Treating experimentally induced vibriosis (Listonella anguillarum) in cod, Gadus morhua L., with florfenicol

This study was performed to determine the efficacy of orally administered florfenicol in the treatment of experimentally induced vibriosis (Listonella anguillarum) in cod, Gadus morhua. The L. anguillarum strain HI-610 was used. This strain has a minimal inhibitory concentration value of 0.5 mg L(-1) against florfenicol. Fifteen groups of 40 fish each were challenged by bath with 1.7 x 10(5) CFU mL(-1) for 1 h. Three days following challenge, medication with florfenicol was introduced in 12 of the groups. The dosages used were 10 mg kg(-1) day(-1) for 10 consecutive days in marine or salmonid pellets, 10 mg kg(-1) day(-1) for five consecutive days in marine pellets or administered at days 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 following initiation of treatment. Among challenged unmedicated fish mortality started at day 3 post-challenge reaching a final cumulative mortality of 77% at day 15. The experiment was terminated at day 26. In the medicated groups, the majority of deaths occurred from days 3-7 post-challenge reaching final cumulative mortalities of 31% and 52%, respectively, for the fish given marine and salmonid pellets for 10 consecutive days. The fish treated with medicated marine pellets for five consecutive days and at days 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 (sequential feeding) following initiation of treatment had cumulative mortalities of 52% and 38%, respectively. Survival of medicated fish in all groups was significantly (P < 0.005) greater than survival of challenged unmedicated fish. Furthermore, a significant difference (P < 0.001) in survival was found between fish treated for 10 consecutive days using marine pellets and the groups using marine pellets for five consecutive days and salmonid pellets for 10 consecutive days. Twenty four hours following last medication, six fish had mean plasma concentrations of 3.3 +/- 1.7 and 3.5 +/- 2.8 microg mL(-1), respectively, in fish treated for 10 consecutive days using marine and salmonid pellets. Corresponding values for fish treated for five consecutive days and by sequential feeding were 2.2 +/- 2.3 and 1.7 +/- 0.7 microg mL(-1), respectively.     

Evaluation of Calanus finmarchicus copepod meal in practical diets for juvenile Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus)

The copepod, Calanus finmarchicus, has potential as a new ingredient in practical feeds for marine fish. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the nutritional value of C. finmarchicus meals when fed to juvenile Atlantic halibut. The first study determined protein, lipid and energy digestibility coefficients of four C. finmarchicus meals prepared under different processing conditions. The second study evaluated growth and nutrient utilization efficiency of juveniles fed diets containing varying proportions of fish meal, plant meals and C. finmarchicus meal. Moisture, ash, protein, lipid and gross energy contents of the C. finmarchicus meals were 28–93, 74–138, 505–648, 123–269 g kg⁻¹, and 21–26 MJ kg⁻¹, respectively. Protein, lipid and energy digestibilities of C. finmarchicus meals were 91–99%, 90–95% and 90–99%. The digestibilities significantly decreased for the Calanus meals processed at higher temperatures. During the growth study, halibut fed a diet containing 240 g kg⁻¹ C. finmarchicus meal had significantly higher weight gain and growth rate than all other groups. Nitrogen and energy retention efficiencies ranged between 35–45% and 33–43%, and were significantly higher for fish fed 160–240 g kg⁻¹ C. finmarchicus meal than for fish fed plant protein and control diets. The results indicate that growth and nutrient utilization efficiency are improved in Atlantic halibut fed diets supplemented with C. finmarchicus meal.     

The effect of dietary chitin on the autochthonous gut bacteria of Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua L.)

In the present study the impact on autochthonous (adherent) bacteria in proximal intestine (PI) and distal intestine (DI) of Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua L.) was evaluated following feeding of a control diet and a diet supplemented with 5% chitin. The autochthonous gut bacteria were investigated using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Analysis of the microbiota associated with PI and DI of Atlantic cod indicate that dietary chitin modulate the intestinal bacterial community. For example, band 25 ( Escherichia coli–like), band 14 ( Anaerorhabdus furcosa–like) and band 29 (uncultured bacterium–like) in PI were depressed by dietary chitin (P < 0.05). The number of bands (23.7 ± 5.4) in DI of fish fed chitin was marginally higher than the control fish (16.7 ± 2.1) (P = 0.065), and the relative abundances of band 6 (swine faecal bacterium–like) were marginally stimulated by dietary chitin (P = 0.095). Furthermore, the present study reports several novel sequences not previously reported in the gastrointestinal tract of Atlantic cod. Whether the dietary effect of chitin on gut bacterial community has any positive effect of fish health merits further investigations.     

Temperature‐dependent feed requirements in farmed blue mussels (Mytilus edulis L.) estimated from soft tissue growth and oxygen consumption and ammonia‐N excretion

Feed requirements were estimated from specific growth rates in standardized soft tissue dry weight (SGR_DW’) and atomic O:N ratios for mussels fed seven rations of microalgae (5–735 μg C h^?1 ind^?1) at 7 and 14°C respectively. The mean oxygen consumption and ammonia‐N excretion rates were significantly higher at 14°C (0.29 μg O² and 27.3 μg N ind^?1 h¹) compared with those at 7°C (0.16 μg O² and 11.4 μg N ind^?1 h^?1) (P < 0.05), resulting in O:N ratios between 3 and 45 at 7°C and 7 and 28 at 14°C. Low O:N ratios indicate protein catabolism and an unfavourable condition, whereas high ratios indicate that carbohydrate is the primary energy source. The measured SGR_DW’ suggests minimum feed requirements of ~240 and ~570 μg C ind^?1 h^?1 for weight maintenance at 7 and 14°C, with corresponding O:N ratios of 24 and 16, respectively, indicating a more stressed condition at 14°C. A 0.5% SGR_DW’ day^?1 was obtained by ~565 (O:N = 29) and ~680 (O:N = 23) μg C ind^?1 h^?1 at 7 and 14°C respectively. A positive and significantly higher SGR_DW’, with the lowest feed ration at 7°C compared with a negative SGR_DW’ at 14°C (P < 0.05), indicated that storage time can also possibly be prolonged at low temperatures if the mussels are not fed.     

Protocol: using virus-induced gene silencing to study the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pisum sativum</Emphasis>

Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is an alternative reverse genetics tool for silencing of genes in some plants, which are difficult to transform. The pea early-browning virus (PEBV) has been developed as a VIGS vector and used in pea for functional analysis of several genes. However, the available PEBV-VIGS protocols are inadequate for studying genes involved in the symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF).     

Light‐induced reduction of FE3+ as related to causes of chlorosis in cotton

In growth chambers, cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. genetic selection ‘M8') was grown in a synthetic growth medium under four light regimes: low pressure sodium (LPS), LPS + Incandescent (Inc), cool white fluorescent (CWF) and CWF + Inc lamps at 22 C under LPS lamps. Less chlorosis developed at 26 C than at 22 C and less under LPS + Inc than under LPS lamps. All plants were green under CWF and CWF + Inc light. Green and chlorotic plant tissue contained about the same concentrations of Fe. The proposed hypothesis was that chlorotic tissue’ contained less Fe²⁺ than green tissue. Chlorotic leaves treated with FeSO₄ turned a green color. Enough CWF + Inc light passed through an intact leaf to reduce Fe³⁺ to Fe²⁺ in vitro. Also in vitro, Fe³⁺ was reduced by CWF, by Inc, but not by LPS light. The amount of Fe³⁺ reduced during an illumination period was directly proportional to the quantity of light used. In vitro, citrate and malate enhanced Fe³⁺ reduction, whereas phosphate, pyrophosphate, OH^‐, Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Mn²⁺, Zn²⁺, and F^‐ all inhibited Fe³⁺ reduction by light. Orthophosphate was about 8 times as effective as organic P in decreasing Fe³⁺ reduction. Citrate largely alleviated the inhibitory effects of Pi and pH (up to pH 6). The data also provide a possible explanation of a role for many of the elements known to induce or aggravate Fe chlorosis (inhibit Fe³⁺ reduction). Quantity and quality of light apparently play key roles in plant growth as related to reduction of Fe³⁺ to Fe²⁺ in plant tops.     

Livestock grazing intensity affects abundance of Common shrews (Sorex araneus) in two meadows in Denmark

Background  

Current nature conservation in semi-natural grasslands often includes grazing and hay cutting, as well as the abandonment of draining. Semi-natural grassland and in particular meadows constitute important habitat type for a large number of animal species in today's fragmented and intensively cultivated landscape of Europe. Here we focus on the population characteristics of Common shrews Sorex araneus in relation to livestock grazing intensity in two wet meadows in western Denmark.