Eastern little tuna,Euthynnus affinis (Cantor, 1849) mature and reproduce within 1 year of rearing in land‐based tanks

Eastern little tuna (ELT, Euthynnus affinis) is expected to see use as a novel aquaculture species due to its rapid growth and high economic value. In this study, closing of the complete life cycle of ELT in land‐based tanks was successfully carried out. Seed production of a first generation (F1) derived from wild‐caught ELT broodstock was conducted in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Survival percentages of F1 ELT at 365 days post hatching for the 2010, 2011 and 2012 year classes were 0.9%, 0.4% and 6.3% respectively. On average, F1 ELT were approximately 40 cm in total length and weighed 1500 g by the time they reached 1 year of age. Successful artificial induction of spawning was achieved in 1‐year‐old F1 ELT using a gonadotropin‐releasing hormone analogue (GnRHa). Induction of spawning was successful at the first administration of GnRHa in the 2010, 2011 and 2012 year classes. First spawning was observed at 4 or 5 days post implantation, which indicated that oogenesis and spermatogenesis progressed within 1 year of rearing in land‐based tanks. During spawning periods, the average number of fertilized eggs and the average number of hatched larvae per spawning event in the 2010, 2011 and 2012 year classes were 20,480 eggs day^?1 and 177 larvae day^?1, 39,423 eggs day^?1 and 9347 larvae day^?1, and 819,555 eggs day^?1 and 674,445 larvae day^?1 respectively. Therefore, it was concluded that both male and female ELT reared in land‐based tanks were capable of reproduction at 1 year of age.     

Growth performance and metabolic utilization of diets with native and waxy maize starch by gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) juveniles

The effect of dietary starch source and level on growth performance, feed utilization, apparent digestibility coefficients and liver enzyme activities involved in intermediary metabolism of gilthead sea bream juveniles was studied. Five isonitrogenous (47% crude protein) and isolipidic (15% crude lipids) diets were formulated to contain 10% native (diet NS10) or waxy (diet WS10) maize starch; 20% native (diet NS20) or waxy (diet WS20) maize starch or no starch (control). Diets were adjusted with α-cellulose. Another diet was formulated without carbohydrates, and contained 70% crude protein and 15% crude lipids (diet HP). Each diet was fed to triplicate groups of 30 fish (initial weight: 20 g) for 12 weeks. The HP group was fed to near satiation and the other 5 groups were fed on a pair-feeding scheme according to the group that ingested less feed (control diet group). The reduction of dietary protein level from 70% to 47% by the incorporation of 20% starch did not significantly affect gilthead sea bream growth performance or feed efficiency. Compared to the control diet, neither the level nor the nature of starch had any measurable effect on growth performance and feed efficiency. Digestibility of starch was unaffected by source or dietary inclusion level. Diet had no effect on plasma glucose levels, but liver glycogen was higher in diet groups NS20, WS20 and HP. Dietary carbohydrates increased GK and G6PD enzyme activities and decreased ALAT and GDH enzyme activities while had only a minor effect on FBPase activity. The nature of dietary starch tested (native or waxy) had little influence on performance criteria.     

Avian predation on wild and cultured sea urchin <Emphasis Type="Italic">Strongylocentrotus intermedius</Emphasis> in a rocky shore habitat

ABSTRACT:   The present study reports the annual variation in consumption of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius by avian predators on a rocky shore where the culture of sea urchins has been conducted. Carrion crow and a few gull species were the most abundant avian predators and consumed a large number of sea urchins. Crows consumed mostly natural sea urchins, approximately 36 kg ww/ha per year on the intertidal rocky bench, but the gull species consumed mostly cultured sea urchins, approximately 100 kg ww/ha per year in the culture area. The seasonal variation in the amount of sea urchins consumed by crows was higher than that by the gull species, presumably because of the difference in foraging behavior in association with the seasonal tidal cycle. The natural sea urchins consumed are an allochthonous input from the subtidal to the intertidal habitat, and thus, crow predation may not affect the natural and the cultured populations of the sea urchin. The gull species consumed much of the cultured sea urchin, and thus, may be regarded as an effective predator causing damage to sea urchin culture. The results suggest that further studies are needed to determine why the gull species selectively feed on cultured sea urchins.     

Host preference of adult Caligus elongatus Nordmann in the laboratory and its implications for Atlantic cod aquaculture

The sea louse Caligus elongatus utilizes a range of marine fish species as hosts, and it has been suggested that fish farms are infected with adult C. elongatus from wild fish hosts. We assessed experimentally whether dislodged lice return to their original host species. Adult lice from wild lumpfish and saithe were presented to lumpfish, sea trout, Atlantic cod, saithe and European plaice. All fish species became infected. Lumpfish and cod were strongly preferred, followed by saithe, trout and plaice. Lice from wild saithe showed a preference for saithe and lumpfish, followed by cod, sea trout and plaice. The mtCO1 gene was used to determine the genotypes of the lice. Lice from lumpfish were genotype 1. Lice from saithe were mainly genotype 2. The two genotypes of C. elongatus differed slightly in their host preferences: lice from saithe were less discriminating. The data support the hypothesis that adult C. elongatus may transfer between different host species. Cod is an attractive host for lice from both lumpfish and saithe, which suggests that C. elongatus may become a serious pest of farmed cod.     

The sea louse Lepeophtheirus acutus (Caligidae, Siphonostomatoida, Copepoda) as a pathogen of aquarium-held elasmobranchs

Lepeophtheirus acutus Heegaard, 1943 (Caligidae, Siphonostomatoida, Copepoda), was collected from or observed on four of six elasmobranch species held at Burgers’ Zoo (Arnhem, The Netherlands). Circumstantial evidence suggested that a zebra shark, Stegostoma fasciatum (Hermann), from the wild carried the infection into the facility, where copepods reproduced and colonized additional hosts. Copepods typically attached on and about the eyes, in the mouth and occasionally about the cloaca and on the claspers. Severe ocular lesions were associated with infections on zebra sharks, a grey reef shark, Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos (Bleeker), whitetip reef sharks, Triaenodon obesus (Rüppell), and giant shovelnose ray, Rhinobatos typus Bennett, while blacktip reef sharks, Carcharhinus melanopterus (Quoy & Gaimard), and blacktip sharks, Carcharhinus limbatus (Valenciennes), living in infested aquaria showed no sign of infection. Water treatments using trichlorfon were considered primarily responsible for the eradication of copepods from hosts and infested aquaria. This case is the first report of a copepod infection being closely associated with disease and death of an aquarium‐held elasmobranch. Given its ability to infect a wide variety of elasmobranchs and promote life‐threatening lesions on some hosts, L. acutus should be considered a dangerous pathogen of captive elasmobranchs.     

大连海域刺参原产地大型底栖动物群落结构调查及修复策略

2014年6月,按照海洋资源调查规范,调查北黄海大连沿岸的刺参Apostichopus japonicas原产区中的旅顺口区塔河湾附近海域和大连金州新区城山头海滨地貌保护区海域内大型底栖动物的种类、密度、生物量,计算优势种、生物多样性和群落物种相似性,探讨其修复策略。结果表明,两处海域刺参生境大型底栖动物群落结构基本相同,优势种组成相似,优势类群均为软体动物;物种组成因饵料条件及周边海域底质不同呈现差异性分化;两处海域内海星类与刺参的密度比分别约为1∶3和1∶1,海星类与刺参的生物量比值与密度比相同;海星类与海胆类密度比均约为1∶1和3∶1,海星类与刺参及海胆类密度和的比分别为1∶4和1∶1,海胆类与刺参密度比均约为1∶2。根据调查结果认为刺参生境和增养殖区的养护、修复策略为:(1)多种共养,以参为主;(2)控制海星,适度增殖海胆;(3)提高初级生产力,降低污染。     

Cloning and expression analysis of innate immune genes from red sea bream to assess different susceptibility to megalocytivirus infection

As suggested by the Office International des Epizooties (OIE), fishes belonging to the genus Oplegnathus are more sensitive to megalocytivirus infection than other fish species including red sea bream (Pagrus major). To assess the roles of the innate immune response to these different susceptibilities, we cloned the genes encoding inflammatory factors including IL‐8 and COX‐2, and the antiviral factor like Mx from red sea bream for the first time and performed phylogenetic and structural analysis. Analysed expression levels of IL‐1β, IL‐8 and COX‐2 and the antiviral factor like Mx genes performed with in vivo challenge experiment showed no difference in inflammatory gene expression or respiratory burst activity between red sea bream and rock bream (Oplegnathus fasciatus). However, the Mx gene expression levels in red sea bream were markedly higher than those in rock bream, suggesting the importance of type I interferon (IFN)‐induced proteins, particularly Mx, during megalocytivirus infection, rather than inflammation‐related genes. The in vitro challenge experiments using embryonic primary cultures derived from both fish species showed no difference in cytopathic effects (CPE), viral replication profiles, and inflammatory and Mx gene expression pattern between the two fish species.     

海参加工业清洁生产评价指标体系的构建

海参加工业是我国北方重要的水产品加工行业之一。近年来,随着市场需求的不断增大,海参加工产品产量逐年增加,海参加工业面临的环境问题日益凸显。为了促进我国海参加工业的清洁生产,保证产业的可持续发展,本研究基于我国清洁生产技术体系及海参加工行业的特点,构建了由生产工艺及装备等6个一级指标和加工工艺等24个二级指标组成的海参加工业清洁生产评价指标体系,并选择两家案例企业进行清洁生产水平的评价。研究结果表明,案例企业的清洁生产水平均为Ⅱ级:国内清洁生产先进水平;通过案例分析结果与企业生产现状的对比,证明本指标体系具有一定的科学性、可操作性和适用性。根据评价结果对两家案例企业提出了改变能源类型、提高废弃物资源利用率的清洁生产改进措施,为我国水产品加工行业的清洁生产提供了借鉴与参考。     

不同地区黄瓜霜霉病菌毒力的差异

为选择黄瓜抗性品种,对来自全国8个省市18个黄瓜霜霉病菌株的孢子囊长度和宽度进行研究,以期明确定黄瓜霜霉病在各地区间的差异。结果表明:18个黄瓜霜霉病菌株的孢子囊存在差异,来自同一城市的菌株间差异不显著,并从供试的10个黄瓜品种中筛选出7个对不同致病菌株反应型各异,抗病感病界限明显的品种,可初步作为黄瓜霜霉病菌生理小种分化的鉴别寄主,利用所筛选出的鉴别寄主将18个菌株分为12个致病性类型。