consequences for this and similar restoration efforts.     

Differentiation and development of Leydig cell, and induction of spermatogenesis during testicular differentiation in the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica

The initial appearance and the development of Leydig cells (LCs), the sites of steroid hormone production in the testis, were investigated ultrastructurally during testicular differentiation in the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica. In addition, the effects of a single injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG; 5 IU g body weight^-1) on histological changes of the testes and serum 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) were examined at various stages (15–18, 20–23, 26–29, 32–35, 38–41 and 46–50 cm body length (BL)) of testicular differentiation. Testicular differentiation was morphologically characterized by the development of loose connective tissue on the medial side in animals 18–29 cm in BL. Ultrastructurally, LCs were first identified in the loose connective tissue of the testis of the 23 cm fish. In the testes of fish over 32 cm, clusters of LCs were distributed throughout the interstitial region accompanying the increase in number of spermatogonia. In fish larger than 32 cm, spermatogenesis was induced by administration of HCG; serum 11-KT levels were also raised. On the other hand, there was no effect on spermatogenesis or serum 11-KT levels in fish less than 29 cm, or in the controls. These result suggests that morphological differentiation of LCs occurs in testis of the 23 cm eel, and subsequently, the testes of eels of BL more than 32 cm acquire the capability to produce steroid hormones.     

Trophic relationships and ecosystem characteristics in a newly-impounded man-made lake in Thailand

Abstract  The trophic dynamics of a newly-impounded south east Asian reservoir, Pasak Jolasid, Thailand, monitored from its creation, were constructed using ecopath , a mass-balanced model. The trophic levels (TLs) of 36 ecological groups varied between 1.0 and 3.2. The majority of fish biomass was at the second TL, where the fishery is concentrated. Some food resources (benthic organisms and zooplankton) were not fully used, whereas phytoplankton and benthic algae were important components of the food web, which is based on phytoplankton and detritus. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of ecological maturity of the ecosystem and possible fishery management of this multi-purpose reservoir.