Induced Maturation and Spawning of the Chinese Catfish Clarias fuscus

Chinese catfish ( Clarias fuscus ) were successfully spawned in Hawaii using human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) at dosage rates of two and four international units (IU) per gram body weight. Fish not injected with HCG did not produce viable eggs. Successful spawns with HCG occurred between May and October. Hatch rates of up to 80% were obtained during June, July, and August for those fish given either a 2 or 4 IU per gram body weight injection of HCG. Fish spawned in either May or October yielded significantly higher hatch rates when injected with 4 rather than 2 IU per gram body weight. Fish held at elevated temperatures (28 to 30 C) prior to the normal spawning season developed significantly larger oocyte diameters, 60 days earlier than fish held under ambient temperature conditions (21.5 to 24 C). Photoperiod manipulation at ambient temperature conditions was associated with earlier oocyte maturation, but photoperiod effects were much less important than temperature.     

Experimental Neospora Caninum Infection in Pregnant Dairy Heifers Raises Concentrations of Pregnancy‐Associated Glycoproteins 1 and 2 in Foetal Fluids

Plasma concentrations of PAG‐1 are used for pregnancy diagnosis and as a marker of placental/foetal well‐being, while those of PAG‐2 may be an indicator of abortion risk in Neospora caninum‐infected cows. Studies have shown that N. caninum infection modifies PAG‐1 and PAG‐2 patterns in maternal blood plasma. However, no prior work has examined the effects of N. caninum infection on concentrations of PAGs in foetal fluids. In this study, PAG‐1, PAG‐2 and pH levels were determined in the amniotic and allantoic fluids of foetuses collected at 152 days of gestation from control uninfected dams and from dams experimentally infected with N. caninum on Day 110 of gestation. Foetal fluids from infected foetuses had significantly higher PAG‐2 concentrations (p = 0.026) and pH values (p = 0.02) than fluids from non‐infected foetuses. In infected foetuses, significantly higher concentrations of PAG‐1 (p < 0.001) and PAG‐2 (p < 0.001) were detected in fluid samples showing antibodies against N. caninum than those without antibodies. Moreover, pH values were significantly higher (p = 0.011) in foetal fluid samples with antibodies than in samples from non‐infected foetuses. In conclusion, this is the first report on the effect of N. caninum infection on PAG levels in foetal fluids. Our results indicate that following the experimental infection of dams with N. caninum on Day 110 of gestation, foetal fluids collected from the infected foetuses of these dams featured higher PAG‐1 and PAG‐2 levels and pH values than fluids from non‐infected controls, provided that the samples tested showed the presence of antibodies. The clinical implications of these findings are that following infection with N. caninum, most cows will experience some level of placental damage and that this injury correlates with foetal fluid PAG levels and pH.     

Tolerance of Snakehead Channa striatus to Ammonia at Different pH

Tolerance of snakehead Channa striatus to ammonia was tested at three pH levels (8.0, 9.0. and 10.0) in experimental tanks. At pH 8.0, ammonia LC50 estimates for snakehead at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h were >205.7, >203.5, 152.6, and 107.3 mg total ammonianitrogen (TAN)/L (or >10.3, >10.2, 7.6, and 5.4 mg NH₃-N/L), respectively. At pH 9.0, ammonia LC50 estimates at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h were >52.4, 62.8, 56.1, 43.4 mg TAN/L (or >18.0, 21.6, 19.3, and 14.9 mg NH₃-N/L), respectively. At pH 10.0, ammonia LC50 estimates at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h were 25.7, 21.6, 20.3, and 18.7 mg TAN/L (or 21.6, 18.1, 17.1, and 15.7 mg NH₃-N/L). respectively. Our data indicate that the tolerance of snakehead to ammonia was associated with pH. Thus, we recommend that snakehead should not be subjected to prolonged exposures of NH₃-N concentration more than 0.54 ma at pH 8.0, more than 1.49 mg/L at pH 9.0, or more than 1.57 mg/L at pH 10.0.     

Heavy Metal Content of Coho Oncorhynchus kisutch and Chinook Salmon O. tschawytscha Reared in Deep Upwelled Ocean Waters in Hawaii1

Coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and chinook salmon (O. tschawyrscha) were reared in seawater pumped from the 600 m depth at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii. Fish were reared in either 100% deep water at 11 C, or a mixture of 55% deep and 45% surface waters at 17 C. Salmon flesh was analyzed for mercury, zinc, cadmium and lead. Mercury concentration in coho salmon reared at 11 C was significantly lower than the concentration in coho reared at 17 C (P < 0.05), but other heavy metal concentrations in tissue did not differ between the two species or between the two rearing temperatures. Compared with wild salmon from the northwest Pacific Ocean, salmon reared in Hawaii had significantly lower concentrations of mercury and lead (P < 0.05), but significantly higher concentrations of zinc and cadmium. These differences in heavy metal concentration between wild and cultured salmon were most readily explained by differences in the heavy metal content of diets and the lack of heavy metal concentrations in rearing water. The concentration of mercury in salmon tissue was at least 20 times less than the 1.0 μ/g U.S. Food and Drug Administration action level for mercury. Action levels have not been established for zinc, cadmium, and lead.     

Aspartic Proteinase Members Secreted by the Ruminant Placenta: Specificity of Three Radioimmunoassay Systems for the Measurement of Pregnancy-associated Glycoproteins

Pregnancy‐associated glycoproteins (PAGs) isolated from the placenta of various ruminant species are enzymatically inactive members of the aspartic proteinase family. The measurement of these proteins in the maternal blood can be a good indicator of the presence of a live embryo. As certain aspartic proteinases are present in biological fluids in physiological and pathological conditions at various concentrations, it was necessary to determine the specificity of three radioimmunoassay (RIA) systems currently used for the detection of PAG molecules. Commercially available members of the aspartic proteinase family like pepsinogen, pepsin, chymosin, rennet, cathepsin D and renin were tested in a wide concentration range (10 ng/ml – 1 mg/ml). Pepsinogen cross‐reacted in RIA 1, RIA 2 and RIA 3 over 1 mg/ml, 50 μg/ml and 500 μg/ml concentrations, respectively. In the presence of pepsin, cross‐reaction was observed in RIA 1, RIA 2 and RIA 3 over 1 mg/ml, 500 μg/ml and 1 mg/ml concentrations, respectively. Chymosin and rennet could cross‐react in RIA 2 and RIA 3, while renin and cathepsin D did not decrease the binding of the tracer to antisera more, than that of the minimal detection limit. As the plasma/serum concentrations of the examined aspartic proteinases reported in the literature were outside the concentration range where cross‐reaction was observed, it can be concluded that these RIA systems were specific for the detection of PAGs in biological fluids.     

Aminopyralid soil residues affect rotational vegetable crops in Florida

BACKGROUND: Bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flueggé) is a poor host of several soilborne pests of vegetable crops; therefore vegetable crops are commonly grown in a rotation with bahiagrass pastures in Florida. The herbicide aminopyralid provides foliar and soil residual weed control and increases forage production in bahiagrass pastures; however, the soil residual activity of aminopyralid makes carryover injury likely in subsequent sensitive vegetable crops. Field research was conducted to determine the sensitivity of five vegetable crops to soil residues of aminopyralid. RESULTS: At an aminopyralid soil concentration of 0.2 µg kg^?1 (the limit of quantitation for aminopyralid in this research), crop injury ratings were 48% (bell pepper), 67% (eggplant), 71% (tomato), 3% (muskmelon) and 3% (watermelon), and fruit yield losses (relative to the untreated control) at that concentration were 61, 64, 95, 8 and 14% in those respective crops. CONCLUSIONS: The crops included in this research were negatively affected by aminopyralid at soil concentrations less than the limit of quantitation (0.2 µg kg^?1). Therefore, it was concluded that a field bioassay must be used to determine whether carryover injury will occur when these crops are planted on a site where aminopyralid has been previously applied. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Sperm Quality of Pond-Reared and Wild-Caught Penaeus monodon in Thailand1

Sperm quality, as determined by visual examination and by reaction with “egg-water” was not significantly different (P > 0.05) for sperm obtained by electro-ejaculation from ablated or non-ablated pond-reared Penaeus monodon. Nor was sperm quality different between pond-reared and wild-caught prawns. Normal sperm, determined by appearance, ranged from 17.1 to 21.0%, while reactive sperm ranged from 1.5 to 3.0%. There were, however, significant correlations (P < 0.01) between spermatophore weight and prawn weight (r= 0.73, N= 434). Male prawns weighing 4150 g produced on average spermatophores weighing 22.7 mg and containing 0.8 million sperm, while prawns weighing 61-90 g produced on average spermatophores weighing 56.6 mg with 2.5 million sperm. Ablation did not increase spermatophore size or sperm quality, although it significantly increased mortality of ablated males. Male prawns could be re-ejaculated at about weekly intervals with no change in sperm quality. Wild-caught female prawns artificially inseminated with spermatophores from electro-ejaculated males produced normal spawns with 51% average egg fertilization, and 41% nauplii hatch success. Nauplii hatch success following spawning increased from >60% for newly inseminated females to near zero after 30 days post-insemination, indicating spermatophore depletion and/or deteriorated sperm quality during spermatophore storage in the thelycum. The findings of the present study indicate that electro-ejaculation and artificial insemination are relatively simple and practical methods for improving captive reproduction performance of closed-thelycum prawns such as P. monodon, and that pond-reared and wild-caught males produced sperm of similar quality.     

Comparative Growth of Diploid and Triploid Asian Catfish Clarias macrocephalus in Thailand

Wild caught Asian catfish were spawned manually following HCG injection, and a portion of the eggs were subjected to cold-shock at 4 C for 15 min within 2-min post-fertilization. Nuclear diameter measurements of cold-shocked fish revealed that 96% were triploids (3N), while non-shocked fish were all diploids (2N). During larval and fry culture (first 26 d), triploid fish mortality was =50%, while diploid mortality was =25%. Following 8-mo culture in tanks at three stocking densities, triploid fish survival was significantly greater ( P < 0.05), than diploids, with 84.0% and 57.3%, respectively. Triploid live weight was also significantly greater than diploids, with 69.2 and 45.9 g averages, respectively. Ninety-two percent of diploids had welldeveloped gonads after 8 mo; whereas none of the triploids had mature gonads. Gonads were undifferentiated with 31% of the triploids. These sexually undifferentiated fish had greater growth rates than male or female triploids, and greater growth than all diploids. Carcass weight (gutted) of triploids was 95.8% of live weight, compared with 92.5% for diploids. Lastly, triploids had very few deformities compared with diploids, with 1.3% and 17.6%, respectively. Deformities included curved spines, and humped backs just posterior of the head.