Diet of non‐native northern snakehead (Channa argus) compared to three co‐occurring predators in the lower Potomac River,USA

Abstract – Introductions of large, non‐native, carnivorous fishes continue to occur worldwide and represent a substantial management concern to global biodiversity. One of the most recent non‐native fishes to successfully establish in North America is the northern snakehead (Channa argus), found in the lower Potomac River catchment. Dispersal of the northern snakehead throughout this system has been well documented since its original discovery in May 2004; however, little is known about the foraging habits of this species and its interactions with co‐occurring predators. Here, we quantify northern snakehead diet in comparison with the diets of naturalised largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), and native American eel (Anguilla rostrata) and yellow perch (Perca flavescens) collected from tidal freshwaters bordering Virginia and Maryland near Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Over 97% of northern snakehead gut contents were fishes, with fundulid and centrarchid species consumed most frequently. Dietary overlap was biologically significant only between northern snakehead and largemouth bass. Aquatic invertebrates were >10 times more common in native predator diets, reducing dietary overlap with northern snakehead. Ontogenic shifts in adult northern snakehead diet were also detected, which may be explained by optimal foraging rather than true prey specificity. Northern snakehead may be occupying a novel niche based on a piscivorous diet, therefore limiting competition with resident predators in the lower Potomac River. Further research into interactions between largemouth bass and northern snakehead is needed to inform management decisions and understand the ecological impacts of this non‐native species.     

月鳢仔鱼耳石的荧光标记及其日轮确证

利用茜素络合物对体长(9.99±0.56)mm的月鳢(Channa asiatica)仔鱼耳石进行浸泡标记试验。结果表明,经荧光显微镜检测,80 mg/L、100 mg/L和120 mg/L的溶液浸泡24 h后均可以在月鳢仔鱼的耳石上形成橘红色标记环,星耳石、微耳石和矢耳石的标记率均为100%;其中,以星耳石标记环荧光强度最大,且在普通光学显微镜下也可观察到紫红色标记环。经100 mg/L和120 mg/L溶液浸泡后,月鳢仔鱼在其后饲养阶段出现较高的死亡率,显示高浓度茜素络合物溶液对月鳢仔鱼有一定毒性。标记后星耳石上的新增轮纹数(N)和饲养天数(D)密切相关,其线性方程为:N=0.9291D-0.2974(R2=0.9793,n=64,P<0.01),斜率0.9291与1无显著差异(P>0.05),表明星耳石上的生长轮即为日轮。研究表明,在追踪月鳢仔鱼迁移行为时,可采用80 mg/L的茜素络合物溶液对其星耳石进行染色标记。     

杂交鳢(斑鳢♀×乌鳢♂)内脏类结节病病原菌的分离、鉴定与特性分析

从广东佛山、广州两地养殖场患内脏类结节病杂交鳢(Channa maculata♀×C.argus♂)内脏器官分离到2株细菌,纯化培养后获得2个分离株,编号为WL-1和WL-2,对分离菌株进行了细菌鉴定、致病性分析及药敏实验。应用常规生理生化鉴定和ATB系统细菌自动鉴定仪对分离菌株进行细胞形态学、理化特性分析,初步判定所分离菌为舒伯特气单胞菌。采用16S rRNA基因、DNA促旋酶的B亚单位蛋白(gyrB)基因对分离菌株进行DNA分子鉴定,结果显示,两个菌株间的16S rRNA基因序列相同,gyrB基因序列同源性为99.7%;分离菌株与GenBank上登录的舒伯特气单胞菌16S rRNA基因序列和gyrB基因序列同源性均最高,达99%以上;分离菌株在系统进化树上与舒伯特气单胞菌聚为一族,进一步确认分离株为舒伯特气单胞菌。人工感染健康鱼后出现与自然发病相似的内脏类结节病症状,从发病鱼内脏组织再分离的细菌特性与原感染菌相同。综合理化特性分析、基因鉴定和人工感染实验确认舒伯特气单胞菌是杂交鳢内脏类结节病的致病菌。药敏实验发现分离菌株对头孢唑啉、庆大霉素等14种药物敏感;对青霉素G、苯唑西林2种药物耐受。     

Dietary pyridoxine requirement of fingerling Channa punctatus (Bloch) based on growth performance,liver pyridoxine concentration,and carcass composition

Seven casein gelatin-based diets containing 450 g/kg CP and 18.39 kJ/g GE with different levels of pyridoxine (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 mg/kg diet) were fed to fingerling Channa punctatus (4.66 ± 0.46 g) for 12 weeks to determine pyridoxine requirement. Highest absolute weight gain (AWG; 25.81 g/fish, P < 0.05), protein retention (PRE; 23.69%, P < 0.05), energy retention efficiencies (ERE; 69.63%, P < 0.05), and minimum feed conversion ratio (FCR; 1.48) were noted at 8 mg pyridoxine/kg diet. However, liver pyridoxine content achieved the positive correlation as the dietary pyridoxine increased up to 10mg/kg. On the basis of broken-line analysis of AWG, PRE, FCR, and liver pyridoxine data, pyridoxine requirement is recommended between 7.6 and 10.4 mg/kg of dry diet.     

Dietary riboflavin requirement of fingerling Channa punctatus (Bloch) based on growth,conversion efficiencies,protein retention,liver riboflavin storage,RNA/DNA ratio and carcass composition

A 16‐week experiment was conducted to determine the dietary riboflavin requirement of the fingerling Channa punctatus (6.7 ± 0.85 cm; 4.75 ± 0.72 g) by a feeding casein–gelatin‐based (450 g/kg crude protein; 18.39 kJ/g gross energy) purified diet containing graded levels of riboflavin (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 mg/kg diet) to triplicate groups of fish near to satiation at 09:30 and 16:30 hr. Absolute weight gain (AWG), protein efficiency ratio (PER), specific growth rate (SGR, % per day), protein retention efficiency (PRE%) and RNA/DNA ratio were positively affected by increasing concentrations of dietary riboflavin to 6 mg riboflavin per kg diet. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) decreased up to 6 mg riboflavin per kg diet but did not decrease further with higher riboflavin supplementation. Hepatic thiobarbituric acid‐reactive substance (TBARS) concentration also supported the pattern of FCR, whereas superoxide dismutase and catalase activities increased with increasing concentrations of dietary riboflavin from 0 to 6 mg/kg. Liver riboflavin concentrations increased with increasing levels of riboflavin up to 8 mg/kg diet. Broken‐line regression analysis of AWG, PRE and liver riboflavin concentrations of fingerling C. punctatus with dietary riboflavin level indicated optimum growth and liver riboflavin saturation at 5.7, 6.1 and 7.7 mg riboflavin per kg diet, respectively.     

Dietary thiamin requirement of fingerling Channa punctatus (Bloch) based on growth,protein gain,liver thiamin storage,RNA/DNA ratio and biochemical composition

Dietary thiamin requirement of fingerling Channa punctatus was quantified by feeding casein/gelatin‐based diets (450 g/kg CP; 18.39 kJ/g GE) with seven graded levels of thiamin (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 5 mg/kg diet) to triplicate groups of fish (6.9 ± 0.93 cm; 4.91 ± 0.62 g) for 16 weeks. Fish fed diet with 2.5 mg/kg thiamin reflected highest absolute weight gain (AWG), protein gain (PG), RNA/DNA ratio and lowest feed conversion ratio. Similarly, highest liver thiamin concentration was also recorded in fish fed 2.5 mg/kg thiamin diet. Hepatic thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) concentration responded negatively with increasing concentrations of dietary thiamin up to 2.5 mg/kg, whereas superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were found to improve with the increasing levels of dietary thiamin from 0 to 2.5 mg/kg. Transketolase activity also improved as the thiamin concentrations increased up to 2.5 mg/kg. Broken‐line regression analysis of AWG, PG, RNA/DNA ratio, liver thiamin concentrations, transketolase and TBARS activities exhibited the thiamin requirement in the range of 2.34–2.59 mg/kg diet. Data generated during this study would be useful in formulating thiamin‐balanced feeds for the intensive culture of this fish.     

月鳢和乌鳢同工酶的比较研究

[目的]了解月鳢和乌鳢的生化遗传特性,为其品种鉴定提供理论依据。[方法]采用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶垂直梯度电泳法对月鳢和乌鳢的眼、肌肉、心脏、脾、脑和肾中的2种同工酶进行分析。[结果]月鳢肾脏、脾脏、脑和心脏的苹果酸脱氢酶（MDH）图谱有很清晰的4条带,且带型相同、活性相当;其眼组织的MDH图谱有5条带,肌肉组织的MDH带型分布表现出明显活性区。鸟鳢肾脏、脾脏、脑、肌肉和心脏的MDH图谱有很清晰的4条带;其眼组织的MDH图谱有5条带。月鳢和鸟鳢不同组织中酶的图谱数量一样,但类型不同。在鸟鳢6种组织中,眼睛的MDH表达量最大,而月鳢各组织的MDH表达量差异不大。乳酸脱氢酶（LDH）在乌鳢中的表达量高于月鳢。[结论]硬骨鱼类同工酶系统具有明显的组织特异性和物种特异性,其变化可更直接、正确地反映生物体的差异。     

底物浓度对月鳢主要消化酶活性的影响

分别采用干酪素、TAME、可溶性淀粉和橄榄油为底物,对月鳢（Channa asiatica）成鱼各消化酶活性在胃粘膜、前肠粘膜和肝胰脏等组织中的最适底物浓度进行了测定。结果表明,在胃粘膜、前肠粘膜和肝胰脏组织中,蛋白酶的最适底物浓度分别为2％、2％和1％的干酪素,胰蛋白酶的分别为0．52&#215;10^-3mol／L、0．52&#215;10mol／L和1．56&#215;10^-3mol／L的TAME,淀粉酶的分别为3．00％、0．25％和0．25％的可溶性淀粉,脂肪酶的分别为11．4％、17．6％和39．1％的橄榄油;同一消化酶所对应的最适底物浓度在不同组织存在一定差异。     

Influence of dietary phosphorus levels on growth,body composition,metabolic response and antioxidant capacity of juvenile snakehead (Channa argus × Channa maculata)

A study was conducted to estimate the optimum requirement of dietary phosphorus (P) for Channa argus × Channa maculata. Effects of dietary P levels on the tissue composition, serum biochemical parameters and antioxidant status were also examined. Five practical diets were formulated to contain graded levels (4.8 g kg^?1, 6.4 g kg^?1, 7.9 g kg^?1, 9.4 g kg^?1 and 11.0 g kg^?1) of available P from dietary ingredients and monocalcium phosphate (MCP). Each diet was randomly assigned to triplicate groups of 30 juvenile fish (initial body weight, 20.50 ± 0.53 g) for 8 weeks. The results showed that the specific growth rate (SGR) and weight gain (WG) were all significantly improved by dietary P up to 9.4 g kg^?1 (P < 0.05) and then levelled off beyond this level. Broken‐line analysis showed maximum weight gain (WG) was obtained at dietary available P concentrations of 9.6 g kg^?1. With the increase in dietary P level, protein efficiency rate (PER) increased significantly and reached a plateau, while the feed conversion ratio (FCR), the mesenteric lipid somatic index (MSI) and the whole‐body lipid content significantly reduced (P < 0.05). Dietary P levels also affected the mineralization (ash and P) of whole body, vertebrae and scale (P < 0.05). Quadratic analysis based on P contents in whole body, vertebrae, scale and ash content in vertebra indicated that the available P requirements were 10.4, 9.8, 10.0 and 10.3 g kg^?1, respectively. However, no differences were found in the whole‐body moisture, crude protein, serum calcium (Ca) contents or Ca/P value, as well as the viscerosomatic index (VSI) and hepatosomatic index (HSI) among all the treatments (P > 0.05). Triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C) and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) decreased significantly, while serum P content, HDL‐C/TC and HDL‐C/LDL‐C value increased significantly with dietary available P levels (P < 0.05). No significant changes in superoxide dismutase activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were observed (P > 0.05), but serum catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities and the ratio of CAT/SOD and GPx/SOD increased significantly with increasing dietary P levels (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the optimal P requirement of juvenile snakehead in practical feed was 9.6 g kg^?1. Signs of P deficiency were characterized by poor growth, slightly reduced mineralization and the antioxidant capacity and an increase in body lipid content.