Effects of different natural or prepared diets on growth and survival of juvenile spider crabs, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Maja brachydactyla</Emphasis> (Balss, 1922)

The effects of different diets (natural or pellets) on growth, survival, and moulting interval of juvenile spider crabs, weighing between 0.011–1.56 g and up to 17.6 mm in carapace length, were tested over a period of 90 days. During experiment I, five diets were tested: (1) frozen shrimp—Paleomonetes sp., (2) fresh mussels—Mytilus sp., (3) white fish fillets—Merlucius merlucius, (4) blue fish fillets—Sardina pilchardus, and (5) commercial crustacean pellets. Spider crabs fed fresh mussels grew larger (0.98 ± 0.69 g) and had higher growth rates (4.0 ± 0.7 %BWd⁻¹) compared to the other four diets. The crabs fed shrimp pellet and frozen shrimp grew to intermediate sizes and were smaller than the ones fed fresh mussels, but they were larger than spider crabs fed either blue or white fish fillets (0.46 ± 0.63 and 0.26 ± 0.13 g, respectively) compared to the ones fed white fish fillets (0.12 ± 0.04) and blue fish fillets (0.04 ± 0.02 g). The spider crabs fed blue fish fillets only lasted until day 60 of the experiment, after this day none of the 20 fed this diet were left. During experiment II, two diets were tested: (1) white and blue fish fillets and (2) commercial fish pellet. There were no differences in growth both in weight or carapace length (2.9 ± 1.8 and 2.1 ± 1.5 g in weight, and 18.9 ± 5.0 and 17.7 ± 3.3 mm, respectively) at the end of the experiment. Similarly, there were no differences in growth rates in weight between the two diets (1.2 ± 0.4 and 0.9 ± 0.3 %BWd⁻¹, respectively) or in carapace length (0.4 ± 0.1 and 0.4 ± 0.2 %BWd⁻¹, respectively). Fresh mussel appears to be a very good diet to culture the early stages of this species, while shrimp pellets also deliver acceptable results. On the contrary, frozen shrimp, fish fillets either from blue or white species (much higher lipid content in the blue species), and fish pellets were found to be bad diets for the culture of the early stages of M. brachydactyla.     

Evaluation of three phytoplankton species as food for the pearl oyster <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinctada fucata</Emphasis>

In the pearl cultivation farms of the Ehime Prefecture, Japan, mass mortalities of the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata have occurred since 1994. The occurrences of mass mortality roughly coincided with a shift of the dominant phytoplankton from Skeletonema and Chaetoceros to Chaetoceros and Nitzschia all of which belong to Bacillariophyceae. Hence, we evaluated Nitzschia, together with Chaetoceros and Isocrysis, as food for the oyster. Wet weights, lengths, widths, glycogen contents, and growth rates in terms of wet weight of the oysters in all the feeding treatments were significantly higher than those in the non-feeding treatment. The highest glycogen content (2.34%) and growth rate (2.21 g month⁻¹) were found in the Chaetoceros treatment. Growth rate in the Isocrysis treatment (1.63 g month⁻¹) was also high, although glycogen content in this treatment (0.41%) was low. In the Nitzschia treatment, growth rate of the oyster (0.94 g month⁻¹) was the lowest and glycogen content (0.83%) was also low relative to that in the Chaetoceros treatment. Chlorophyll a concentration in fecal pellets was lowest in the Nitzschia treatment (<2.7 μg mg⁻¹), suggesting more complete digestion of Nitzschia by the oyster. Thus, Nitzschia was edible and digestible but not assimilated by P. fucata. We propose the following scenario for the relationship between Nitzschia dominance and mass mortality. When Nitzschia dominates in a culture area, the physiological condition of P. fucata deteriorates due to low assimilation of Nitzschia by the oyster, followed by susceptibility of the oyster to infection by agents lethal to the oyster.     

鞍山市玉米收获机械化推广制约因素及建议

玉米收获机械化是鞍山玉米全程机械化的薄弱环节。近年来,由于增加玉米机械化方面的投入和实施农机购置补贴政策,激发了农民购买大型农业机械的积极性,推动了全市玉米机械化的发展。介绍鞍山市玉米收获机械发展现状,分析推广玉米收获机过程中存在的问题,并提出解决问题的具体措施。     

等离子体种子处理技术的试验及应用

等离子体种子处理技术是一项农业新技术。以玉米和水稻为例,验证等离子体种子处理技术的实际效果。试验结果表明：水稻和玉米种子经过处理后,最高增产分别达到106．0kg／667m^2、125．0kg／667m^2,且作物长势旺盛,基本不发生病虫害,减少了农药支出,有利于农业生态环境的保护,具有良好的经济效益和享十会效益,     

法库县玉米全程机械化技术的推广与应用

介绍法库县玉米全程机械化的发展情况、技术特点以及整地、播种、中耕、收获等主要环节的技术规范．并将实施玉米生产机械化的地块与传统耕作地块进行了试验对比,表明玉米全程机械化生产技术具有节种、节肥、省工、节支、增产的效果。针对玉米全程机械化的薄弱环节,剖析了玉米收获环节发展滞后的原因,提出了解决问题的对策。     

Growth rates and survival of western rock lobster (Panulirus cygnus) at two temperatures (ambient and 23 °C) and two feeding frequencies

Wild caught post-pueruli, year one and year two post settlement juvenile western rock lobster, Panulirus cygnus, were held at ambient temperatures (15.6 °C to 23.1 °C; mean 19.0 ± 0.07 °C) or at 23 °C, and fed the same ration of a formulated pellet diet either once per night, or 3 times per night, over 12 months, to determine whether elevated temperatures and multiple feeds per night would stimulate growth through increased metabolism and feed utilisation without significant negative impacts on survival. Survival of post-pueruli (mean 63%) did not differ between ambient and 23 °C. Survival of year 1 and 2 juveniles was higher at ambient temperatures (p < 0.01 ambient: year 1 juveniles, 68%; year 2 juveniles, 88%; 23 °C: 57% and 74%, respectively). Feeding frequency did not affect survival of post-pueruli and year 2 juveniles (mean 63%, 81% respectively), but survival was 9% higher for year 1 juveniles fed three times per night (58% versus 67%; p < 0.01). All lobsters grew faster at 23 °C than at ambient temperatures (p < 0.05), with the growth of post-pueruli almost doubled at 23 °C (weight gain at 23 °C versus ambient: post-pueruli, 18 438 % versus 9 915 %; year 1 juveniles 259% versus 165%; year 2 juveniles 23% versus 21%). Feed frequency did not influence the growth of year 1 and 2 juveniles. However, there was an interaction effect of temperature and feed frequency on post-pueruli where weight and carapace length were significantly higher at ambient temperatures when post-pueruli were fed three times a day, whereas at 23 °C weight and carapace length were significantly greater when fed once per day (p < 0.05). Feed intake (g pellet dry matter lobster^− 1 day^− 1) of pellet was higher at 23 °C for all lobsters (p < 0.05), but was the same between lobsters fed 3 times per night versus once per night. This study has shown that increasing temperatures to 23 °C significantly improved the growth of P. cygnus post-pueruli without any adverse effects on survival. The faster growth rates exhibited by year 1 and 2 juveniles at 23 °C may potentially offset their lower survival by significantly reducing culture period. There is no benefit of feeding P. cygnus multiple times at night in terms of growth and survival. The implications for P. cygnus culture are that temperatures should be maintained close to 23 °C during the entire growout period, with due care taken to minimise mortalities through adequate provision of food and shelter. Feeding P. cygnus once daily to excess just prior to dusk to co-incide with nocturnal feeding behaviour is recommended.     

Influence of light intensity on feeding, growth, and early survival of leopard coral grouper (Plectropomus leopardus) larvae under mass-scale rearing conditions

This study investigated the effect of different light intensities on feeding, growth and survival of early stage leopard coral grouper Plectropomus leopardus larvae. Four different light intensities (0, 500, 1000 and 3000 lx) were used and larvae were kept under constant light conditions from 0 day after hatching (DAH) to 5 DAH. The larvae were fed a small S-type of Thai strain rotifers at a density of 20 individuals/mL from 2 DAH. The number of rotifers in larval digestive organ and total length of larvae were examined at 3 h intervals between 04:00 and 22:00 h on 3 DAH, and thereafter at 6 h intervals until the end of the experiment (5 DAH). Four experimental trials of the larval rearing were repeated using by 60 kL mass-scale rearing tanks. The results indicate that coral grouper larvae are visual feeders and their food intake increases with increasing light intensity. Food intake of larvae reared at 3000 lx was significantly higher than those reared at 0–1000 lx on 3 DAH despite being the first-feeding day (P < 0.01). On 4 DAH, total length of larvae reared at 3000 lx was significantly larger than those reared at the lower light intensities (0, 500 and 1000 lx), and thereafter light intensity significantly influenced larval feeding and growth until the end of the experiment. Survival on 5 DAH did not show a significant difference between light intensities, but survival rate at 3000 lx and 1000 lx had a tendency to be higher than those reared at the lower light intensities (0 and 500 lx). In contrast, larvae reared at 0 lx exhibited stagnant and/or negative growth. These results indicate that light intensity is significantly the factor affecting larval feeding, growth, and survival in coral grouper larvae under the rearing conditions.     

Effect of eye fluke infection on the growth of whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) —An experimental approach

Effect of the eye fluke Diplostomum spathaceum on fish growth has remained somewhat unclear because 1) the question has not been subjected to experimental examination with treatment-control setup and 2) growth has not been related to the coverage of parasite-induced cataracts in a quantitative manner. We examined effects of the parasite on growth and competitive ability of whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) in experimental conditions resembling those at fish farms by maintaining groups of exposed and control fish, as well as mixed groups from both treatments, under optimal conditions for 8 weeks. Contrary to our expectations, we did not observe differences in fish growth between the treatments. However, at the level of individual fish, parasite-induced cataracts had a negative effect on weight of the exposed fish but this took place only when the cataract coverage reached 100% in both eyes. No effect of the infection on competitive ability of fish was observed in mixed treatments which may be related to patterns of food distribution in the tanks or cues received by the fish from less infected conspecifics. Overall, the results suggest that effects of D. spathaceum on fish growth become apparent only in cases of very high cataract coverage, and that feeding regimes and the shape of the cataract coverage distribution in a fish group are important determinants of the magnitude of these effects.     

Rearing performance of Clarias batrachus larvae: Effect of age at stocking on growth and survival during fingerling production

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the rearing performance of different larval stages for optimum growth and survival during fingerling production of Clarias batrachus with an aim to reduce the rearing time of the catfish larvae in a hatchery system. The larvae were reared for 5, 10 and 15 days before stocking them in the nursery tanks. No significant (P < 0.05) difference could be found in length increment at the end of first week of rearing. But the total length was reduced during rest three weeks in five days old larvae compared to that of other two higher age groups. In 5 days old larvae the reduced weight (P < 0.05) was observed during the entire rearing period. However, the specific growth rate (SGR) did not vary among the groups. The survival rate as well as total biomass was decreased while stocking five days old larvae for rearing, compared to that of other two age groups.     

Outdoor mass microalgae production in Bahia Kino, Sonora, NW Mexico

The diatom Chaetoceros muelleri was grown in outdoor mass cultures under the winter, spring and summer conditions of Bahia Kino, Sonora, NW Mexico. The solar irradiance in winter was close to 60% of that available in spring and summer, but the cell concentrations and the harvestable biomass were one order of magnitude higher in spring and summer than in winter. There was no difference between the biomass harvested after 2 and 3 days in winter and summer, whereas in spring it was higher after 3 days. The protein content was significantly lower in winter, and carbohydrates and lipids were higher in winter and spring. The number of cells and the amount of harvestable biomass of outdoor cultures of C. muelleri depend on the temperature prevailing in each season, which causes significant differences in growth rates and in biochemical composition.