Comparison of harvested rate and nacre deposition parameters between cultured pearls issued from initial graft and second nucleus insertion in P. margaritifera

Cultured pearls produced with Pinctada margaritifera, using the surgreffe method (implantation of a second nucleus following pearl harvest) were studied for the first time to: (1) examine family effect on nacre thickness, nacre weight and nacre deposition speed and (2) compare variation in these three traits with that obtained from the cultured pearls previously harvested after the corresponding initial grafts. A surgreffe experiment using 783 recipient oysters was realized in Rangiroa atoll (French Polynesia). After 24 months of culture, 389 cultured pearls were harvested. Significant donor family effect was found for the harvested pearl rate from surgreffe (P = 0.046). Highly significant donor family effect was recorded for nacre thickness (P = 0.004). Very highly significant donor family effects were recorded for nacre weight and nacre deposition speed (P < 0.0001). Comparison between surgreffe and initial graft showed: (1) no significant effect for the average cultured pearl rate harvested (P = 0.052) and average cultured pearl nacre deposition speed (P = 0.622) and (2) very highly significant differences (P < 0.0001) for the average cultured pearl nacre thickness and nacre weight. This study highlighted three major implications for pearl industry management: (1) donor family effect was maintained from initial graft to surgreffe, for nacre thickness, weight and deposition speed, (2) the persistence of the pearl sac metabolic activity over three years of culture and (3) the relation between harvested pearl rate and the size of the nucleus inserted in the pearl sac.     

Salinity and geomorphology drive long‐term changes to local and regional fish assemblage attributes in the lower Pecos River,Texas

River systems throughout arid regions worldwide have been heavily impacted by human activities, resulting in long‐term ecological consequences. The lower Pecos River in the Trans‐Pecos region of Texas is no exception, having undergone anthropogenic changes that include decreased flow, elevated salinity, species loss and species invasion. We compared historical and contemporary fish assemblage attributes from the Pecos River at local (site‐specific) and regional (Trans‐Pecos region) scales across a 24‐year time period. Fish assemblage data were collected in October 1987 and 2011, by seining at 15 sites spanning 430 km of the river in Texas. Additionally, we examined contemporary environmental conditions to determine species–environment relationships. We found that fish assemblages were significantly different between time periods, likely due to increased salinisation in the upper half of the study region. Decreased species richness, species replacement and increases in euryhaline species were documented in the upstream sites. Freshwater springs lower the salinity and maintain flows in the downstream reach, allowing for maintenance of the native fish fauna. Careful management of regional aquifers, irrigation practices and petroleum waste water will be necessary for protecting biodiversity and environmental flows in the lower Pecos River.     

斑点叉尾［鱼回］苗种全长与体重的关系

本文运用生物学统计方法对2700尾斑点叉尾［鱼回］苗种全长与体重的关系进行了研究。结果表明,在本试验条件下,斑点叉尾［鱼回］苗种全长主要集中在15．5—17．5cm,体重主要集中在20～35g;体重与全长之间存在极显著相关关系;体重与全长之间的关系主要表现为幂函数关系,其关系式为Y=0．009X2．933。     

The loss of genetic diversity in Dabry's sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus,Dumeril) as revealed by DNA fingerprinting

• 1. Dabry's sturgeon, a large, long‐lived migratory fish is endemic to the Yangtze River. Over‐fishing and habitat destruction have caused large‐scale declines in natural stocks in the last two decades.
• 2. Examining patterns of genetic diversity has become an integral component of many management plans for endangered species. DNA fingerprinting was applied to detect genetic diversity in Dabry's sturgeon collected in 1958–1959, 1980–1981 and 1998–1999.
• 3. Studies on direct genetic parameters (genetic variability, hypervariable loci and heterozygosity) and indirect parameters (band‐sharing coefficient and allelic frequency) showed that the continuous decline in wild populations has caused the loss of genetic diversity in present‐day sturgeon.
• 4. The present‐day populations have the lowest genetic variability; thus, effective management is needed to preserve genetic diversity.
• 5. A conservation strategy is urgently required, comprising artificial rearing facilities coupled with breeding management plans.

Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Relationships among condition indices, feeding and growth of walleye in Lake Erie

Abstract  Condition indices are often used as surrogates of fish health, growth, and feeding and to compare ecological well-being among fish populations. In an effort to identify easily measured indices, growth and food consumption were compared with gonadal-somatic index, liver-somatic index (LSI), fat-somatic index and relative weight ( W _r) for ages 1–3 walleye, Sander vitreus (Mitchill), in Lake Erie from 1986 to 1988. The LSI and W _r were significantly correlated with growth rate or food consumption, but correlations were too small to be considered biologically meaningful. Furthermore, no consistent relationships between condition indices and growth or consumption were found among combinations of fish age and season. None of the indices are considered reliable surrogates for more laborious estimates of growth and food consumption for Lake Erie walleye. Significant relationships between W _r and relative abundance of key prey species warrant further investigation.     

Heritability estimates and response to selection for growth of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in low-input earthen ponds

This study presents results of two generations of selection (G₁ and G₂) for growth of Nile tilapia. The selection environment consisted of earthen ponds which were fertilized daily with 50 kg dry matter (dm)/ha chicken manure. No supplementary feeds were provided. In total, 6429 fully pedigreed experimental fish were included in the analysis. Survival till harvest was highly variable ranging from 35% to 77% and was affected by initial weight, pond, and age effects. Body weight at harvest (BW) increased from a mean of 67.4 g in the grandparental (unselected) population (G₀) to 129.5 g in G₂ was affected by initial weight, pond, sex and age effects. Generations were discrete and therefore genetic parameters were estimated separately for each year. Heritability estimates for BW ranged from 0.38 to 0.60, and the heritability for survival ranged from 0.03 to 0.14. The estimated selection response was 23.4 g (34.7%) between G₀ and G₁ and 13.0 g (14.9%) between G₁ and G₂. These results demonstrate the feasibility of selection for growth of Nile tilapia in low-input environments.     

Phenotypic indicators for cultured pearl size improvement in the black‐lipped pearl oyster (Pinctada margaritifera): towards selection for the recipient growth performance

The black‐lipped pearl oyster, Pinctada margaritifera, is the most important farmed species in French Polynesia and the basis of the most valuable export industry. Mass production of black pearls relies on a surgical operation requiring tissue from a donor pearl oyster to be grafted, together with a nucleus made of shell, into the gonad of a recipient oyster. Improving pearl size through family selection remains one of the main challenges for future aquaculture development. This study analyses the relative contribution of donor and recipient oysters to pearl size. To this end, hatchery‐produced donor oysters of two batches, large and small (based on shell height), were used to supply grafts for recipients, which were then monitored individually for their growth performance by recording shell height, width, and thickness, and total live weight (flesh + shells) every 6 months (four biometric measurement times) over 20 months of culture. Pearls issued from the two batches of donors showed no significant differences in nacre weight or thickness. In contrast, recipient oyster shell height and total weight were increasingly positively correlated with these pearl size parameters over the culture period, becoming significant at 8 months post‐grafting. Potential therefore exists to use shell height and oyster weight as phenotypic indicators for selective breeding of recipient oysters with high growth performance to increase pearl size in P. margaritifera.     

种猪体重测量新方法初探

本文简述了体重测量在种猪饲养生产管理中的必要性,通过分析种猪各个体尺与体重之间的关系,探讨了一种无接触式的新测量方法,即用计算机视觉技术无接触地来估算体尺和预测体重,这种方法可以解决了传统测量方法的弊端,减少人力物力,避免由于猪的应激反应而给生产带来的损失,在种猪的科学饲养管理中具有重要的现实意义。     

中国对虾不同生长阶段对蛋白质,脂肪,糖类和无机盐的需求

设计不同蛋白质,脂肪,无机盐,糖类配比的９个配方饵料,对中国对虾前,中,后３个生长阶段进行了饲喂试验。结果：各营养要素影响对虾增重的顺序第生阶段为脂肪〉蛋白质〉无机盐〉糖类,最适量为７％,４０％,１３％,２０％;第二阶段为蛋白质〉脂肪〉糖类〉无机盐,阳适量为４５％,５％,２３％,１３％;     

不同生长期圆斑星鲽形态性状对体重影响的通径分析

圆斑星鲽(Verasper variegatus)作为中国鲽形目(Pleuronectiformes)养殖鱼类的重要代表种类,具有生长速度快,可食用部分多,肉质细嫩等特点。为了探究圆斑星鲽形态性状与体重的关系,本研究分别测定11月龄、14月龄和17月龄3个不同生长期圆斑星鲽的体重及全长(FL)、体长(BL)、体高(BH)、头长(HL)、头高(HH)、尾柄长(CL)、尾柄高(CH)、吻长(SL)共计8个形态性状,分别进行相关分析和通径分析,剖析形态性状对于体重的直接作用和间接作用;利用回归分析的方法,建立各个时期以形态指标为自变量,体重为因变量的最优线性回归方程。结果显示,1)不同生长阶段,影响体重的重点形态指标存在差异,影响11月龄圆斑星鲽体重的主要形态性状为体高和体长,14月龄阶段为全长、体高和头长,17月龄阶段为全长和体高;2)11月龄、14月龄和17月龄形态性状对体重(Y)的多元回归方程分别为:Y=-186.412+17.381XBH+10.517XBL,Y=-362.484+13.145XFL+20.172XBH+21.199XHL,Y=-816.147+24.121XFL+40.575XBH;3)除本研究所包括的形态指标外,体厚可能为另外一个影响圆斑星鲽体重的重要指标。本研究阐明了体重与形态指标间的相关关系,为圆斑星鲽的良种选育提供了生物学依据。