Population‐level effects of egg predation on a native planktivore in a large freshwater lake

Using a 37‐year recruitment time series, we uncovered a field pattern revealing a strong, inverse relationship between bloater Coregonus hoyi recruitment success and slimy sculpin Cottus cognatus biomass in Lake Michigan (United States), one of the largest freshwater lakes of the world. Given that slimy sculpins (and deepwater sculpin Myoxocephalus thompsonii) are known egg predators that spatiotemporally overlap with incubating bloater eggs, we used recently published data on sculpin diets and daily ration to model annual bloater egg consumption by sculpins for the 1973–2010 year‐classes. Although several strong year‐classes were produced in the late 1980s when the proportion of eggs consumed by slimy sculpins was extremely low (i.e., <0.001) and several weak year‐classes were produced when the proportion of bloater eggs consumed was at its highest (i.e., >0.10–1.0), egg predation failed to explain why recruitment was weak for the 1995–2005 year‐classes when the proportion consumed was also low (i.e., <0.02). We concluded that egg predation by slimy and deepwater sculpins could have limited bloater recruitment in some years, but that some undetermined factor was more important in many other years. Given that slimy sculpin densities are influenced by piscivorous lake trout Salvelinus namaycush, the restoration of which in Lake Michigan has lagged behind those in lakes Superior and Huron, our study highlights the importance of an ecosystem perspective when considering population dynamics of fishes.     

Effects of Dietary Supplementation of Barodon on Growth Performance,Innate Immunity and Disease Resistance of Juvenile Olive Flounder,Paralichthys olivaceus,Against Streptococcus iniae

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of Barodon, an anionic alkali mineral complex, on growth, feed utilization, humoral innate immunity and disease resistance of olive flounder. A basal experimental diet was used as a control and supplemented with 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, or 0.5% Barodon. Triplicate groups of fish (26.4 ± 0.2 g) were fed one of the diets to apparent satiation twice daily for 10 wk. The growth performance was enhanced (P < 0.05) linearly and quadratically in fish fed diets containing Barodon compared with that in fish fed the control. Feed utilization was significantly improved by Barodon supplementation. Serum lysozyme and antiprotease activities were increased quadratically in Barodon fed groups. Also, significantly higher superoxide dismutase activity was found in Barodon‐fed fish. Dietary supplementation of 0.1–0.3% Barodon resulted in significant enhancement of fish disease resistance against Streptococcus iniae. The findings in this study indicate that dietary supplementation of Barodon can enhance growth, feed utilization, innate immunity, and disease resistance of olive flounder and that the optimum level seems to be 0.1% in diets.     

Feed preference and growth response of juvenile Litopenaeus vannamei to supplementation of marine chemoattractants in a fishmeal‐challenged diet

This study compared the feed preference and growth response of Litopenaeus vannamei to chemoattractants. A diet with 3% fishmeal was supplemented with either 3% salmon meal (POS), 3% soy protein concentrate (NEG), 3% krill meal (KRM), 3% squid meal (SQM), 3% shrimp head meal (SHM), 3% shrimp meal (SM), 3% squid liver meal (SLM), or 5% liquid sardine hydrolysate (SAH). Shrimp with a body weight (BW) of 0.99 ± 0.08 g were stocked at 100 animals/m² in 56 tanks of 1 m³ and fed 10 times daily for 74 days. Feed preference was evaluated by feeding shrimp of 10.87 ± 1.82 g in excess twice a day for 10 days in two separate feeding trays allocated in 50 tanks of 0.5 m³. Survival reached 93.3 ± 5.80% and was unaffected by supplementation. Final BW was the highest for shrimp fed the KRM‐supplemented diet (11.97 ± 0.93 g), followed by POS (11.11 ± 0.77 g) and SQM (11.01 ± 1.17 g). Diets SHM, SM, SLM, and NEG showed a lower shrimp BW than POS, but were not statistically different among them. Shrimp fed the SAH diet achieved the lowest BW (10.06 ± 1.02 g). The highest gained yield was obtained with diets KRM and POS. No statistical difference was observed in shrimp yield among other diets. The lowest feed conversion ratio (FCR) was achieved with shrimp fed KRM (1.31 ± 0.05) when compared to diets SHM (1.47 ± 0.05), SAH (1.47 ± 0.07), and SLM (1.45 ± 0.17). Two‐by‐two comparisons indicated that shrimp preferred SHM and KRM, except when these were compared to SQM and SLM. No difference in feed preference was found between diets with SQM and SLM. SAH was the least preferred raw material in all comparisons. Results indicated that KRM acts as a powerful feeding effector and growth enhancer in fishmeal‐challenged diets for whiteleg shrimp. A dietary supplementation with 3% KRM is more effective than the same dose of any other chemoattractant evaluated.     

Effect of Stocking Density on Growth,Survival, and Condition of the Mexican Cichlid Cichlasoma beani

The Mexican cichlid Cichlasoma beani is currently exploited regionally as food and can be commercialized in the aquarium trade. Natural populations of C. beani may already be negatively affected by anthropogenic alteration of the areas in which it is distributed. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect on growth, survival, and condition of C. beani cultured in three stocking densities: three (D3), six (D6), and nine (D9) fish per each 40 L tank. At the end of a 6‐wk trial the fish cultured in D3 were longer, heavier, and grew faster than the rest of the treatments but their survival was the lowest compared to D6 and D9. The mortalities were caused by a strong aggressive behavior in D3.     

单宁酸对生长猪胃-小肠仿生消化中消化酶活性及饲粮粗蛋白消化率的影响

本试验旨在探讨单宁酸对生长猪胃、小肠仿生消化中消化酶活性及玉米-豆粕型饲粮干物质和粗蛋白消化率的影响，为评价单宁酸的生物学效应提供参考。试验一采用单因素完全随机设计，考察在无饲粮下2种单宁酸对猪模拟胃液、模拟小肠液消化酶活性的影响。设5个处理，单宁酸添加量分别为0 mg （胃液体积为20 mL，小肠液体积为22 mL）；单宁酸1，10 mg；单宁酸1，20 mg；单宁酸2，10 mg；单宁酸2，20 mg。测定各处理的胃蛋白酶、淀粉酶、胰蛋白酶和糜蛋白酶的活性。试验二考察玉米-豆粕型饲粮添加单宁酸对猪仿生消化中胃、小肠阶段消化酶活性及养分消化率的影响。采用单因素完全随机设计，设5个处理，单宁酸在饲粮中的含量分别为0 mg·（2 g）^-1；单宁酸1，10 mg·（2 g）^-1；单宁酸1，20 mg·（2 g）^-1；单宁酸2，10 mg·（2 g）^-1；单宁酸2，20 mg·（2 g）^-1。测定仿生消化中胃阶段0.5和4 h时胃蛋白酶活性，小肠阶段0.5、4和8 h时淀粉酶、胰蛋白酶和糜蛋白酶活性及生长猪胃-小肠仿生消化测定饲粮的干物质和粗蛋白消化率。结果表明：1）无饲粮的情况下，和空白对照组相比，2种单宁酸对模拟胃液中胃蛋白酶活性无显著影响（P>0.05），单宁酸1比单宁酸2更高地降低了模拟小肠液中淀粉酶、胰蛋白酶和糜蛋白酶的活性（P<0.05）。2）在饲粮进行仿生消化的胃消化0.5～4 h内，除4 h时10 mg·（2 g）^-1添加量外，添加单宁酸1时胃蛋白酶的活性均显著高于添加单宁酸2时的相应值（P<0.05），除单宁酸2在消化0.5 h外，2种单宁酸在添加10 mg·（2 g）^-1时胃蛋白酶活性均显著高于20 mg·（2 g）^-1添加量的相应值（P<0.05）。在小肠仿生消化0.5 h时，饲粮中添加单宁酸1、2的2个水平对消化液中淀粉酶活性无显著影响（P>0.05），但均显著降低了糜蛋白酶的活性（P<0.05）；单宁酸1的消化液中胰蛋白酶活性高于单宁酸2的相应值（P<0.05）。在小肠仿生消化4 h时，除添加水平为20 mg·（2 g）^-1时的糜蛋白酶活性外，饲粮中添加单宁酸1消化液中淀粉酶、糜蛋白酶活性高于添加单宁酸2的相应值，而胰蛋白酶活性低于添加单宁酸2的相应值（P<0.05）。单宁酸1、2的两个添加量均降低了胰蛋白酶和糜蛋白酶的活性（P<0.05）。在小肠仿生消化8 h时，饲粮中单宁酸的添加量影响了淀粉酶的活性，但单宁酸1和单宁酸2各两个添加量在淀粉酶的平均活性上无显著差异（P>0.05）。单宁酸1、2的两个添加量均降低了胰蛋白酶、糜蛋白酶的活性（P<0.05）。3）与对照组相比，两种单宁酸在两种添加水平下均显著降低了饲料粗蛋白消化率（P<0.05），且单宁酸2比单宁酸1更多地降低了饲粮粗蛋白的消化率（P<0.05）。综上所述，在有、无饲粮条件下，单宁酸对消化酶活性呈现不一致影响。单宁酸影响饲粮粗蛋白的消化率可能主要与消化液中糜蛋白酶活性降低以及单宁酸与饲粮中的化学成分形成螯合物降低了小肠消化酶的水解效率有关。     

动物医学临床教学数据库的构建与初步应用

动物医学专业不仅要求学生掌握扎实的理论知识,还需要具有丰富的临床实践经验。为了实现该目标,除了要求授课教师对专业知识融会贯通,更需要拥有大量典型的临床病例资料。以安徽农业大学动物医院和畜禽疾病诊断中心为平台,收集大量宝贵的临床病例资料和最新的临床诊疗技术,构建了动物医学临床教学数据库,使得诊疗动物种类多样化,案例信息全面化、系统化。该数据库的建成和应用,为临床教师提供了丰富的教学素材和资料,亦提升了学生的学习兴趣,促进了动物医学专业的教育教学发展。     

Cross‐linked polyacrylates in post‐mining substrates: persistence and effects on plant growth

Application of hydrophilic polymers composed of cross‐linked polyacrylate can improve soil water‐holding capacity and accelerate the restoration of post‐mining substrates. In this work, we studied the persistence of a polyacrylate polymer incorporated into a soil and its impact on plant nutrients at a reclamation site of former lignite mining in Lusatia (Germany). In contrast to autumn application, the incorporation of the polymer enhanced the sequestration of plant‐derived carbon in the soil, which was reflected by a significant increase in the concentration of a lignin marker. Attenuated total reflexion–Fourier transform infrared spectra (ATR‐FTIR) and total elemental contents in the applied polymer suggested an intensive cation exchange between the polymer framework and the soil‐forming substrate. In addition, there was an enrichment of carbonaceous material, which seems to reduce the swelling and thus the water‐holding capacity of the cross‐linked polyacrylate. Conversely, this process protected the polymer structure from rapid decomposition.     

Cultivation of Pen Shells: An Example with Atrina maura in Northwestern Mexico

Pen shells are economically important and most are threatened by overexploitation and habitat degradation. Cultivation represents an alternative for preserving the resource and increasing the production. Atrina maura was cultivated in a suspension system which was followed by a bottom phase. Samples of pen shells and tissues were collected monthly to measure absolute growth, shell height increase, and an adductor muscle index. After the trials, adults shell height was 195 ± 10 mm, total weight was 223 ± 28 g, and mean shell height increase was 0.81 cm/mo. Protective devices were vital to avoid predation by crabs and fish; survival was 90% in the suspension phase and 70% in the bottom phase. Variations in the muscle index were apparently related to reproduction, suggesting activity (partial spawning) from August 2008 to April 2009 in juveniles and a major spawning in adults during August 2009. Adductor muscles reached a mean of 21 g after 20 mo of cultivation, but muscle weights decreased significantly after reproduction (August to November 2009). Results indicated that A. maura is suitable for aquaculture and the cultivation system adopted here should be tested in pilot‐scale ventures. This system may work with other species of pen shells.     

Seed Shattering of Cañahua (Chenopodium pallidicaule Aellen)

Cañahua (Chenopodium pallidicaule Aellen) is a semi‐domesticated relative of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) with high nutritious quality. It is tolerant to frost, drought, saline soils and pests. One seed yield limitation is seed loss during the maturity stages. Two greenhouse experiments in Denmark and field experiments in Bolivia were carried out to determine seed shattering in landraces and cultivars with different growth habits. 15–21 % of the seed shattering in the fields took place whilst the plants still were flowering and 25–35 % during physiological maturity. Seed shattering varied between locations on the Bolivian Altiplano. Cañahua types with the semi‐prostrate growth (‘lasta’) had the highest seed shattering rate in the greenhouse experiments. The Umacutama landrace had lower seed shattering (1 %) than the cultivar Kullaca (7.2 %) both of the ‘lasta’ type. Under field conditions, the cultivar Illimani with the erect growth (‘saihua’) had the highest seed shattering rate (6.4–33.7 %) at both locations and at four different sowing dates. The Umacutama had the lowest rate (0.5–1.5 %). There were no significant differences between plants of the ‘lasta’ and the ‘saihua’ types. The landrace had significantly less seed loss than the cultivars. However, in the greenhouse, the landrace yield was approximately 25 % lower than the yields of the cultivars. In general, cañahua cultivars had higher yield compared to landraces, but also a higher seed shattering rate. Landraces may be used in breeding programmes to develop high‐yielding cultivars with reduced seed shattering.