Growth and energy budget of juvenile lenok Brachymystax lenok in relation to ration level

We evaluated the effect of ration level(RL) on the growth and energy budget of lenok Brachymystax lenok. Juvenile lenok(initial mean body weight 3.06±0.13 g) were fed for 21 d at five different ration levels: starvation,2%,3%,4% bwd(body weight per day,based on initial mean values),and apparent satiation. Feed consumption,apparent digestibility,and growth were directly measured. Specific growth rates in terms of wet weight,dry weight,protein,and energy increased logarithmically with an increase in ration levels. The relationship between specific growth rate in terms of wet weight(SGRw,%/d) and RL(%) was characterized by a decelerating curve: SGRw=-1.417+3.166ln(RL+1). The apparent digestibility coefficients of energy exhibited a decreasing pattern with increasing ration level,and there was a significant difference among different RLs. Body composition was significantly affected by ration size. The relationship between feed efficiency rate in terms of energy(FERe) and RL was: FERe=-14.167+23.793RL–3.367(RL)2,and the maximum FERe was observed at a 3.53% ration. The maintenance requirement for energy of juvenile lenok was 105.39 k J BW(kg)-0.80/d,the utilization efficiency of DE for growth was 0.496. The energy budget equation at satiation was: 100IE=29.03FE+5.78(ZE+UE)+39.56 HE+25.63 RE,where IE is feed energy,FE is fecal energy,ZE+UE is excretory energy,HE is heat production,and RE is recovered energy. Our results suggest that the most suitable feeding rate for juvenile lenok aquaculture for wet weight growth is 2.89% bwd,whereas for energy growth,the suggested rate is 3.53% bwd at this growth stage.     

Status of two <Emphasis Type="Italic">Coreius</Emphasis> species in the Three Gorges Reservoir,China

Dam construction alters natural flow regimes which, in turn, cause significant changes in fish communities during and after impoundment. The construction of the Three Gorges Reservoir, from impoundment of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River, China, may have affected native fish species. Thus, the status of two lotic freshwater fish species, Coreius heterodon and C. guichenoti, were monitored in the Three Gorges Reservoir, including fish abundance, individual composition, growth, condition, and mortality. Data on both species were gathered from upstream, midstream and downstream areas of the reservoir and, where available, from studies published before and after dam construction. Lower abundance, slower growth, a less diversified age structure, poorer fish condition (indicated by hepatosomatic index) and higher mortalities were recorded in sites nearest the dam compared with upstream areas. Furthermore, after final impoundment, individual Coreius species inhabiting the area changed, with young individuals becoming more abundant, while upstream of the reservoir the two Coreius species became smaller at a given age. The results show that the status of the two Coreius species was subject to dramatic changes after impoundment.