Disturbance‐induced responses of VHF and satellite tagged harbour seals

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The minimum dietary requirement of vitamin C in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fry using Ca ascorbate-2-monophosphate as dietary source

The minimum dietary vitamin C requirement for optimal growth and normal development in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fry at the onset of feeding was studied, using Ca ascorbate-2-monophosphate (AP) as dietary source. The requirement was established by means of a feeding study lasting for 23 weeks from the beginning of feeding. The practical diets used were supplemented with AP at levels of 0, 10, 20, 40, 80 and 160 mg ascorbic acid (AA) equivalents/kg. Growth, mortality, hydroxyproline content in skin and backbone, and AA in liver were recorded to evaluate the results. The results suggest that the minimum dietary requirement for optimal growth and normal development is in the range of 10–20 mg AA equivalents/kg dry diet during the period studied.     

Compensatory growth in Atlantic halibut: Effect of starvation and subsequent feeding on growth, maturation, feed utilization and flesh quality

A group of juvenile Atlantic halibut (mean, SD, 199.5 g, 44.7) was split into two experimental groups: one group was fed in excess twice a day and later five days a week (i.e. Control group), and the other group was starved for 5 weeks and then subsequently re-fed for 10 weeks (i.e. 5/10 starvation/re-fed group). This treatment was repeated for three years until the fish were harvested (mean final weight, 4.4 kg). A size +specific compensatory response was seen; partial compensation was observed in halibut weighing less than 500 g whereas full recovery growth was seen in halibut over 2 kg. Food consumption and feed conversion efficiency was measured during two full 5/10 starvation/re-fed cycles. The Control group consumed 86% more food in the measurement period, whereas the FCE 40% higher in the 5/10 starvation/re-fed group (FCE = 0.95) compared to the Control group (FCE = 0.68). In males lower gonadosomatic index (2.2 vs. 3.0) and plasma 11-ketotestosterone (0.22 vs. 1.26 ng ml^− 1) levels in the 5/10 starvation/re-fed group were observed during late winter and spring of 2006 (age 3 years) indicating higher age at 1st maturity. Starvation had a significant effect for improving the quality as starved fish had higher muscle pH (6.4 vs. 6.2), less gaping (0.1 vs. 0.3) and harder texture (61.4 vs. 57.6 N). Overall, the rearing on a repeated 5/10 starvation/re-fed regime for 3 years led to full growth compensation, higher feed conversion efficiency, lower male maturation and improved flesh quality.     

Long-term effect of photoperiod manipulation on growth, maturation and flesh quality in Atlantic halibut

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of continuous light at different stages during the production cycle of Atlantic halibut Hippoglossus hippoglossus L. on growth, age at first maturity, endocrine parameters and flesh quality. A group of juvenile halibut [mean (SD), initial weight 191.3 g (44.7)] was reared in indoor tanks under ambient temperature conditions for 38 months until harvesting (mean final weight, 4.6 kg). The entire photoperiod experiment was divided into four phases, where the fish in each phase were exposed to either natural photoperiod (62°33'N) or continuous light (L). Thus, the following five photoperiod combinations were tested: (a) Control group (NNNN), (b) Group 2A (NLNN), (c) Group 2B (NNLN), (d) Group 2C (NNNL) and (e) Production group (LNNN). Exposure to continuous light stimulated growth, and the final mean weights of Groups 2A and 2B were 23% and 11% higher than those of the Control group (NNNN). The final plasma 11-ketotestosteron levels were lower in Groups 2A (2.94 ng mL⁻¹) and 2B (2.46 ng mL⁻¹) compared with the Control (5.29 ng mL⁻¹), Group 2C (5.09 ng mL⁻¹) and the Production group (4.78 ng mL⁻¹) during spring 2007 (age 4 years), indicating higher age at first maturity in Groups 2A and 2B. Photoperiod regime had only a minor, and transient, effect on flesh-quality traits of the fish, whereas a significant seasonal effect was seen with a tendency towards increased gaping, lower pH, lower hardness and lower shear force in July compared with December and March.     

The concept of habitat specificity revisited

Habitat specificity indices reflect richness (α) and/or distinctiveness (β) components of diversity. The latter may be defined by α and γ (landscape) diversity in two alternative ways: multiplicatively () and additively (). We demonstrate that the original habitat specificity concept of Wagner and Edwards (Landscape Ecol 16:121–131, 2001) consists of three independent components: core habitat specificity (uniqueness of the species composition), patch area and patch species richness. We describe habitat specificity as a family of indices that may include either area or richness components, or none or both, and open for use of different types of mean in calculation of core habitat specificity. Core habitat specificity is a beta diversity measure: the effective number of completely distinct communities in the landscape. Habitat specificity weighted by species number is a gamma diversity measure: the effective number of species that a patch contributes to landscape richness. We compared 12 habitat specificity indices by theoretical reasoning and by use of field data (vascular plant species in SE Norwegian agricultural landscapes). Habitat specificity indices are strongly influenced by weights for patch area and patch species richness, and the relative contribution of rare vs. common species (type of mean). The relevance of properties emphasized by each habitat specificity index for evaluation of patches in a biodiversity context is discussed. Core habitat specificity is emphasized as an ecologically interpretable measure that specifically addresses patch uniqueness while habitat specificity weighted by species number combines species richness and species composition in ways relevant for conservation biological assessment. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Immune response and disease resistance in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) fed three levels of dietary vitamin E and the effect of vaccination on the liver status of antioxidant vitamins

Atlantic salmon were fed 40, 300 or 1100 mgall-rac--tocopheryl acetate kg feed^–1 for 12 weeks.After 6 weeks half of the fish in each group were marked and vaccinated (i.p.injection) against furunculosis and vibriosis. Liver -tocopherol levelsreflected the dietary input after 6 and 12 weeks of feeding. Noimmunomodulatoryeffects of dietary vitamin E on baseline levels of the immune parameters beforevaccination were detected in this study, as evaluated by antibody dependent andspontaneous plasma complement activities. In general, vaccination increasedplasma complement activities and the number of antigen specific antibodyproducing cells as compared with unvaccinated control fish, but with nodifferences with respect to the vitamin E regimes. Also the ability ofunvaccinated fish to withstand experimental furunculosis was unaffected bydietary vitamin E. The concentrations of -tocopherol and ascorbic acidinthe liver were, however, negatively affected 6 weeks post vaccination comparedto respective unvaccinated fish.     

Allelic losses and gains during translocations of a high conservation value fish,Coregonus lavaretus

1. The use of translocations to establish new or ‘refuge’ populations for species with high conservation value is controversial but widely used in conservation management. One of the risks of this approach is that an establishing population does not adequately capture the genetic diversity of the donor gene pool. This effect, rarely examined, is tested here.
2. In this study the genetic consequences of two conservation translocations after five generations (16 years) of the European whitefish, Coregonus lavaretus, were quantified. Both translocations were made using almost the same genetic groups and thus represent a partly replicated natural study.
3. Analysis of 12 informative microsatellites showed that expected heterozygosity, the mean number of alleles per locus and allelic richness did not differ between donor and translocated populations. There was also no loss of heterozygosity in the translocated populations, nor deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium expectations, nor signs of linkage disequilibrium.
4. All populations were genetically differentiated but pairwise F_ST values were low, indicating that the magnitude of divergence was small.
5. There was no evidence of inbreeding but there were significant differences in private allelic richness between donor and translocated populations. Of 50 alleles found in the donor population, 16% of the rarer alleles were lost in one translocated population and 8% in the other.
6. Allele loss without a reduction in heterozygosity strongly points to stochastic drift effects having occurred following translocation. The evidence indicates that alleles that were not detected in the donor population have arisen de novo in the translocated populations.
7. It is concluded that conservation translocations comprising even a modest number of propagules can successfully capture a high proportion of genetic variation of the host population, and that reduced genetic variation in the translocated population may be mitigated by the emergence of new variation over short time periods.

     

Phosphorylation networks regulating JNK activity in diverse genetic backgrounds

Cellular signaling networks have evolved to enable swift and accurate responses, even in the face of genetic or environmental perturbation. Thus, genetic screens may not identify all the genes that regulate different biological processes. Moreover, although classical screening approaches have succeeded in providing parts lists of the essential components of signaling networks, they typically do not provide much insight into the hierarchical and functional relations that exist among these components. We describe a high-throughput screen in which we used RNA interference to systematically inhibit two genes simultaneously in 17,724 combinations to identify regulators of Drosophila JUN NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK). Using both genetic and phosphoproteomics data, we then implemented an integrative network algorithm to construct a JNK phosphorylation network, which provides structural and mechanistic insights into the systems architecture of JNK signaling.