Effects of Stocking Sac-Fry and Hatchery-Fed Fry on Production of Fingerling Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus

Abstract.— Channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus fry are typically held under hatchery conditions for 7 to 14 d after hatching to allow feeding and growth before they are stocked into nursery ponds to produce fingerling catfish. In an attempt to reduce hatchery operating costs, several catfish fingerling producers in Louisiana presently stock fry within 2 d after hatching before yolk absorption is complete. Fry at this stage of development are commonly referred to as "sac-fry." Although research has shown that fry can be stocked at the onset of yolk absorption with no detrimental effects on subsequent fingerling production, stocking sac-fry has been reported to result in reduced fingerling survival. To further investigate this topic, production trials were conducted in experimental outdoor pools over the course of two growing seasons to evaluate the effect of stocking fry of three different ages (2-, 7-, and 14-d post-hatch, DPH) on survival, growth (weight and length), condition factor (K), yield, feed consumption, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of fingerling catfish. Results from both trials indicated that the age at which fry were stocked had no effect on production characteristics with the exception of growth. Specifically, fingerlings reared from fry stocked at 2 and 7 DPH were significantly larger than fingerlings reared from fry stocked at an age of 14 DPH. These findings suggest that the practice of stocking sac-fry may be a suitable alternative to the traditional procedure of holding and feeding fry under hatchery conditions prior to stocking. However, in order to fully evaluate the effects of early-age stocking of catfish fry on fingerling production, additional studies must be conducted under pond conditions. Furthermore, these studies must be coupled with a rigorous economic analysis before the practice of stocking sac-fry can be recommended to the catfish industry.     

A review of factors influencing litter size in Irish sows

Many factors influence litter size. These include genetics, gilt management, lactation length, parity distribution, disease, stress and boar fertility. In the past 20 years, litter size in Irish sows has increased by only one pig. Born alive figures now average at 11.2 pigs per litter. In this regard, Ireland is falling behind our European competitors who have made significant advances over this time. Denmark, for example, has an average figure of 12.7 pigs born alive per litter and France an average of 12.5. The single area that could be improved immediately is sow feeding. It is important that sows are fed correctly throughout pregnancy. If over-fed during pregnancy, sows will have depressed appetite during lactation. If underfed in pregnancy, sows will be too thin at farrowing. The correct way to feed a pregnant sow is to match her feed allocation to her requirement for maintenance, body growth and growth of her developing foetuses. During lactation, sows should be given as much feed as they can eat to prevent excessive loss of body condition. Liquid-feed curves should be such that lactating sows are provided with a minimum mean daily feed supply of 6.2 kg. A small proportion of sows will eat more and this could be given as supplementary dry feed. Where dry feeding is practised in the farrowing house, it is difficult to hand-feed sows to match their appetite. Ideally ad libitum wet/dry feeders should be used. From weaning to service, sows should once again be fed ad libitum. If liquid feeding, this means giving at least 60 MJ DE (digestible energy) per day during this period. If dry feeding, at least 4 kg of lactation diet should be fed daily. The effort spent perfecting sow feeding management on units should yield high dividends in the form of increased pigs born alive per litter.     

Acute tolerance and histopathological effects of ammonia on juvenile maroon clownfish Premnas biaculeatus (Block 1790)

This study evaluated the median lethal concentration values (LC₅₀) and the histopathological effects of un‐ionized ammonia (NH₃^‐‐N) on juvenile maroon clownfish Premnas biaculeatus. After 96 h of exposure to different concentrations of ammonia, juveniles were sampled for histopathological evaluation. The 24 and 96 h LC50 values of NH₃^?‐N determined were 1.68 and 0.89 mg L^?1 respectively. Maroon clownfish exposed to different ammonia concentrations displayed histopathological alterations in the gills, kidney, liver and brain. Gill tissue damage included lamellar hyperplasia, lamellar shorting and hyperplasia and hypertrophy of mucous cells. The kidney showed hyperanaemia, enlarged sinusoids within an apparently decreased amount of haematopoietic tissue, oedema on tubular cells and tubular necrosis, and an enlarged Bowman's capsule. The liver presented dilatation of hepatic sinusoids, fatty deposition in hepatocytes and Mallory bodies. Examination of the brain revealed a proliferation of glial cells, and the Virchow‐Robin space indicated a severe perivascular oedema and signs of neuronal suffering with satellitosis. The results of this study indicate that juvenile maroon clownfish are relatively sensitive to ammonia and particular attention must be given to this toxic compound in culture systems.     

Attitudes of Rural Communities Toward Dispersing African Wild Dogs in South Africa

Subsistence pastoralists often view large carnivores negatively given that any loss of livestock is likely to represent a significant economic cost. Consequently, large carnivore conservation initiatives in rural landscapes should incorporate appropriate human–carnivore conflict mitigation strategies. In this study, structured interviews with local residents (n = 247) were used for determining attitudes toward African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) among rural communities neighboring two protected areas in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Contrary to expectations, the majority of respondents (58%) were generally positive toward wild dogs. This was probably due to a lack of livestock depredation by wild dogs and relatively high levels of formal education among respondents. Respondents with greater knowledge of wild dogs and conflict mitigation had more positive attitudes, and most were aware of effective husbandry techniques. The positive attitudes observed in these rural communities may benefit wild dog dispersal from natal home ranges and the future conservation of this endangered carnivore.     

Use of advanced recombinant lines to study the impact and potential of mutations affecting starch synthesis in barley

The effects on barley starch and grain properties of four starch synthesis mutations were studied during the introgression of the mutations from diverse backgrounds into an elite variety. The lys5f (ADPglucose transporter), wax (granule-bound starch synthase), isa1 (debranching enzyme isoamylase 1) and sex6 (starch synthase IIa) mutations were introgressed into NFC Tipple to give mutant and wild-type BC₂F₄ families with different genomic contributions of the donor parent. Comparison of starch and grain properties between the donor parents, the BC₂F₄ families and NFC Tipple allowed the effects of the mutations to be distinguished from genetic background effects. The wax and sex6 mutations had marked effects on starch properties regardless of genetic background. The sex6 mutation conditioned low grain weight and starch content, but the wax mutation did not. The lys5 mutation conditioned low grain weight and starch content, but exceptionally high β-glucan contents. The isa1 mutation promotes synthesis of soluble α-glucan (phytoglycogen). Its introgression into NFC Tipple increased grain weight and total α-glucan content relative to the donor parent, but reduced the ratio of phytoglycogen to starch. This study shows that introgression of mutations into a common, commercial background provides new insights that could not be gained from the donor parent.     

N-linked glycosylation in Campylobacter jejuni and its functional transfer into E. coli

N-linked protein glycosylation is the most abundant posttranslation modification of secretory proteins in eukaryotes. A wide range of functions are attributed to glycan structures covalently linked to asparagine residues within the asparagine-X-serine/threonine consensus sequence (Asn-Xaa-Ser/Thr). We found an N-linked glycosylation system in the bacterium Campylobacter jejuni and demonstrate that a functional N-linked glycosylation pathway could be transferred into Escherichia coli. Although the bacterial N-glycan differs structurally from its eukaryotic counterparts, the cloning of a universal N-linked glycosylation cassette in E. coli opens up the possibility of engineering permutations of recombinant glycan structures for research and industrial applications.     

Paleoindian seafaring, maritime technologies, and coastal foraging on California's Channel Islands

Three archaeological sites on California's Channel Islands show that Paleoindians relied heavily on marine resources. The Paleocoastal sites, dated between ~12,200 and 11,200 years ago, contain numerous stemmed projectile points and crescents associated with a variety of marine and aquatic faunal remains. At site CA-SRI-512 on Santa Rosa Island, Paleocoastal peoples used such tools to capture geese, cormorants, and other birds, along with marine mammals and finfish. At Cardwell Bluffs on San Miguel Island, Paleocoastal peoples collected local chert cobbles, worked them into bifaces and projectile points, and discarded thousands of marine shells. With bifacial technologies similar to those seen in Western Pluvial Lakes Tradition assemblages of western North America, the sites provide evidence for seafaring and island colonization by Paleoindians with a diversified maritime economy.     

Polar lightning and decadal-scale cloud variability on Jupiter

Although lightning has been seen on other planets, including Jupiter, polar lightning has been known only on Earth. Optical observations from the New Horizons spacecraft have identified lightning at high latitudes above Jupiter up to 80 degrees N and 74 degrees S. Lightning rates and optical powers were similar at each pole, and the mean optical flux is comparable to that at nonpolar latitudes, which is consistent with the notion that internal heat is the main driver of convection. Both near-infrared and ground-based 5-micrometer thermal imagery reveal that cloud cover has thinned substantially since the 2000 Cassini flyby, particularly in the turbulent wake of the Great Red Spot and in the southern half of the equatorial region, demonstrating that vertical dynamical processes are time-varying on seasonal scales at mid- and low latitudes on Jupiter.