Aeromonas sobria, a causative agent of disease in farmed perch, Perca fluviatilis L

Significant numbers of perch, Perca fluviatilis, raised on a pilot fish farm in Switzerland presented focal skin lesions on the lateral sides and fin rot. Mortality rates reached levels of up to 1% of the total fish on the farm per day. Virtually pure cultures of Aeromonas sobria were isolated from the liver, kidney, spleen and skin lesions of affected fish. Aeromonas sobria isolated from the farmed perch had a haemolytic effect on sheep and trout erythrocytes, autoaggregated, was cytotoxic for cultured fish cells and possessed genes involved in type III protein secretion. Experimental infection of naive perch with a single colony isolate of A. sobria from an affected farm fish resulted in the development of clinical signs identical to those seen on the farm. The results indicate that A. sobria can act as a primary pathogen of perch.     

Abnormalities in the juvenile stage of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) reared at different temperatures: types, prevalence and effect on growth

Osteological malformations are always considered an important problem in intensive aquaculture. This work studies the effect of rearing temperature on malformations in sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax. To this end, two batches of the species were subjected to the following incubation/cultivation temperatures: 15 °C/natural and 19/19 °C, from fertilization until 190 days after hatching. The different malformations were studied in 1643 juveniles at 190 days and classified by categories. The Chi-square statistic was calculated to verify the relationship between the presence of anomalies and the application of different temperatures. The percentage of anomalies observed in individuals reared at a high temperature (19/19 °C) was 66.44%. In both temperature systems, opercular malformations were those which caused a greater delay in growth. The results found indicated that temperature played a very important role in the development of deformations, which may be of interest from the viewpoint of aquaculture.     

Vaccine-associated granulomatous inflammation and melanin accumulation in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., white muscle

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of variably sized pigmented foci encountered in fillets of farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. The material was sampled on the fillet production line and on salmon farms from fish with an average size of 3 kg from various producers. The fish had been routinely vaccinated by injection. Gross pathology, histology, immunohistochemistry using antisera against major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II beta chain and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the changes. Macroscopically, melanized foci were seen penetrating from the peritoneum deep into the abdominal wall, sometimes right through to the skin, and also embedded in the caudal musculature. Histological investigation revealed muscle degeneration and necrosis, fibrosis and granulomatous inflammation containing varying numbers of melano-macrophages. Vacuoles, either empty or containing heterogeneous material, were frequently seen. The presence of abundant MHC class II+ cells indicated an active inflammatory condition. TEM showed large extracellular vacuoles and leucocytes containing homogeneous material of lipid-like appearance. The results showed that the melanized foci in Atlantic salmon fillet resulted from an inflammatory condition probably induced by vaccination. The described condition is not known in wild salmon and in farmed salmon where injection vaccination is not applied.     

Possible degradation of type I collagen in relation to yellowtail muscle softening during chilled storage

ABSTRACT:   In this paper, the detection of type I collagen degradation during the softening phenomenon of yellowtail muscle, was examined. Acid soluble collagen was isolated from dorsal ordinary muscle at death and after 24-h chilled storage. In the abundant ratio of subunit components, an increase in β12 chain (5.4 points) and a decrease in components with molecular weights larger than γ chain (7.0 points) after 24-h chilled storage, was found. Type I collagen was detected in the alkali-soluble fraction by SDS-PAGE. Its amount calculated from hydroxyproline contents in alkali-soluble fraction was increased from 0.097 mg/g muscle to 0.155 mg/g muscle during 24-h storage. The increased alkali-soluble collagen (0.058 mg/g muscle) was about 1.4% of whole collagen. These results suggest that a slight decomposition of type I collagen of yellowtail muscle may occur and subsequently becomes alkali-soluble corresponding to postmortem softening.     

Histological and histochemical changes in the digestive tract of white sturgeon larvae during ontogeny

Ontogenetic changes in digestive tract histology and digestive enzyme histochemistry were investigated 11 to 36 days post-hatch in white sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus larvae. From initiation of exogenous feeding (12 days post-hatch), larvae were fed a commercial salmonid diet for the ensuing 24 days. The digestive system of white sturgeon displayed a high degree of morphologic organization and functionality at the onset of exogenous feeding. An enhancement of digestive capacities occurred with transition to active feeding. On day 2 of feeding, there was a clear increase of alkaline phosphatase, aminopeptidase M, dipeptidyl peptidase IV, and -glutamyl transpeptidase activity in the brush border of the spiral intestine. This strong activity is an apparent confirmation of the importance of this segment of the intestine for protein digestion and nutrient absorption. The functional development of the pyloric intestine occurred on day 4 and was concomitant with an increase in the activity of brush border and cytoplasmic enzymes such as acetylcholinesterase, dipeptidyl peptidase II, - and -galactosidases. The absence of acetylcholinesterase, lactase, nonspecific esterase, and weak activity of exopeptidases and alkaline phosphatase in the anterior intestine suggests that this segment of the intestine may be less important in nutrient absorption than the pyloric and spiral intestines. The observed quantitative and qualitative differences in enzyme activity along the intestine indicate a high degree of specialization of each segment for specific digestive and absorptive processes.     

Optimum protein-to-energy ratio for two size groups of rabbitfish, Siganus canaliculatus (Park)

Three approximately isoenergetic (17 kJ g^?1) diets were formulated with dietary protein levels of 270, 360 and 480 g kg^?1 (DM basis) providing protein-to-energy ratios of 15.69, 20.48 and 27.16 mg crude protein (CP) kJ^?1, respectively. The effects of these diets on several growth and nutritional parameters were evaluated for the fry (2.50 ± 0.184 g) and fingerlings (11.53 ± 0.023 g) of Siganus canaliculatus (Park). Maximum growth and best feed utilization efficiency of fry were obtained using the diet containing 480 g kg^?1 protein and P:E ratio of 27.16 mg CP kJ^?1. For fingerlings the best results were obtained with the diet containing 360 g kg^?1 protein and P:E ratio of 20.48 mg CP kJ. Body composition of the fry was not affected by the feeding regime whilst the effect was evident in the fingerling groups. The carcass protein content of the fingerling was observed to increase with increasing P:E ratios while lipid content decreased as P:E increased.     

The toxicity, absorption and excretion of rotenone in oysters (Ostrea edulis), and its degradation in seawater at temperatures near 0°C

A rapid extraction procedure and a HPLC method for quantitative measurements of the concentration of rotenone in oysters (Ostrea edulis) and in seawater is presented. The absorption rate of rotenone by oysters was rapid. With an average rotenone concentration in the seawater of 26 ppb, the concentration in the oysters reached 4.6 ppm after 4 days of exposure. The t_1/2 of the excretion of rotenone was 40 h at 10°C. The absorption rate was highly affected by both the rotenone concentration in the seawater and the seawater temperature. Rotenone was quite stable in seawater at low temperatures. At an average temperature close to 0°C, 18% of the rotenone added was still present 45 days after preparing the solution (1 ppm Gullviks rotenone mixture) in seawater. The acute mortality observed was closely related to the measured concentration of rotenone in the oysters.     

Do extracellular products of Aeromonas salmonicida induce thrombosis by entering the fish coagulation system at factor X?

Abstract. Thrombosis of minute vessels is a common feature of acute furunculosis in Atlantic salmon. Crude extracellular products (F.CP) of Aeromans, salmonicida injected into the dorsal aorta of cannulated fish elicited an activation of the coagulations systems of the fish When screened with a number of chromogenic substrates, the ECP protease revealed a factor-X like activity. Thus, it may he hypothesized that the ECP induces thrombosis by entering the fish coagulation systems at factor X. and that thrombus formation is a way of creating a site of infection.