Preliminary evidences of colour differences in European sea bass reared under organic protocols

Product diversification, among which organic farming, is an important issue in modern aquaculture activities. Discriminating organic vs. conventional products is complex, but appearance may help in tracing different batches of produce. To test this fact, sea basses were fed a commercial or an organic diet, and fishes of each different group were photographed before and during the experiment. Body landmarks were digitized on each colour-calibrated (using the TPS-3D algorithm) image; on the basis of landmarks configuration, the RGB matrices were warped using a geometric morphometrics procedure. The calibrated colour matrix of each warped individual (195 × 135,225) was analyzed with a 50–50 MANOVA, followed by a partial least squares discriminant analysis. Finally, a cluster analysis on the diet/time groups was performed. Growth and changes in condition factor over time are not dependent on the rearing method. Colour (as represented by the pixel vector) does depend on time and on rearing method, based on the MANOVA method used. Standard length and condition factor were not good predictors of colour. The partial least square discriminant analysis was highly effective in detecting colour differences on the basis of the fish diet. The 9-group dendrogram showed that the wild sample and the organic fish cluster together. The head, darker in fishes raised conventionally, is the part showing the greatest difference; the longer the life spent under the 2 regimens, the stronger the differences. In conclusion, these preliminary results demonstrate that a colorimetric analysis is able to distinguish 2 batches of fishes fed different diets in different environmental conditions and – in the present instance – to certify the organically grown sea basses.     

长江和闽江水系野生中华绒螯蟹及其养殖子一代形态特征比较

为鉴别长江与闽江野生水系中华绒螯蟹(Eriocheir sinensis)及其养殖子一代,运用基于地标点法的几何形态测量学方法研究两群体野生个体及其养殖子一代头胸甲的形态特征差异。先通过地标点法提取头胸甲上特征点的坐标值,然后进行相对扭曲主成分分析和判别分析来区分4群体头胸甲,最后利用薄板样条分析和网格变形将头胸甲形态变异矢量可视化。结果表明:长江和闽江水系野生个体被完全分为两块较集中的区域,而两野生群体养殖子一代频繁交叉出现,各组不能形成较集中区域;网格变形图显示各群体头胸甲的形态差异主要为额刺和侧刺长度;逐步判别分析中两野生群体的判别准确率均为100%,而两野生群体养殖子一代判别准确率为40%~60%,存在明显的错判风险;聚类分析先将两野生群体养殖子代聚为一类,然后与长江野生个体聚为独立的一支,最终与闽江野生个体相聚。综上,长江与闽江野生中华绒螯蟹形态特征差异较大,但这些形态特征差异在人工养殖一代后基本消失,因此形态学特征不能区分长江与闽江野生中华绒螯蟹养殖子一代。     

Inter- and intraspecific morphometric variation and characterization of Phytophthora isolates from cocoa

Difficulties in the accurate identification of the Phytophthora species responsible for black pod disease of cocoa continue to hamper effective disease control. A re-evaluation of morphological characters ( Brasier & Griffin, 1979 ) and a detailed morphometric analysis of 161 Phytophthora isolates largely associated with black pod disease of cocoa from 17 countries worldwide have shown considerable inter- and intraspecific variation. Stable and more reliable parameters for the identification of the species responsible for the disease have been determined. Colony characteristics such as pattern and growth rate on V8 agar are reasonably characteristic for the cocoa Phytophthora species, and can be used to make preliminary identification to species level. Significant sporangial character variation was found within isolates of species from the same and different sources, highlighting the difficulties in making accurate identification on the basis of raw morphological data. Pedicel length was found to be the most consistent species-linked sporangial characteristic. Cluster plots of length/breadth ratios of sporangia versus reciprocals of sporangial pedicel length clearly separated all isolates into distinct species groups ( P. capsici , P. citrophthora , P. palmivora and P. megakarya ) and can be used reliably to identify accurately those pathogens involved in black pod disease outbreaks.     

2个纯合体色品系大瓶螺的几何形态测量学研究

为了探究大瓶螺(Pomacea canaliculata)体色、性别与贝壳形态之间的关系,运用几何形态测量学方法,对来自于人工繁育的F5纯合体色品系37只深褐色个体(26♀♀,11♂♂)、34只黄色个体(14♀♀,20♂♂)贝壳的正壳口观、壳口观、壳顶观进行地标标点,获得贝壳的形态信息。运用主成分分析和典型变量分析,检测出不同体色、性别个体间的差异。通过各个标点对于相对扭曲的贡献率,探究其形态变化趋势。主成分分析结果表明,不同体色个体的贝壳形态存在着明显差异,正壳口观较壳口观及壳顶观更能体现贝壳差异;而不同体色的贝壳差异均不及相同体色不同性别个体间贝壳的差异。典型变量分析结果通过普氏距离和马氏距离得以反映,所有组别间的马氏距离均有显著性差异,而普氏距离仅在壳顶观的深褐色和黄色雌螺间以及壳顶观的深褐色和黄色雄螺间无显著差异;对正壳口观各标点对相对扭曲的贡献率分析表明,贝壳形态的变化主要集中在壳口上半部,支持不同体色和性别的大瓶螺在贝壳形态上存在显著差异的结论。发掘大瓶螺中所存在的这些差异对探究不同体色个体的适应性差异提供了重要参考,也表明几何形态测量学可以作为贝壳形态研究的有效方法应用于贝类形态学和种群分析等研究中。     

2种大洋性柔鱼类角质颚形态识别法的比较

依据中国鱿钓船2013年8~10月在北太平洋海域采集的柔鱼(Ommastrephes bartramii)和2014年4~7月在中东太平洋海域采集的茎柔鱼(Dosidicus gigas)样本,分别运用传统测量学法和傅里叶分析法对2种柔鱼类的角质颚进行识别,并对结果进行比较分析。运用传统测量学法共选取了12项角质颚参数值比较形态差异;角质颚外部轮廓形态通过软件转化为20组傅里叶代码(EFDs)后选取77个傅里叶值进行判别分析。结果表明,2种柔鱼类上、下角质颚形态在上头盖长(UHL)、上脊突长(UCL)、上喙长(URL)、上喙宽(URW)、上侧壁长(ULWL)、下脊突长(LCL)、下喙长(LRL)、下喙宽(LRW)、下侧壁长(LLWL)、下翼长(LWL)中存在显著性差异(P0.01),上翼长(UWL)、下头盖长(LHL)不存在显著性差异(P0.05)。主成分分析结果显示,传统测量法中下喙长(LRL)和下喙宽(LRW)与胴长(ML)之比主成分得分最高;傅里叶分析法显示上角质颚前16主成分可以解释总变异的83.58%;下角质颚前16主成分可以解释变异的73.76%。逐步判别分析将上头盖长(UHL)、上喙长(URL)、上侧壁长(ULWL)、下头盖长(LHL)、上喙长(URL)、上喙宽(URW)与胴长(ML)之比纳入判别分析函数,总别正确率为95%;傅里叶分析法将18个傅里叶值纳入判别函数,上颚总判别率为97.6%;下颚总判别率为85.7%。总体而言,2种方法对柔鱼类角质颚判别均有效,且上颚区分效果更明显。本文为头足类的种类判别提供了更多的且有效的识别方法。     

Shape ontogeny and variation in the sharpsnout seabream, Diplodus puntazzo (Cetti 1777)

Shape ontogeny of Diplodus puntazzo was studied during the larval and metamorphosis phase (2.6–33.0 mm total length (TL)) by means of geometric morphometrics. Additionally, shape comparison was performed between newly settled wild individuals of D. puntazzo (11.0–18.0 mm TL) and reared of the same TL range. Results clearly demonstrated that shape ontogeny of D. puntazzo is not continuous during the studied period, but it is characterized by the presence of two inflection points (at 6.2 and 11.4 mm TL), which define three phases of significantly different rates of shape development (P<0.05). Spline diagrams demonstrated that shape ontogeny mainly correlated with the development of fins, caudal peduncle, snoot and the ventral abdominal profile. Concerning the comparison of reared fish with wild fish, morphometric analysis revealed a significant effect of fish origin on the shape of D. puntazzo (Wilks' λ=0.147, P<0.001). Shape differences between the two populations were mainly demonstrated at the caudal peduncle and at the ventral profile of the abdominal area. Combined with the results of shape ontogeny, spline diagrams showed that shape differences between the two populations were related to the comparatively more advanced ontogenetic state of reared fish, at the studied size range.     

Effects of antibiotic‐induced differences in bacterial load on growth and shape of early larval European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.)

The aim of the present study was to quantify the effects of antibiotic‐induced differences in bacterial load on the size and shape of fish larvae, using Dicentrarchus labrax of day after hatching (DAH) 3 as a case study. They were split in two treatment groups and reared in 50 ml vials until DAH 14, with the control treatment (“NA”) including larvae reared in filtered autoclaved seawater without antibiotics, while the second (“A”) included larvae reared in filtered autoclaved seawater with rifampicin, ampicillin, kanamycin, trimethoprim and gentamicin, with a concentration of 10 mg/L each. They were sampled for bacterial presence on DAH 4, 7 and 14, and had their mortalities recorded, their total lengths, gut lengths, anal body depths, eye diameters, head depths, yolk sac lengths and yolk sac depths measured, and their outlines analysed on DAH 7 and 14. Treatment NA exhibited the highest mortalities on DAH 14. The antibiotics had a significant size effect, yielding larvae with larger total length on DAH 7 and 14, larger bodies on DAH 7, and on DAH 14 larger anal body depth and greater variance in body size. Their effect on outline shape was also significant in both age classes, with increasing differences from DAH 7 to DAH 14. On DAH 7, “A” specimens were more uniform in their dorso‐ventral development, and on DAH 14 “NA” had more slender shapes. The beneficial total length and size effects and the witnessed shape effects might be associated with the low bacterial presence.