Morphological and karyotypic variation in three wild populations of Meretrix meretrix

Three wild populations of Meretrix meretrix sampled from Dongxing, Beihai, and Shankou along the coast of Guangxi, China, were investigated with morphometry and karyometry. Six morphological indices （shell length, shell height, shell width, hinge length, total wet weight and shell weight） were measured. Differences in all morphological indices except hinge length were significant among the three populations （P 〈 0.05）. The mean values of these indices （except for the hinge length） in the Dongxing population were larger than those in the Beihai and Shankou populations, although the latter had the largest hinge length. The karyotype of the Beihai, Shankou and Dongxing samples had ten metacentric, six submetacentric, and three subtelocentric chromosome pairs. No significant difference was shown in the centromeric index values of the chromosomes in the populations （P〉0.05）. However, the order of metacentric, submetacentric and subtelocentric chromosome pairs was variable among the three populations. The results indicate a high level of inter-population variation in morphology and karyotype.     

Mitochondrial DNA control region diversity and population structure of Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) in the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan

To investigate the genetic variation and population structure of Pacific herring in the Yellow Sea and the genetic differentiation between the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan,fragments of 479-bp mitochondrial DNA control region were sequenced for 110 individuals collected from three different periods in the Yellow Sea and one locality in the Sea of Japan.High haplotype diversity and moderate nucleotide diversity were observed in Pacific herring.AMOVA and exact test of population differentiation showed no significant genetic differentiations among the three populations of the Yellow Sea and suggested the populations can be treated as a single panmictic stock in the Yellow Sea.However,a large and significant genetic differentiation(WST50.11;P50.00) was detected between the populations in the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan.The high sea water temperature in the Tsushima Strait was thought a barrier to block the gene exchange between populations of the two sea areas.The neutrality tests and mismatch distribution indicated recent population expansion in Pacific herring.     

Larval and juvenile growth performance of Manila clam hybrids of two full-sib families

In order to determine whether growth performance could be improved by hybridizing full-sib families of Manila clam(Ruditapes philippinarum), crosses between two full-sib families including self and reciprocal crosses were carried out. The effects of heterosis, combining ability and interaction on the growth of shell length were estimated. The results showed that the growth of hybrid larvae was intermediate between parents on days 6 and 9. Heterosis on shell length was observed, which varied at juvenile stage. The cross of ♂A×♀B(Hp varied between 10.41% and 68.27%) displayed larger heterosis than ♂B×♀A(Hp varied between 1.89% and 32.33%) did, suggesting that ♂A×♀B was an ideal hatchery method of improving the growth performance of Manila clam. The variances of general combining ability(GCA), special combining ability(SCA) and interaction(I) were significant in shell length(P 0.05), indicating that both additive and non-additive genetic factors were important contributors to the growth of larvae and juveniles. The GCA for shell length of ♂A×♀B was higher than that of ♂B×♀A at both larval and juvenile stages. This confirmed that the cross between ♂A and ♀B showed great growth in shell length. In summary, the growth of Manila clam seeds could be improved by hybridizing selected parents from large numbers of full-sib families.     

Genetic Parameters of Body Length and Response to Selection for Growth Across Four Generations of Artemia sinica

To investigate the genetic components of growth in the brine shrimp Artemia sinica, we estimated the genetic parameters of body length and the response to selection using a fully pedigreed population of A. sinica. The base population was generated from four wild founder populations. We tested 4160 offspring in 360 families over four generations for growth and survival performance. Across four generations, we produced full-and half-sib families with nested mating, where two dams were mated to the same sire. Individual body length was measured for each nauplius at day 20 post-hatching. Heritability of body length was estimated across four generations with the restricted maximum likelihood method. The heritability of body length in A. sinica was low(0.14 ± 0.05), and the common environmental effect was 0.14 ± 0.02. We estimated the response to selection for body length by calculating the difference in the mean breeding values between different generations. The accumulated genetic gain in body length was 278.94 μm after three generations of selection. This low response to selection was probably caused by the low heritability of body length, small sample size, and the low selection intensity(50%). The results suggest that A. sinica selective breeding programs must be changed to generate any substantial, sustainable genetic increases in body length. We suggest that optimal genetic gains could be achieved by introducing wild strains into the nuclear breeding population to increase genetic variation, and by increasing the size of the breeding population to allow for increased selection intensity.     

STUDIES ON THE BREEDING HABITS OF THE MINKE WHALE (BALAENOPTERA ACUTOROSTRATA) IN THE YELLOW SEA

Minke whales caught in the Yellow Sea range from 4.16 m to 8.60 m in length with an average length of 6.93 m for the female and 6.14m for the male. Sex ratio of the female is 74.3%. The pregnancy ratio of all sexually matured females is 65.8 %. The minimum size of the pregnant whale observed is 6.60 m in length. Females having a body length of more than 7 m long are all sexually matured.According to the studies on the embryos obtained from the females caught in the northern Yellow Sea, there is only one breeding season each year. Mating mostly occurs from July through September, and the length of pregnancy is ten to eleven months with the peak of calving from May through July. Most females breed one calf each time, only two cases with twins. Sex ratio of female fetus is 56.6%, and the newly born calf measures 250-270 cm in body length.     

Spatial Differences and Influencing Factors of Dissolved Gaseous Mercury in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea in Spring

From 28 March to 17 April, 2018, different forms of mercury(Hg) in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea were measured to study the influencing factors on the distribution and transformation of Hg in spring using a shared cruise. The mean concentration of dissolved gaseous mercury(DGM) in the surface water of the Yellow and Bohai Seas was(44.3 ± 43.9) pg/L, which was close to that in mid-latitude oceans and deep seas. The ratio of DGM to THg(total mercury) was lower than in the oceans and in the Yellow and Bohai Seas in summer or fall. DGM concentrations in surface water were highest in the central part of the South Yellow Sea and were higher than those in the Bohai Sea, and their spatial distributions were consistent with RHg(reactive mercury). DGM and RHg correlated positively with water temperature in surface seawater(r = 0.506, P < 0.01;r = 0.278, P < 0.05). The concentrations of both DGM and RHg in surface water were controlled by solar radiation and water temperature. Foggy weather did not benefit the production of DGM and RHg. DGM in the bottom seawater was mainly affected by Dissolved Oxygen and water temperature(r =-0.366, P < 0.01;r = 0.331, P < 0.01), produced mainly by anaerobic reactions of the bottom seawater and sediment microorganisms. The bottom DGM concentrations in the Yellow and Bohai Seas were the highest, and DGM produced in bottom seawater and sediment plays a more important role than the surface water in spring. The concentrations of DGM and RHg in the surface and bottom water in the South Yellow Sea were all higher than those in the middle layer. Vertical variations in the North Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea were small. The production and distribution of DGM and RHg were influenced by differences of latitude and by the Yellow Sea warm current in spring.     

Application of AFLP markers for population genetic study on half-smooth tongue sole Cynoglossus semilaevis

The genetic diversity of wild and hatchery populations of half-smooth tongue sole Cynoglossus semilaevis, based on observation of amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) was described. Two hundred individuals from four wild populations, Laizhou (LZ), Weihai (WH), Qingdao (QD), Rizhao (RZ), and one hatchery population, Mingbo (MB), were screened using eight different AFLP primer combinations. A total of 384 loci were screened in the five studied populations. 48.4%, 51.3%, 50.7%, 49.3% and 45.8% of these loci were polymorphic among the individuals tested in the LZ, WH, QD, RZ and MB populations, respectively. The number of polymorphic loci detected by single primer combinations ranged from 17 to 35. The average heterozygosity of the LZ, WH, QD, RZ and MB populations was 0.072, 0.093, 0.092, 0.090 and 0.063, respectively. The WH population showed the highest genetic diversity in terms of total number of AFLP bands, total number of polymorphic bands, average heterozygosity and percentage of low frequency (0-0.2) polymorphic loci among all the populations, while the LZ population was the lowest among the wild populations. Compared with the wild populations, the hatchery population showed a low genetic viability.     

Genetic analysis of floating Enteromorpha prolifera in the Yellow Sea with AFLP marker

Extremely large accumulation of green algae Enteromorpha prolifera floated along China’coastal region of the Yellow Sea ever since the summer of 2008.Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) analysis was applied to assess the genetic diversity and relationships among E. prolifera samples collected from 9 affected areas of the Yellow Sea.Two hundred reproducible fragments were generated with 8 AFLP primer combinations,of which 194 (97%) were polymorphic. The average Nei’s genetic diversity, the coefficiency of genetic differentiation (Gst), and the average gene flow estimated from Gst in the 9 populations were 0.4018, 0.6404 and 0.2807 respectively. Cluster analysis based on the unweighed pair group method with arithmetic averages (UPGMA) showed that the genetic relationships within one population or among different populations were all related to their collecting locations and sampling time. Large genetic differentiation was detected among the populations.The E. prolifera originated from different areas and were undergoing a course of mixing.     

Tectonic Evolution and Geological Characteristics of Hydrocarbon Reservoirs in Marine Mesozoic–Paleozoic Strata in the South Yellow Sea Basin

The South Yellow Sea Basin is the main body of the lower Yangtze area in which marine Mesozoic–Paleozoic strata are widely distributed.The latest geophysical data were used to overcome the limitation of previous poor-quality deep data.Meanwhile,the geological characteristics of hydrocarbon reservoirs in the marine Mesozoic–Paleozoic strata in the South Yellow Sea Basin were analyzed by comparing the source rocks and the reservoir and utilizing drilling and outcrop data.It is believed that the South Yellow Sea Basin roughly underwent six evolutionary stages:plate spreading,plate convergence,stable platform development,foreland basin development,faulted basin development,and depression basin development.The South Yellow Sea Basin has characteristics of a composite platform-fault depression geological structure,with a half-graben geological structure and with a ‘sandwich structure' in the vertical direction.Four sets of hydrocarbon source rocks developed – the upper Permian Longtan–Dalong formation,the lower Permian Qixia formation,the lower Silurian Gaojiabian formation,and the lower Cambrian Hetang formation/Mufushan formation,giving the South Yellow Sea Basin relatively good hydrocarbon potential.The carbonate is the main reservoir rock type in the South Yellow Sea area,and there are four carbonate reservoir types:porous dolomitic,reef-bank,weathered crust,and fractured.There are reservoir-forming horizons similar to the typical hydrocarbon reservoirs in the Yangtze land area developed in the South Yellow Sea,and there are three sets of complete source-reservoir-cap rock assemblages developed in the marine strata,with very good hydrocarbon potential.     

Responses to two-way selection on growth in mass-spawned F1 progeny of Argopecten irradians concentricus (Say)

A bstract In the present study,the effect of one-generation divergent selection on the growth and survival of the bay scallop(Argopecten irradians concentricus)was examined to evaluate the effi cacy of a selection program currently being carried out in Beibu Bay in the South China Sea.A total of 146 adult scallops were randomly selected from the same cultured population of A.i.concentricus,and divided into two groups in shell length(anterior-posterior measurement): large(4.91–6.02 cm,n=74)and small(3.31–4.18 cm,n=72).At the same time,a control group was also randomly sampled(4.21–4.88 cm,n=80).Mass-spawned F 1 progenies from the three size groups were obtained and reared under identical conditions at all growth phases.The effects of two-way(or upward-downward)selection on fertilization rate,hatching rate,survival rate,daily growth in shell length and body weight were assessed in the three size groups.Results show that signifi cant differences(P0.01)were found in hatching rate,survival rate and daily growth of F 1 progenies,but not in fertilization rate(P0.05),among the three groups.The hatching rate,survival rate and daily growth of the progeny of large-sized parents were greater than those of the control group(P0.05),which in turn were larger than those of small-sized group(P0.05).Responses to selection by shell length and body weight were 0.32±0.04 cm and 2.18±0.05 g,respectively,for the upward selection,and-0.14±0.03 cm and-2.77±0.06 g,respectively,for the downward selection.The realized heritability estimates of shell length and body weight were 0.38±0.06 cm and 0.22±0.07 g for the upward selection,and 0.24±0.06 cm and 0.37±0.09 g for the downward selection,respectively.The change in growth by bidirectional selection suggests that high genetic variation may be present in the cultured bay scallop population in China.     

Genetic improvement on Chinese shrimp （Fenneropenaeus chinensis）： growth and viability performance in F1 hybrids of different populations

Fenneropenaeus chinensis distributed in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea of China and the west coast of the Korean Peninsula. Different geographical populations represent potentially different genetic resources. To learn further the characteristics of different geographical population, crosses among two wild and three farmed populations were produced. The two wild populations were from the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea (WYP), and the west coast of the Korean Peninsula and coast (WKN). The three farmed populations included the offspring of first generation of wild shrimp from coast in Korea (FKN), the Huang Hai (the Yellow Sea in Chinese) No. 1 (HH 1), and JK98. The phenotypes growth and survival rates of these populations were compared to confirm the feasibility for crossbreeding. The body length (BL), carapace length (CL), carapace width (CW), height of the second and third abdominal segment (HST), width of the second and third abdominal segment (WST), length of the first abdominal segment (LF), length of the last abdominal segment (LL), live body weight (BW), and survival rate were measured. Different combinations were statistically performed with ANOVA and Duncan's Multiple significant difference (P<0.05) in BL, CL, HST, LL, and BW; and insignificant difference (P0.05) in other growth traits and survival rate. The results of Duncan's Multiple Range Test are that BL and CL of was the best combination in all growth traits. Therefore, hybridization can introduce the variation to base populations. The systematic selection program based on additive genetic performance may be more effective than crossbreeding.     

Screening of eye-position related genes with DD-RT-PCR and RDA in the hybrids between Japanese flounder <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paralichthys olivaceus</Emphasis> and stone flounder <Emphasis Type="Italic">Kareius bicoloratus</Emphasis>

Flatfish or flounder moves one eye to change body proportion into vertebral asymmetry during metamorphosis, during which some become sinistral while others dextral. However, the mechanism behinds the eye-position has not been well understood. In this research, hybrids between Japanese flounder(♀) and stone flounder (♂) show mixed eye-location in both dextral type and sinistral type, and thus become good samples for studying the eye-migration. mRNAs from pro-metamorphosis sinistral and dextral hybrids larvae were screened with classical differential display RT-PCR (DD-RT-PCR) and representational difference analysis of cDNA (cDNA-RDA); 30 and 47 putative fragments were isolated, respectively. The cDNA fragments of creatine kinase and trypsinogen 2 precursor genes isolated by cDNA-RDA exhibited eye-position expression patterns during metamorphosis. However, none of the fragments was proved to be related to flatfishes’ eye-position specifically. Therefore, further studies and more sensitive gene isolated methods are needed to solve the problems. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30600455) and the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program, No.2004CB117402)     

Numerical Study of Water and Suspended Matter Exchange Between the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea

INTRODUCTIONTheYellowSeaandtheEastChinaSea (ECS)aremarginalseasofthenorthwestPacificandhaveexpansivecontinentalshelves .TheuniqueandstrikingfeaturesoftheYellowSeaandtheECSarethattheyhavestrongtidalcurrent;aresubjecttostrongmonsooninfluence ;andreceiveinflowfromthebiggestriverinChina ,theChangjiangRiver ;andthatthefamouswesternboundarycurrent,theKuroshio ,passesthroughtheECS ,withitsbranchesintrudingupwardintothecontinentalshelfareas.Generallyspeaking ,thewaterexchangecapacityofthe…     

A study on the age and growth of Lake Anchovy (Coilia ectenes taihuensis Yuen et Tin) in Taihu Lake

Scales of the Lake Anchovy in Taihu Lake are used as a basis for its age determination. Annual variation of scale edge growth rate (α) indicates that the annulus forms once a year, mainly in April–June. The relationship formula for body length and scale diameter is L=18.658+118.06R, that for body length and weight isW♀=7.588×10⁻⁶ L ^2.8301;W♂=5.584×10⁻⁶ L ^2.8781. The fish before age II have a higher relative growth rate in body length and weight and a higher growth index. Growth is consistent with the growth equation by Von Bertalanffy. The turning point of the body weight growth curve is located between age II and III; the exact position is atW=0.292W _∞. Variation specificity of the growth course can be reflected by the growth rate and its acceleration curves. Time for capture of the fish should preferably be after age II, when they have reached a body length of 170 mm. That is one of the key measures to increase Lake Anchovy production in Taihu Lake.     

FOOD SOURCES AND CARBON BUDGET OF CHINESE PRAWN PENAEUS CHINENSIS

This study deals with contribution of artificial food pellet and natural food to Chinese prawn (Penaeus orientalis) growth in a semiintensive culture pond. The prawn carbon consumption, budget, and the effects of some factors on the budget were investigated. The results showed that 26.2% of P. orientalis growth carbon came from formulated feed at the initial culture stage (when the prawns were 0.06±0.01 g in wet weight), and was 62.5% when the prawns were 9.56±1.04 g. The remaining part of the growth carbon was derived from organic fertilizer and natural food. The highest growth rate occurred at 20×10-3 salinity. Suitable salinity for culturing Chinese prawn was (20-28)×10-3.     

First record of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paraonella platybranchia</Emphasis> (Hartman, 1961) (Polychaeta: Paraonidae) from the Yellow Sea

This paper reports for the first time a species of polychaetous family Paraonidae, Paraonella platybranchia (Hartman, 1961), a rare species found previously only in the coast near the boundary between the United States and Mexico, and it was recently discovered in the samples collected in 1982 from Chinese side of the Yellow Sea. This is the first record of the species in China as well as in the Northwest Pacific. Supported by the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. O72715)     

A new pomfret species,Pampus minor sp. nov. (Stromateidae) from Chinese waters

Thirty-two 63.0–134.4 mm standard length specimens collected during 1954–1990 from the coastal waters of the South China Sea and the continental coast of the Taiwan Strait were identified as a new species,Pampus minor Liuet Li, sp. nov. Contribution No. 3329 from the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Study supported by Chinese Academy of Sciences Special Grant for Biota Research.     

On the ultrastructure and classification of the hemocytes of penaeid shrimp,Penaeus vannamei (Crustacea, Decapoda)

The ultrastructure of hemocytes ofPenaeus vannamei was examined by transmission electron microscope. Three types of hemocytes were identified: hyaline cell, small-granule cell and large-granule cell. Hyaline cells are the smallest of the hemocytes, lack electron-dense granules, have average size of 11.11 μm (SE±0.50,n=10)×6.96μm (SE±0.55,n=10), comprise 25.8% (SE±2.87,n=4×10) of the hemocytes; small granule cells are the most abundant type of hemocytes, comprise 58.1% (SE±3.40,n=4×10) of the hemocytes, contain small electron—dense granules, have average size of 10.78 μm (SE±0.60,n=10)×8.63 μm (SE±0.44,n=10); and large-granule cells comprise 16.1% (SE±2.55,n=4×10) of the hemocytes, are filled with large electron dense granules, have average size of 12.51 μm (SE±0.63,n=10)×8.99μm (SE±0.71,n=10). This research was supported by the National Climbing Project B, PDB6-6-3. Contribution No. 3448 from the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.     

Experimental study on the interspecific interactions between the two bloom-forming algal species and the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis

The interspecific interactions between the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis and two harmful algal blooms (HAB) species were investigated experimentally by single culture method. B. plicatilis population and the growth of the two algae were compared at different algal cell densities. The results demonstrated that the B. plicatilis obtained sufficient nutrition from Prorocentrum donghaiense to support net population increase. With exposure to 2.5×10⁴ cells mL⁻¹ of P. donghaiense, the number of B. plicatilis increased faster than it did when exposed to other four algal densities (5, 10, 15 and 20 ×10⁴ cells mL⁻¹), and the increase rate of B. plicatilis population (r) at this algal density was 0.104 ± 0.015 rd⁻¹. Cell densities of P. donghaiense decreased due to the grazing of B. plicatilis. In contrast, Heterosigma akashiwo had an adverse effect on B. plicatilis population and its growth was largely unaffected by rotifer grazing. In this case, B. plicatilis population decreased and H. akashiwo grew at a rate similar to that of the control.