Pigmentation and eye migration in Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus L.) larvae: new findings and hypotheses

Atlantic halibut juveniles, which have been fed Artemia during larval development, frequently demonstrate malpigmentation and impaired eye migration. This is in contrast to the high percentage of normally developed larvae fed copepods, reared under similar conditions. Nutrition is therefore an important component influencing larval development. Analyses of the nutrient composition of Artemia and copepods show that Atlantic halibut larvae fed Artemia probably receive sufficient amounts of vitamin A by converting canthaxanthin, while iodine may be deficient, possibly leading to interrupted thyroid hormone synthesis. An unbalanced fatty acid composition, such as high levels of arachidonic acid and low levels of docosahexaenoic acid, can be another limiting factor in Artemia. Vitamin A, fatty acids and thyroid hormones have all been shown to affect pigmentation in flatfish. They are ligands to nuclear receptors, thyroid hormone receptors, retinoic acid receptors, retinoic X receptors and peroxisomal proliferator‐activated receptors, which are members of the superfamily of steroid hormone receptors. The receptors interact with each other to promote gene expression that modulates proliferation and differentiation of cells. Our hypothesis is that these interactions are important for development during flatfish metamorphosis. Very little data exist on the topic of impaired eye migration. However, energy limitation, iodine deficiency and an unbalanced fatty acid composition have been proposed as possible explanations. Here, we review the literature on development of pigment cells and the possible mechanisms behind the effects of vitamin A, fatty acids and thyroid hormone on pigmentation and eye migration during development of Atlantic halibut larvae.     

Fusarium incarnatum isolated from black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon Fabricius, with black gill disease cultured in Vietnam

Fusarium incarnatum was isolated from gill lesions of cultured black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon, in every crop during 2000-2002 in Nghe An province, Vietnam. Infected shrimps showed typical signs of black gill disease and mortalities about a month prior to harvest. Detailed morphological examinations, as well as molecular phylogenic analyses based on partial nucleotide sequences of ribosomal DNA, were made on the isolates. An artificial infection of kuruma prawn, Penaeus japonicus, using two selected isolates was also conducted and their pathogenicity determined.     

Influences of El Niño on assemblages of mesopelagic fish larvae along the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur

Seasonal assemblages of mesopelagic fish larvae and changes related with environmental factors (plankton biomass, sea surface temperature anomaly, upwelling, and the multivariate El Niño index) were investigated. From 1982 to 1987, 16 oceanographic cruises were carried out along the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico. Larvae of 42 mesopelagic fish taxa were collected. Larval abundance was highly variable during the studied period, but summer months coincided with higher abundance (>200 larvae under 10 m²). Larval assemblages were dominated by three of the most common species of tropical (Vinciguerria lucetia, Diogenichthys laternatus) and subtropical affinity (Triphoturus mexicanus). A group of species of tropical affinity (Diplophos proximus, Diaphus pacificus, Benthosema panamense) was useful for distinguishing the 1982–84 El Niño event, and an assemblage of larvae of temperate affinity (Symbolophorus californiensis, Melamphaes lugubris, Bathylagus ochotensis, Leuroglossus stilbius, Protomyctophum crockeri) characterized ‘normal’ years (mid‐1984 to mid‐1987).     

Effects of four egg desticking procedures on hatching rate and further survival and growth of larvae in the tench (Tinca tinca L.)

Four desticking procedures for tench eggs (A: tannic acid solution (1 g L⁻¹) for 15 s; B: alcalase enzyme solution (8 mL L⁻¹) for 60 s; C: alcalase enzyme solution (15 mL L⁻¹) for 120 s; D: Woynarovich and Woynarovich (1980) solution for 58 min followed by tannic acid solution (1 g L⁻¹) for 15 s) were tested to obtain data about influence on embryo survival to hatching stage and further survival and growth of the larvae. In the tannic acid and Woynarovich and Woynarovich (1980) treatment (A and D) few eggs stuck together and some were adhered to the incubator walls, whereas in the alcalase treatments (B and C) eggs neither stuck together nor adhered to the incubator walls. Percentages of hatched larvae did not show significant differences (mean values ranged between 47.4% in treatment A to 37.0% in treatment C). Larvae deformities observed were <0.5% in all cases. There were no significant differences among survival and growth rates of the larvae from different egg desticking origin, reaching, after 30 days, mean survival values around 90% and total length and weight of 12.5 mm and 19 mg respectively.     

饲料中添加氧化鱼油对黑鲷幼鱼生长的影响

研究了饲料中添加氧化鱼油对黑鲷（Acanthopagrus schlegeli）生长性能、脂质过氧化及肝组织结构的影响。分别以新鲜鱼油（过氧化物值POV，1．27meq O2·kg^-1油）与氧化酸败鱼油（POV，45meq O2·kg^-油）为脂肪源配制等蛋等能的两种配合饲料，投喂平均体重18．9g的黑鲷幼鱼9周。结果显示，氧化鱼油显著降低了黑鲷幼鱼的增重率（WG）、饲料效率（FE）及蛋白质效率（PER）（P〈0．05）。饲料中添加氧化鱼油导致鱼体蛋白质含量极显著降低（P〈0．01）、肝脏与肌肉中脂肪含量显著升高（P〈0．05），而对鱼体、肝脏及肌肉中的水分及灰分含量无显著影响（P〉0．05）。氧化鱼油组肝脏中脂质过氧化产物丙二醛（MDA）含量显著高于对照组，而维生素E含量则显著低于对照组（P〈0．05）。饲料中添加氧化鱼油显著影响黑鲷肝脏内主要抗氧化酶活性，氧化鱼油组肝脏中超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）与过氧化氢酶（CAT）活性显著高于对照组（P〈0．05）；组织学结果显示氧化鱼油组肝脏出现明显病变，细胞核多集中在肝细胞边缘，肝细胞变大。统计分析表明，氧化酸败油脂显著降低了黑鲷的生长性能，加重了组织中脂质过氧化的程度，并导致肝脏组织发生病变。     

盐度对真鲷受精卵发育及仔稚鱼生长的影响

在室内水池以溢水法收集真鲷 (Pagrosomusmajor)受精卵 ,并置于不同盐度海水中静水孵化 ,孵出仔鱼以流水培育。设置盐度梯度为 17.0、2 2 .0、2 7.0及自然盐度 3 3 .0 ,水温分别为 19.5～ 2 1.5℃ (孵化 )、2 0 .5～ 2 3 .5℃(培育 )。结果表明∶①真鲷受精卵在自然盐度海水中发育很好 ,孵化率较高 ( 85 .0 %～ 97.0 % ) ,畸形率较低 ( 3 .2 %～ 2 3 .7% ) ;在低盐度条件下静水孵化 ,发育不好 ,孵化率为 4 8.0 %～ 1.0 % ,且盐度越低 ,孵化率也越低。充气孵化时 ,盐度低至 17.0 ,孵化率有时也可达 97.1% ,但畸形率高达 85 .7%～ 10 0 %。②孵化仔鱼中有 2类畸形 ,第 1类畸形表现为身体或尾部弯曲 ,油球位于卵黄囊中部或前部 ,油球数多于 1个 ,盐度越低 ,畸形率越高 ;第 2类畸形表现为仔鱼膜膨大、围心腔扩大 ,这类畸形只出现于低盐度条件下 ,盐度越低 ,畸形率越高 ,且往往与第 1类畸形症状并发。③不同盐度对真鲷仔稚鱼的生长速度没有显著影响 ,各盐度条件仔稚鱼经 3 1d的培养 ,其平均全长为 19.6～ 2 0 .7mm( P >0 .0 5 ) ,没有显著的差别。④海水盐度越低 ,仔稚鱼的存活率越高 ,各组的平均存活率为 ,盐度17.0时 ,3 6.3 % ;盐度 2 2 .0时 ,3 6.2 % ;盐度 2 7.0时 ,2 7.1% ;盐度 3 3 .0时 ,16.3 %。     

Active habitat selection by pre-settlement reef fishes

Our understanding of habitat selection by reef fish larvae has changed dramatically in the last 10 years. Fish larvae have long been considered passive particles at the mercy of ocean currents, tides and weather events. For reef fishes, ecological evidence has shown that passive dispersal alone often cannot explain larval distributions, suggesting active behaviour by reef fish larvae. While behaviourally modified passive transport may be important, recent work demonstrates that some reef fish larvae have the capability to actively swim to settlement habitat. They can orientate to reefs from distances of at least 1 km and can swim at speeds of 13.5 cm s^?1 for several days. The question then becomes, what are the cues that fish larvae use to orientate to reefs? Ambient reef sound has been shown to be attractive to reef fish larvae, and current research aims to understand better the nature and use of these acoustic cues. Other potential cues include chemoreception/olfaction, wave cues and visual location of reefs. A better understanding of active habitat selection and the underlying sensory and behavioural mechanisms will improve our knowledge of recruitment processes in reef fish ecology, and may have implications for active management of reef fish populations.     

Characterization of chymotrypsin activity during early ontogeny of larval red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus)

The temporal evolution of chymotrypsin activity during early ontogeny of laboratory reared red drum larvae was accomplished using a combination of biochemical assays and electrophoretic methods (substrate SDS-PAGE). Optimal functional conditions for chymotrypsin were also determined. Chymotrypsin activity was first detected prior to the onset of exogenous feeding. Total chymotrypsin activity increased with age and standard length. Specific activity was greatest on day 10 post-hatch. Maximal chymotrypsin activity was observed at 50 °C, pH 7.8, and Ca²⁺ concentration of 25 mM. Using substrate gel electrophoresis and specific inhibitors the molecular weight of red drum chymotrypsin was estimated to be 26–27 kD. Our results indicate that the digestive system of red drum larvae is capable of alkaline proteolysis before first feeding and suggest that chymotrypsin may have potential as an indicator of nutritional condition.     

育苗水中添加微生物对河蟹苗成活率的影响

在中华绒螯蟹的育苗过程中，采用添加微生物的方法调节育苗水体的水质，结果表明：与对照池相比，试验池中的氨氮明显下降，溶氧量增加，pH值变化不大；河蟹各期幼体的成活率提高，从SouⅠ期幼体至大眼幼体，试验池的成活率为13.9%，对照池仅8.1%。因此，在河蟹的育苗生产上，利用添加有益微生物的水质循环装置，能有效地提高育苗产量，节约成本。     

不同体重阶段川藏黑猪和杜长大猪肌肉中氨基酸含量研究

为了研究不同猪种背最长肌中氨基酸沉积规律,试验采用高效液相色谱检测了不同体重梯度（90、110和130 kg）的川藏黑猪和杜长大（DLY）猪背最长肌中氨基酸含量。结果表明,谷氨酸在两猪种肌肉中含量最高,含硫氨基酸总量在90和130 kg体重梯度时表现为川藏黑猪显著高于DLY猪（P〈0.05）,110 kg体重梯度时极显著高于DLY猪（P〈0.01）,而同一猪种不同体重梯度间各种氨基酸组成差异均不显著（P〉0.05）,鲜味氨基酸占总氨基酸比例（FAA/TAA）在90 kg体重梯度表现为川藏黑猪极显著高于DLY猪（P〈0.01）,130 kg体重梯度时显著高于DLY猪（P〈0.05）。本研究说明川藏黑猪肌肉中与风味相关的氨基酸含量高于DLY猪,我们认为这也是川藏黑猪的肌肉风味比DLY猪更浓郁的重要原因之一。我们的研究初步揭示了不同猪种背最长肌中氨基酸的沉积规律及构成差异,为进一步研究猪肉风味形成机理提供数据。