Influence of food concentration and abiotic parameters on population density growth of the ciliated marine protozoan Euplotes sp. under controlled conditions

High mortality is common when culturing most marine fish larvae, especially during the transition from endogenous to exogenous feeding. In aquaculture, many species of marine fish are not able to survive when only fed enriched rotifers and Artemia spp. nauplii. Ciliates are a potential alternative live food organism for first‐feeding larvae, because they can grow to high population densities, accept inert diets, and are natural prey organisms of marine fish larvae. The range of culture parameters to optimize population growth of the ciliate Euplotes sp. are unknown. Five experiments were conducted to determine the effects of food concentration and abiotic factors including salinity, aeration rate, temperature and photoperiod on population growth of the ciliate Euplotes sp. Results indicated the optimal ranges for population growth of Euplotes sp. was a temperature between 26 and 32°C, salinities from 20 and 35 g/L, food (Protein Selco®) concentrations of 250 and 500 mg/million ciliates, absence of or low aeration (8.5 cm³/min) and the photoperiod 0L:24D. Euplotes sp. can tolerate high ammonia and very low dissolved oxygen concentrations, and population growth can occur in these conditions for at least 7 days.     

利用核糖体小亚基RNA序列探讨四种腹毛目纤毛虫的系统进化

以四个在环境监测中比较有代表性的纤毛虫属－游仆虫属、尾柱虫属、棘尾虫属和伪角毛虫属纤毛虫(Euplotes, Urostyla, Stylonychia, Pseudokeronopsis)为材料,对其16s小亚基核糖体RNA(16s－like Small Subunit rRNA,SSrRNA)基因进行序列测定,并与其他种腹毛目纤毛虫相比较,以美国赭虫(Blepharisma americanum)为外群构建系统进化树.结果显示:游仆虫属最先从腹毛目纤毛虫中分化出来,尾柱虫属(Urostyla)与全列虫属(Holosticha)纤毛虫亲缘关系较近.贻贝棘尾虫(Stylonychia mytilus)和浮萍棘尾虫(Stylonychia lenmae)是姊妹种,在外观上及其相似,但可以用构建进化树的方法从分子角度加以区分.从构建的进化树拓扑结构上可知,红色伪角毛虫与全列虫科种类的亲缘关系较近,与尾柱虫科种类的亲缘关系较远.     

Effect of different live food on survival and growth of first feeding barber goby,Elacatinus figaro (Sazima,Moura & Rosa 1997) larvae

One of the major challenges in marine fish culture is how to provide live food of adequate size and nutritional quality for first‐feeding larvae. Commonly used live food organisms, rotifers and brine shrimp, may not always be the best option. To determine the suitability of different zooplankton in the larviculture of Elacatinus figaro, three diets were tested: RE – rotifers Brachionus sp. (10 ind mL^?1)+ciliate Euplotes sp. (10 ind mL^?1), enriched with fatty acids; RC – enriched rotifers (10 ind mL^?1)+wild copepod nauplii (10 ind mL^?1); and R – enriched rotifers (20 ind mL^?1). Survival rates were estimated 10 days after hatch (DAH) for the three test groups, and growth rates were evaluated for RE and R at 10 and 20 DAH. Although survival rate was numerically higher for the RC diet (41.1±14.2%), no significant difference was detected between groups fed RE (20.5±18.1%), RC or R (32.1±16.5%). At 10 DAH, the growth rate was significantly higher in RC (5.7±0.6 mm) than in R (4.6±0.5 mm), a trend that was also observed at 20 DAH for RC (8.6±0.5 mm) and R (5.8±0.7 mm) (P<0.05). E. figaro larvae fed on ciliates did not show satisfactory results, whereas feeding copepod nauplii enhanced growth.