Maternal transfer of bioactive polychlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons in spawning chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tschawytscha)

The biological potency (relative to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. TCDD) of planar polychlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons (PCHs) in extracts of eggs and flesh from spawning female chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tschawytscha) from Lake Michigan was determined by measuring the induction of 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activity in H-4-II-E rat hepatoma cells. TCDD-equivalents in flesh and egg samples ranged from 0 to 115·8 pg/g, and were approximately 5-fold greater in eggs than in flesh. These results suggest that the maternal transfer of PCHs may play a role in determining the reproductive success of Lake Michigan chinook salmon.     

Xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme activities in aggregate culture of rainbow trout hepatocytes

Rainbow trout hepatocytes were isolated by a two step perfusion technique and maintained either in monolayer culture for 5 days or in aggregate culture for 30 days. Cytochrome P450 content decreased from day 0 to day 5 in both culture systems, and then was preserved at the same level after one month in aggregated cells. 7-Ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) and UDP-glucuronosyl transferase were not significantly different in freshly isolated cells and in 30-day aggregated hepatocytes, whereas a substantial increase in glutathione S-transferase was observed. Two-day exposure of cells to β-naphthoflavone led to a significant increase in EROD activity in both culture systems, especially after one month of aggregation (10-fold increase). According to these results, aggregate culture of rainbow trout hepatocytes seems to be a promising in vitro model to investigate the biotransformation pathways in fish and their regulation by endogenous and exogenous compounds.     

Comparison of organotin accumulation in the masu salmon Oncorhynchus masou accompanying migratory histories

In order to examine the accumulation pattern of organotin compounds (OTs) accompanying the migration pattern in diadromous fish, tributyltin (TBT) and triphenyltin (TPT) compounds and their derivatives were determined in the liver, muscle, gill, and ovary tissues of both sea-run and freshwater-resident masu salmon, which are of the same species, Oncorhynchus masou. Their migratory histories were estimated using strontium (Sr) and calcium (Ca) analysis in the otolith. A significant difference in the mean Sr:Ca ratio from the core to the edge of the otolith was found between sea-run and freshwater-resident masu salmon. The TBT concentration in the liver was significantly higher than that in the other tissues in both sea-run and freshwater-resident fishes. In sea-run masu salmon, the TBT concentrations in all tissues except for the ovary were significantly higher than in those of freshwater-resident individuals. In the sea-run type, the percentage of TBT was higher than that of the freshwater-resident type. The TPT concentration in the liver of the sea-run type was also significantly higher than that in the other tissues, while that in the gill of the freshwater-resident type was significantly higher than that in the other tissues except for the ovary. The TPT concentrations found in the liver and muscle of the sea-run type were significantly higher than those in the freshwater-resident type, whereas the values of the gill in the sea-run type were significantly lower than those in the freshwater-resident fish examined. The percentage of TPT in the sea-run type was higher than that of the freshwater-resident type. These results suggest that the sea-run O. masou has a higher ecological risk of TBT and TPT exposure than the freshwater-residents during their life history.     

Variability in scale growth rates of chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) in relation to climate changes in the late 1980s

Fish scales were used to investigate the interannual variability in chum salmon growth rates at specific ages in relation to climatic/environmental changes during the 1980s–1990s. Scales were obtained from adult salmon returning to the east coast of Korea between 1984 and 1998. Assuming proportionality between scale size increments and fish length, distances between scale annuli were regarded as the growth conditions in different habitat areas with respect to the life stages of chum salmon. In estuarine and coastal areas, growth rates of fingerling salmon were higher in the 1990s than in the 1980s. Zooplankton abundance off the east coast of Korea increased after the late 1980s, which may have provided favorable growth conditions for young salmon in the 1990s. Growth of juvenile chum salmon during the first summer (Okhotsk Sea) was relatively stable, and neither SST nor zooplankton biomass fluctuated significantly during the study period. However, in the Bering Sea, salmon growth rates between age-2 and age-4 (i.e. ocean-phase immature salmon) were higher in the 1980s than in the 1990s. Variability in salmon growth in the Bering Sea was correlated to zooplankton biomass. These results suggest that the climate regime shift of 1988/1989 in the subarctic North Pacific affected salmon growth mediated by changes of zooplankton biomass, revealing a bottom-up process.     

Movement patterns and trajectories of ovigerous blue crabs Callinectes sapidus during the spawning migration

Female blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun) migrate from low salinity estuarine regions to high salinity regions near the ocean to release larvae. During this migration, ovigerous females use ebb-tide transport, a vertical migratory behavior in which they ascend into the water column during ebb tides, to move seaward to larval release areas. In order to determine the relationship of ebb-tide vertical migrations to local currents and the influence of these vertical migrations on the horizontal transport of blue crabs in the estuary, ovigerous females with mature embryos (1–3 days from hatching) were tracked near Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina (USA), in July and August 2001 and 2002. Crabs were tagged and tracked using ultrasonic telemetry, and currents near the crabs were measured simultaneously with a shipboard acoustic Doppler current profiler.During the two seasons, eight crabs were successfully tracked for periods ranging from 3.9–37.0 h and for distances ranging from 1.9–10.6 km. All crabs migrated seaward during the tracking periods. Crabs moved episodically during all tidal phases with periods of movement on the order of minutes to an hour. They moved with local currents in terms of both speed and direction during ebb tides, consistent with ebb-tide transport, and moved down-estuary (seaward) in opposition to local currents during flood tides. The percentage of time that crabs were active was higher during night ebb tides than during day ebb tides or flood tides and increased with increasing ebb-tide current speed. Mean migratory speeds were 0.11, 0.04, 0.08 and 0.02 m s⁻¹ during night ebb, night flood, day ebb and day flood tides, respectively, and net migratory speeds were on the order of 5 km day⁻¹. Due to the episodic nature of the crabs' movements, the total distances that crabs traveled during ebb tides ranged from 10–40% of the distances that passive particles could have traveled under the same conditions.     

The effect of estrogen on cadmium distribution in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The effects of injections of 17β-estradiol (E2) and Cd, on the distribution of Cd and the induction of metallothionein (MT) mRNA and vitellogenin mRNA was investigated. Bone and liver were the main organs accumulating Cd. However, E2 redirected the metal accumulation from the bone and liver to the gill, gut and muscle upon exposure to E2. Cd did not induce the hepatic MT mRNA levels in animals treated with E2. The VTG mRNA levels were also reduced following co-injection of E2 and Cd. However, the kidney responded to Cd exposure by upregulating MT mRNA even in the presence of E2 treatment. In the liver the reduced MT mRNA induction led to a redistribution of CD from MT to non-MT proteins. The toxicological significance of these alterations in Cd handling remains to be determined.     

Fine-scale distribution of sardine (Sardina pilchardus) eggs and adults during a spawning event

High-resolution acoustic and ichtyoplankton sampling with a ‘continuous under-way fish egg sampler (CUFES)’ was performed in two regions of approximately 100 square nautical miles off southern Iberian Peninsula, with the aim of studying the small scale distribution of sardine (Sardina pilchardus) adults and eggs during a spawning event. Very dense patches (246 eggs m^− 3) of recently spawned eggs with dimensions (up to 3 nautical miles wide) significantly larger than daytime sardine schools were present in both regions. Egg staging and ageing showed very little intra-sample variation, indicating a synchronous spawning period at dusk. The internal structure of the patches evaluated by variography showed very low internal variability, as if they consisted of a single unit. This hypothesis is confirmed by the acoustic finding of large sardine shoals with similar dimensions to those of the patches after sunset and throughout the night. During that period, adults were found near or in contact with the bottom, suggesting that spawning occurred at depth. A distinct patch of older eggs was found in both areas, but with a few nautical miles of horizontal separation. Their characteristics (a larger area, lower egg densities and a more irregular shape) indicate that these patches were exposed to dispersion and ‘stirring’ by physical forces, reshaping their initial appearance, while mesoscale water circulation could have displaced the core of the patches away by several kilometres within a day.     

Estrogenicity of xenobiotics in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) using in vivo synthesis of vitellogenin as a biomarker

The estrogenicity of several xenobiotics was evaluated using in vivo vitellogenin (Vtg) synthesis in immature rainbow trout as a biomarker. 17β-estradiol, DES and ethinyl estradiol were tested as positive controls. The xenobiotic compounds tested were technical nonylphenol, bisphenol A, butylbenzylphthalate (BBP) and dibutylphthalate (DBF). Measurements of the Vtg concentration was performed with a direct sandwich ELISA. 17β-estradiol, DES and ethinyl estradiol caused up to 100 000-fold increases in the Vtg-levels. Nonylphenol and bisphenol A had the highest estrogenic potency of the xenobiotics increasing the vitellogenin level approximately 300-fold while BBP was only weakly estrogenic, increasing the concentration about 3 times. DPB did not raise the vitellogenin contration above the detection limit.     

The biokinetic behavior of Tc in juvenile Coho Salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch (Walbaum)

Juvenile coho salmon, Onchorynchus kisutch, were exposed to ^95mTc in both saltwater and freshwater to study the biokinetic behavior of this element in an anadromous fish. In freshwater, equilibrium whole-body concentration factors (CF₅) ranged from 28 to 32 in two separate experiments, in sharp contrast to an equilibriumCF of < 5 in saltwater. While the uptake kinetics were unimodal in saltwater, in freshwater, biomodal uptake kinetics were observed.Technetium-95m retention was biphasic in freshwater depuration experiments, an initial rapid loss of 21% to 26% of the steady-state activity with an elimination half-life of 3 to 5 days was followed by a slower loss rate, with a whole-body elimination half-life ranging from 23 to 33 days. In saltwater, retention was monophasic with an elimination half-life of 5–16 days. Dramatic decreases in ^95mTc body burdens when freshwater-labeled fish are transferred to Tc-labeled saltwater indicate that the changes in physiology accompanying saltwater acclimation lead to the loss of ^95mTc.     

喹诺酮类药物对牙鲆肝药物代谢酶活性的影响

以牙鲆(Paralichthys olivaceus)为研究对象,通过观察水产用的3种喹诺酮类药物(FQ)恩诺沙星、诺氟沙星和氟甲喹分别对牙鲆肝组织中氨基比林N-脱甲基酶(AND)、红霉素N-脱甲基酶(ERND)和7-乙氧基异吩唑酮-脱乙基酶(EROD)活性的影响,探讨喹诺酮类药物对牙鲆肝药物代谢酶(细胞色素P-450)活性影响的差异.结果表明,与对照组比较,三组喹诺酮类药物对牙鲆肝S_9中AMND、ERND、EROD酶活性均具有抑制作用,其中恩诺沙星和诺氟沙星组中,3种酶的活性极显著下降(P＜0.01),而对于氟甲喹组而言,AMND、ERND酶活性显著下降(P＜0.05),EROD酶活性极显著下降(P＜0.01).     

Diet of landlocked sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) and trout in the Waitaki lakes,New Zealand

Landlocked sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), ranging in fork length (FL) from 105 to 313 mm, were captured in fine‐mesh gill nets set in the limnetic zone of the Waitaki hydro lakes (44° 30′ S, 170° 10’ E) in the South Island, New Zealand. A total of 443 stomachs was examined and the frequency of occurrence, volume and weight of prey items calculated. In the Ahuriri Arm of Lake Benmore the principal food (54% by weight) was zooplankton (Boeckella dilatata) whereas in the Haldon Arm of Lake Benmore it was larval and juvenile common bullies (Gobiomorphus cotidi‐anus) (73% by volume). In Lake Waitaki in winter, salmon had eaten insects (43% by volume) with smaller amounts of snails (Potamopyrgus antipo‐darum, 23%) and bullies (24%). In Lake Ohau adult insects may be an important food. There were also variations in diet with season and fish size. The stomachs of 147 brown trout (Salmo trutta) and 181 rainbow trout (S. gairdnerii) caught in the same gill nets were also examined. In contrast to sockeye salmon stomachs they contained negligible amounts of zooplankton (< 1% by weight) and large amounts of aquatic insects (50–58% by weight in the Ahuriri Arm of Lake Benmore). Comparisons with juvenile sockeye salmon and kokanee in North American lakes are made. The impact of introductions of sockeye salmon into other New Zealand lakes is discussed.     

Agonistic effect of imidazole and triazole fungicides on in vitro oocyte maturation in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The purpose of the present study was to assess the in vitro effect of some imidazole (prochloraz, imazalil) and triazole (epoxiconazole) agricultural fungicides on gonadotropin-induced oocyte maturation in rainbow trout. Results show that prochloraz, epoxiconazole and imazalil strongly potentiated the induction of oocyte maturation by gonadotropin in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, 10⁻⁵ M prochloraz and epoxiconazole alone induced oocyte maturation. The mRNA biosynthesis inhibitor, actinomycin , completely inhibited oocyte maturation induced by fungicides, suggesting that the gonadotropin-like effect of these chemicals is at least dependent on de novo gene expression.     

Metabolism and organ distribution of nonylphenol in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

Nonylphenol (NP) is a breakdown product of alkylphenol polyethoxylates (APEs), an important class of non-ionic surfactants that are widely used in many detergent formulations and plastic products for industrial and domestic use. A complex microbial degradation pattern, characterized by the formation of several metabolic products that are more toxic than the parent compound, has been established for APEs. We have studied the in vivo metabolism and organ distribution of NP in juvenile salmon. Fish were exposed to a single oral dose of [³H]-4-n-NP (1295 KBq, 25 μg) and sampled at 24, 48 and 72 h after exposure. Metabolites were separated by radio-high-performance liquid chromatography and tentatively identified by co-chromatography with standards characterized by mass spectrometry. Our results show that 4-n-NP was mainly metabolized in vivo to its corresponding glucuronide conjugate and to a lesser extent to various hydroxylated and oxidated compounds. Biliary excretion at 72 h after dosing amounted to 2.83±0.75% of the administered radioactivity. Kinetic analysis shows that NP-glucuronide accounted for 83, 95 and 81% of total radioactivity in the HPLC-injected bile sample at 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively, after exposure. The half-life of residues in carcass and muscle was between 24 and 48 h after exposure.     

Do bigger fish arrive and spawn at the spawning grounds before smaller fish: Cod (Gadus morhua) predation on beach spawning capelin (Mallotus villosus) from coastal Newfoundland

A relationship between body size and time of spawning has often been described for both pelagic and non-pelagic fish species that migrate for the purpose of spawning. The present study investigates this relationship for capelin (Mallotus villosus), a pelagic smelt-like species that spawns on the beaches of Newfoundland. Simple linear regressions were carried out separately for three groups of capelin: ovid females, spent females and males in three successive years (1982–1984). Bigger fish arrived near the spawning grounds first, for all three groups in all three years and was most obvious for female capelin. Analyses of stomach contents of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), an important predator of capelin in the Newfoundland area, showed a similar decrease in mean size of capelin throughout the capelin spawning season in June, July and August. Furthermore, analyses strongly suggest that early in the spawning seasons, when capelin abundance was high, cod selected for bigger capelin, whereas towards the end of the spawning seasons, when capelin abundance was low, cod did not show any size preference.     

Sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) spawning and larval environment in a Florida Current frontal eddy

Fronts and eddies are widely hypothesized to be critical spawning habitat for large pelagic fishes, due to increased larval and/or adult feeding opportunities at these features. We examined sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) spawning around a cyclonic, submesoscale (∼13 × 7 km) Florida Current frontal eddy. The temporal progression of eddy dynamics over a 65 h period was determined using ocean color satellite imagery, continuous surface measurements along the cruise track, and non-linear least-squares fitting of the positions of three drifters deployed within the eddy. A peak in larval sailfish densities (n = 2435, stations = 49), composed primarily of yolk-sac and first-feeding larvae, occurred at the eddy frontal zone. A majority of these larvae were estimated to have been spawned during the formation of the eddy. A comparison between the distribution of similar-age sailfish and scombrid larvae indicated that the peak in larval sailfish density likely resulted from spawning directly at the front, rather than transport by convergent flow. The first-feeding prey items of larval sailfish (Farranula and Corycaeus copepods) were most abundant at the frontal zone and to a lesser extent inside the eddy. Egg distributions were used to indirectly assess the distribution of adult sailfish prey items. Euthynnus alleteratus and Auxis spp. eggs were in highest abundance outside the eddy, while the eggs of small carangids were in highest abundance at the eddy frontal zone. Overall, this study indicates that sailfish spawn at small-scale oceanographic features that provide a favorable feeding environment for their larvae and potentially also for the adults.     

光周期对尖吻鲈仔稚鱼消化酶活性的影响

为研究不同光照时长对尖吻鲈(Lates calcarifer)消化酶活力的影响,作者采用生物化学方法系统测定不同光周期(光照时长分别为13、16、19和24 h)下,对尖吻鲈仔鱼阶段和稚鱼阶段3种消化酶(胃蛋白酶PP、淀粉酶AMS、脂肪酶LPS)活性变化进行对比研究。结果表明, 16 h光照时长PP的活力最高,过长的光照时长会抑制PP的活性;增加光照时长对AMS的活性有抑制作用,而对于LPS的活性呈现先抑制后促进的现象。在24 h光照时长时LPS活性增加;在19 h光照时长时对PP活性抑制;对淀粉酶影响不明显。16h光照时长能有效提高尖吻鲈仔、稚鱼的生长速度,更长的光照时长反而抑制其生长。研究表明,不同光照周期对尖吻鲈同种消化酶的影响不同;同一光照周期对不同消化酶产生的影响不同;尖吻鲈稚鱼阶段消化酶对光照时长变化的反应小于仔鱼期,适当地延长光照时长有助于提高尖吻鲈的生长速度。研究结果有助于选择特定的光周期促进某消化酶的活性,达到提高对特定营养物质的消化吸收能力,提高生产实践中仔、稚鱼的生长速度。     

脂肪营养对封闭循环水养殖道氏虹鳟生长、相关代谢酶及基因表达的影响

为探讨饲料脂肪营养对封闭循环水养殖道氏虹鳟(Oncorhynchus mykiss)生长、脂肪代谢及相关酶基因表达的影响,作者采用单因素设计,即4个脂肪水平——12%、15%、18%、21%(以Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ组表示),共4个处理组,每处理3重复,每重复25尾鱼。试验鱼为初始体质量(333.25±20.71)g的道氏虹鳟幼鱼,试验期77 d。结果表明,与后3组相比,Ⅰ组试验鱼增质量率显著提高17.20%~33.17%,Ⅰ和Ⅱ组饲料系数显著低于Ⅲ和Ⅳ组6.20%~20.56%(P0.05);脂肪合成酶类FAS活力随饲料脂肪水平升高而降低,脂肪分解酶类LPL、HL及L-CPTⅠ活力变化特征与之相反(P0.05)。其中,Ⅰ组FAS活力显著高于Ⅲ、Ⅳ组7.5%、8.7%;L-CPTⅠ活力显著低于后3组13.08%~16.35%;Ⅳ组LPL活力显著或极显著高于前3组18.8%~44.7%(P0.05或P0.01);I组肝脏FAS的mRNA表达量比后3组显著高48.29%~55.15%(P0.05);LPL呈相反特征,Ⅳ组显著高于前3组36.72%~113.59%(P0.05或P0.01);Ⅰ组肌肉FAS mRNA表达量显著高于Ⅳ组66.82%(P0.05);LPL表达丰度随脂肪水平升高先下降后显著上升(P0.05)。该结果特征与肝脏中该两种酶活力变化具有同步性。研究发现,随饲料脂肪水平变化,肌肉FAS mRNA表达量变化比肝脏更明显且规律性更强,而肝脏LPL mRNA表达量变化较肌肉更明显。本试验初步确定,在封闭循环水养殖模式下,330 g左右道氏虹鳟饲料蛋白水平在45%时,脂肪水平以不超过12%为宜。     

Recruitment of shrimp (Pandalus borealis) in the Barents Sea related to spawning stock and environment

The shrimp spawn in autumn, and the females carry their eggs as out roe until spring when the larvae hatch. Within a period of 2 months the shrimp larvae settle to the bottom. It has been claimed that the year-class strength probably is determined during the larval phase. Today's assessment and forecast of the shrimp stock productivity and potential fishing yields are weak. This is partly due to poor knowledge on population dynamics from hatching until the shrimp are caught in the fishery at the age of 3 or 4 years. We, therefore, here identify the most important abiotic and biotic factors that affect recruitment in addition to spawning stock biomass. Since 1995, a net attached to the underbelly of the survey trawl used at the annual cruise in the Barents Sea has caught juvenile shrimp. The abundance of settled shrimp larvae varies in time and space. The recruitment to the fishery has been quite stable with the exception of the 1996 year-class, which was observed as 1-year-olds but has not been registered since. The temporal pattern of the three youngest year-classes is studied in relation to abiotic factors such as sea temperature, ice index and North Atlantic Oscillation, as well as biotic factors such as spawning stock biomass and presence of copepods, euphausiids and predating cod. Recruitment indices and factors identified by the Spearmann correlation to be significantly correlated with recruitment were used as input in a principal component analysis (PCA) and a generalized additive model (GAM) was applied. Abundance of 1-year-old shrimp is positively correlated to spawning stock biomass the previous year and to temperature of the previous winter, and negatively correlated with the number of 1-year-old cod. Two-year-old shrimp show significant correlation with temperature, whereas there is a strong negative correlation with euphausiids. Three-year-old shrimp are significantly correlated with the number of 2-year-old shrimp the previous year but negatively correlated to temperature at sampling time. This is probably due to less overlap with the main predator cod when cold. Ricker functions indicate an increased density-dependent mortality with age. When predicting the recruitment of shrimp to the fishery, the spawning stock biomass, the abundance of cod and euphausiids, as well as the temperature should be included.