Role of gastrointestinal microbiota in fish

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract of an animal consists of a very complex and dynamic microbial ecosystem that is very important from a nutritional, physiological and pathological point of view. A wide range of microbes derived from the surrounding aquatic environment, soil/sediment and feed are found to colonize in the GI tract of fish. Among the microbial groups, bacteria (aerobic, facultative anaerobic and obligate aneraobic forms) are the principal colonizers in the GI tract of fish, and in some fish, yeasts are also reported. The common bacterial colonizers in the GI tract of freshwater and marine fish include Vibrio, Aeromonas, Flavobacterium, Plesiomonas, Pseudomonas, Enterobacteriaceae, Micrococcus, Acinetobacter, Clostridium, Fusarium and Bacteroides, which may vary from species to species as well as environmental conditions. Besides, several unknown bacteria belonging to Mycoplasma, Arthrobacter, Brochothrix, Jeotgailbacillus, Ochrobactrum, Psychrobacter and Sejongia species in the GI tract of different fish species have now been identified successfully using culture‐independent techniques. Gnotobiotic and conventional studies indicate the involvement of GI microbiota in fish nutrition, epithelial development, immunity as well as disease outbreak. This review also highlights the need for manipulating the gut microbiota with useful beneficial microbes through probiotic, prebiotic and synbiotic concepts for better fish health management.     

Marine and freshwater crab meals in diets for red porgy (Pagrus pagrus): effect on growth,fish composition and skin colour

River crab (RC) meal (Procambarus clarkii) and marine crab (MC) meal (Chaceon affinis) were tested as a partial replacement for fish meal in diets for red porgy (Pagrus pagrus), and their effects on growth performance, fish proximate composition and skin colouration were evaluated. Red porgy were fed during 165 days with five diets. High‐quality fish meal diet was used as a control diet (CD). Protein of fish meal in the control was replaced by increasing the dietary levels of protein derived from RC and MC by up to 10% and 20% of each of them (RC10, RC20, MC10 and MC20). Fish fed on MC20 showed the highest values in feed intake, weight gain and growth (%). No differences were found in FCR and protein efficiency ratio among the treatments. Inclusion of both crab meals in diets significantly decreased the lipid content in whole fish compared with the control animals. On the other hand, no differences in muscle composition were found between the diets. Feeding both crab meals resulted in colour improvement compared with that of the control fish, with better hue values for the RC meal group than those for the MC meal group. The crab meals tested in the present study are suitable as a partial replacement for fish meal in diets for the red porgy, with the MC meal improving growth and both crabs meals improving skin colour, with further improvements in skin colour produced in fish‐fed diets containing the RC meal.     

Effects of dietary docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n‐3) and arachidonic acid (20:4n‐6) on the growth,survival, stress resistance and fatty acid composition in black sea bass Centropristis striata (Linnaeus 1758) larvae

The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of the dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to arachidonic acid (ARA) ratio on the survival, growth, hypersaline stress resistance and tissue composition of black sea bass larvae raised from first feeding to metamorphic stages. Larvae were fed enriched rotifers Brachionus rotundiformis and Artemia nauplii containing two levels of DHA (0% and 10% total fatty acids=TFA) in conjunction with three levels of ARA (0%, 3% and 6% TFA). On d24ph, larvae fed the 10:6 (DHA:ARA) treatment showed significantly (P<0.05) higher survival (62.3%) than larvae fed 0:0 (DHA:ARA) (27.4%). Notochord length and dry weight were also significantly (P<0.05) greater in the 10:6 (DHA:ARA) treatment (8.65 mm, 2.14 mg) than in the 0:0 (DHA:ARA) (7.7 mm, 1.65 mg) treatment. During hypersaline (65 g L⁻¹) challenge, no significant differences (P>0.05) were observed in the median survival time (ST50) between larvae fed 10% DHA (ST50=25.6 min) and larvae fed 0% DHA (ST50=18.2 min). The results suggested that black sea bass larvae fed prey containing 10% DHA with increasing ARA within the range of 0–6% showed improved growth and survival from first feeding through metamorphic stages.     

基于Flash的鱼类标本展示技术

通过简易的悬挂和转动装置,对鱼体进行多角度连续拍摄,结合图像处理和Flash Action Script技术,实现鱼类标本影像模型的建模和制作,并利用网站发布到互联网。该技术方法简单,拓展性好,为教育教学和科研提供新的方法和手段。     

Dissolved oxygen controls summer habitat of Clear Lake Hitch (Lavinia exilicauda chi), an imperilled potamodromous cyprinid

Clear Lake Hitch is an imperilled minnow endemic to Clear Lake, Lake County, California, United States listed as threatened under the California Endangered Species Act (ESA) and a candidate for listing under the United States ESA. It exhibits a potamodromous life cycle whereby adults, which reach up to 6 + years in age and over 350 mm in length, migrate into Clear Lake's ephemeral tributaries briefly during spring to spawn. Conservation and management of Clear Lake Hitch is inhibited, in part, by a lack of information on the lacustrine habitat of nonbreeding individuals within Clear Lake. To address this problem, we sampled Clear Lake Hitch with gill nets in a stratified random sampling design to determine the distribution and habitat associations in early summer 2017 and 2018. We identified abundance-habitat relationships for juveniles and adults using Bayesian zero-inflated negative binomial generalised linear mixed modelling. Results indicated that dissolved oxygen concentration was the most important habitat feature measured; juveniles and adults were substantially more abundant in normoxic (≥2 mg/l) than in hypoxic (<2 mg/l) habitat. Both also exhibited weak positive relationships with chlorophyll fluorescence, suggesting relatively productive habitats may support higher numbers of Clear Lake Hitch. Spatially, juveniles were most abundant in nearshore habitats while adults were ubiquitous, indicating an ontogenetic habitat expansion that may be associated with a resource availability-predation risk trade-off. Management actions undertaken to improve hypoxia problems in Clear Lake would also improve Clear Lake Hitch habitat.     

An understated danger: Antimicrobial resistance in aquaculture and pet fish in Switzerland,a retrospective study from 2000 to 2017

Aquaculture is a rapidly growing field of food production. However, morbidity and mortality are higher in aquaculture species than in domestic animals. Bacterial diseases are a leading cause of farmed fish morbidity and are often treated with antimicrobials. Since most Swiss fish farms release effluents directly into surface water without treatment and since aquaculture fish are consumed by humans, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and multi-resistance in aquaculture fish are important for environmental and public health. In this study, AMR tests for 14 antimicrobials were performed on 1,448 isolates from 1,134 diagnostic laboratory submissions from farmed and ornamental fish submissions for the period from 2000 to 2017. Amoxicillin, gentamycin and norfloxacin had the lowest proportion of resistant samples. However, AMR was highly variable over time. Resistance proportions were higher in: (a) ornamental fish compared with farmed fish, (b) fish from recirculation systems compared with those from other farming systems and (c) isolates originating from skin compared with those originating from inner organs. Multiple resistances were common. The results of this study provide useful data for Swiss fish veterinarians and some interesting hypotheses about risk factors for AMR in aquaculture and pet fish in Switzerland. However, further research is needed to define risk factors.     

基于不同人工鱼巢研究黄颡鱼的产卵偏好性

为探索黄颡鱼(Pelteobagrus fulvidraco)繁殖时期对人工鱼巢的偏好性, 2018年6—7月开展了不同水温条件下黄颡鱼对不同鱼巢颜色和材质产卵偏好性的对比实验。实验用产卵鱼巢为半球形棕榈空鱼巢(直径25 cm,深12 cm);同规格内部放置4～6枚碎石块的棕榈鱼巢和塑料鱼巢;折叠6层尼龙渔网(30cm×40cm)和棕榈片(30cm×40cm)鱼巢,于水泥池(290 cm×120 cm×100 cm)内开展两种温度区间条件下产卵偏好性实验。实验用黄颡鱼亲本雌雄比例为1:1,雌鱼体长(167.8±19.0)mm,体重(99.9±21.7)g;雄鱼体长(235.1±18.8)mm,体重(188.5±38.1)g。结果表明,在24～26℃水环境下,半球形棕色棕榈(无石子)鱼巢内个体平均附卵量为628.49粒/m2,个体单位面积平均附卵率为2.77%;28～32℃水环境下,半球形棕榈(无石子)个体平均附卵量为225.48粒/m2,个体单位面积平均附卵率为1.40%。结果分析发现, 24～26℃是黄颡鱼产卵的最适水温区间;黄颡鱼对棕色鱼巢产卵偏好显著(P0.05),而对灰色、粉色、黄色和绿色无明显偏好;黄颡鱼对半球形棕榈(无石子)鱼巢产卵偏好显著(P0.05),而对其他材质鱼巢的偏好性依次为:半球形棕榈(有石子)平铺棕榈片悬挂棕榈片半球形塑料水泥池。可见,黄颡鱼产卵的最佳偏好为24～26℃水环境下棕色半球形棕榈鱼巢。本研究结果对黄颡鱼的人工繁殖、产沉黏性卵鱼类产卵场的修复和资源增殖有重要的指导意义。     

水产养殖鱼类生长性状研究进展

生长性状是水产养殖鱼类最重要的经济性状之一,对水产养殖业的发展意义重大。通过以不同的养殖鱼类为对象,大量的研究结果表明,鱼类生长主要受环境、基因,以及基因与环境相互作用的影响,具体为:(1)环境是生长性状调控的外因,其对生长的影响一般呈现出剂量效应的规律。温度、光照、营养等主要环境因子的过量和不足均可能对鱼类生长产生不利影响,因此,寻求最优条件是制定最佳养殖环境的终极目标,人为调控多种环境因子在现代水产养殖业中具有重大的应用潜力。(2)基因是生长性状调控的内因,其对生长的影响很大程度上表现出因果效应的关系。某些基因的单碱基核苷酸多样性、基因结构变异、染色体倍性变化,以及转基因等都表现出对鱼类生长产生统计显著性的影响。鉴于生长是多基因控制的复杂数量性状,寻找主效基因并在选育中加以利用是改良生长性状的重要基础。高通量测序技术在生长相关候选基因的筛选以及辅助分子育种方面展现出强大的优势。(3)基因与环境相互作用的影响主要来自基因型对不同环境条件的适应性,具有特异性和复杂性的特点,因此目前对其量化研究非常有限。但在制定大规模商业育种计划之前,考虑基因与环境相互作用具有重要意义。综上所述,充分理解环境、基因,以及基因与环境相互作用对水产养殖鱼类生长的影响能更好地对其生长性状加以利用,从而最大限度地节约养殖成本和发挥生态效益。     

DNA barcoding of fish eggs collected off northwestern Cuba and across the Florida Straits demonstrates egg transport by mesoscale eddies

Identifying spawning sites for broadcast spawning fish species is a key element of delineating critical habitat for managing and regulating marine fisheries. Genetic barcoding has enabled accurate taxonomic identification of individual fish eggs, overcoming limitations of morphological classification techniques. In this study, planktonic fish eggs were collected at 23 stations along the northwestern coast of Cuba and across the Florida Straits to United States waters. A total of 564 fish eggs were successfully identified to 89 taxa within 30 families, with the majority of taxa resolved to species. We provide new spawning information for Luvarus imperialis (Louvar), Bothus lunatus (Plate Fish), Eumegistus illustris (Brilliant Pomfret), and many economically important species. Data from most sites supported previously established patterns of eggs from neritic fish species being found on continental shelves and oceanic species spawning over deeper waters. However, some sites deviated from this pattern, with eggs from reef‐associated fish species detected in the deep waters of the Florida Straits and pelagic species detected in the shallow, continental shelf waters off the coast of northwestern Cuba. Further investigation using satellite imagery revealed the presence of a mesoscale cyclonic eddy that likely entrained neritic fish eggs and transported them into the Florida Straits. The technique of combining DNA‐based fish egg identification with remotely‐sensed hydrodynamics provides an important new tool for assessing the interplay of regional oceanography with fish spawning strategies.     

Effects of ferulic acid on growth performance,immunity and antioxidant status in genetically improved farmed tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fed oxidized fish oil

A study was conducted to characterize the effects of dietary oxidized fish oil on the growth performance, immunity and antioxidant status of genetically improved farmed tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and to determine the role of ferulic acid on the oxidative damage induced by the oxidized fish oil. The tilapia (13.73 ± 0.31 g) were fed four experimental diets containing untreated (peroxide value, POV: 2.2 meq/kg) and highly oxidized (POV: 120.6 meq/kg) fish oil either with or without ferulic acid (0 or 400 mg/kg) supplementation for 12 weeks. From the results, the oxidized fish oil treatments increased antioxidant enzyme activities and MDA values but decreased the weight gain and the immunological parameters in tilapia. Meanwhile, the serum biochemical indices were significantly affected by the oxidized fish oil. Besides, the addition of ferulic acid partially counteracted the free radical‐induced damage and improved the health status of tilapia. In conclusion, the oxidized fish oil may induce oxidative stress, destroy liver, dysregulate lipid metabolism as well as reduce non‐specific immunity, and eventually result in growth inhibition of tilapia. The ferulic acid supplementation partially offset the negative effects of the oxidized fish oil on tilapia.