pH胁迫对不同规格刺参生长及免疫酶活性的影响

以大、中、小3种不同规格的刺参(Apostichopus japonicus)为对象,在pH为7.3、7.5、8.2、8.7、8.9不同环境中养殖30d,观测刺参行为、生长及溶菌酶(LZM)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性。结果显示:当pH为7.5、8.7时, 3种不同规格刺参均能正常活动、摄食、生长,未表现出异常状况;若超出此范围,刺参出现粪便细短、残饵增多、摄食量减少等现象,尤其在pH 8.9时,中规格刺参有明显棘刺收缩的现象,小规格刺参不同程度地出现身体收缩、棘刺平滑状态,而大规格刺参无明显表观不适现象。不同pH对3种规格刺参的特定生长率(SGR)有显著影响,随着pH升高或者降低,刺参SGR均逐渐下降,与对照组差异显著(P0.05),规格越小刺参受到抑制作用越大;刺参LZM、SOD、CAT活性随pH胁迫时间的延长呈现先升高后下降的趋势,在第10天时达到最高,与对照组差异显著(P0.05),至30 d胁迫结束时,在pH 7.3、8.9条件下,刺参免疫酶活性显著低于对照组(P0.05),而pH为7.5、8.7时,刺参免疫酶活性与对照差异不显著; pH胁迫对不同规格刺参非特异性免疫酶活性的影响存在差异,在相同胁迫条件下,酶活性依次为大规格中规格小规格,当pH7.3、8.9时,小中大规格分别在胁迫20 d、25 d、25 d后免疫酶活性显著低于对照组(P0.05)。研究表明, pH胁迫会对刺参生长及免疫产生明显的影响,在刺参养殖过程中, pH属关键的理化因子之一,应密切关注其变化。     

乳酸乳球菌XP-15对仿刺参生长、免疫及肠道菌群结构的影响

乳酸乳球菌（Lactococcus lactis）是一种具有促进宿主生长、增强机体免疫力的益生菌。本研究以仿刺参（Apostichopus japonicus）为研究对象,以仿刺参源肠道分离菌株乳酸乳球菌XP 15为候选益生菌,开展菌株XP 15对仿刺参生长、免疫及肠道菌群结构的影响研究。以乳酸乳球菌XP 15投喂组为实验组（XP 15组）,基础饲料投喂组为对照组（CK组）,进行为期8周的养殖实验。结果显示,第1—8周,XP 15组的仿刺参肠道内的乳球菌属（Lactococcus spp.）呈现逐渐增加趋势,至第8周时占比为54.00%,明显高于CK组的7.33%,表明菌株XP 15可较好地在仿刺参肠道内定殖;于第6周取肠道进行免疫酶活力测定,结果显示,XP 15组仿刺参肠道一氧化氮合成酶（nitric oxide synthase, NOS）、酸性磷酸酶（acid phosphatase, ACP）和超氧化物歧化酶（superoxide dismutase, SOD）等免疫指标显著高于CK组。于第6周采用体腔注射法进行相对免疫保护率实验,计算结果表明,投喂菌株XP 15后仿刺参在塔式弧菌（Vibrio tubiashii）感染中的成活率为73.33%,高于对照组的33.33%。于第8周测定各组仿刺参体重计算增重率,结果显示,初始体重为(43.63±2.15) g的XP 15组仿刺参的增重率为122.19%,显著高于初始体重为(42.10±1.93) g的CK组(增重率为109.46%）,表明菌株XP 15对仿刺参的生长有一定的促进作用。本研究可为乳酸乳球菌作为候选益生菌种在水产养殖上的应用提供参考依据。     

High-throughput sequencing of 16S r RNA amplicons characterizes gut microbiota shift of juvenile sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus feeding with three antibiotics

Sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus is an important marine economic species in Asian countries due to its profound nutritional and medicinal value. So far, with the rapid development of intensifi ed artifi cial aquaculture of sea cucumbers, the use of antibiotics is still an inexpensive and dispensable way to treat pathogenic infections, especially during the nursery phase. However, there is little information on the eff ects of antibiotics on the intestinal microbiota of sea cucumber. Therefore an Illumina based sequencing method was used to examine the intestinal bacterial composition of juvenile A . japonicas following diets with three typical antibiotics (tetracycline, erythromycin, and norfl oxacin) under 15, 30, and 45 d. The fi ndings reveal that diff erent antibiotics have distinct eff ects on the growth performance of juvenile sea cucumbers. However, the richness and diversity of microbiota were barely aff ected by antibiotics but the community composition alterations indicated that the three antibiotics exhibited their respective patterns of reshaping the intestinal bacteria of juvenile sea cucumbers. In common, the abundance of some sensitive genera with helpful functions, such as Thalassotalea , Shewanella , Sulfi tobacter , and Halomonas decreased signifi cantly with exposure to antibiotics and the abundance of multiple potential pathogenic- and suspected antibiotic-resistant microorganisms like Arcobacter , Leucothrix , and Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 was found increased signifi cantly in the antibiotic groups. These results suggest that low doses of antibiotics could aff ect the composition of the intestinal microbiota of sea cucumbers and might increase the risk of infection of the hosts. This study could help us to explore how antibacterial compounds modify the gut microbiota of sea cucumbers and provide theoretical guidance in hatchery management by scientifi c antibiotic use in sea cucumber mariculture.     

Culture environment and hatchery of origin influence growth,condition and feeding organ morphology in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas in South Africa

South Africa lacks a commercial oyster hatchery. To inform the sourcing of seed for future hatchery establishments, we compared half-sib Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas cohorts from hatcheries in Namibia and Chile. We measured oyster growth, mortality, condition and feeding organ morphology in Algoa Bay (AB, Eastern Cape) and Saldanha Bay (SB, Western Cape), South Africa, from July 2011 to June 2012. Within SB, 14.3% of mean daily sea temperatures exceeded this species’ thermal optimum of 19 °C, compared to 50.5% in AB. Food abundance (mean daily chlorophyll a concentration) in SB (7.8 mg m^–3) was double that in AB (3.9 mg m^–3) where, presumably to increase particle clearance rates in a relatively phytoplankton-poor environment, oysters had larger gill:palp surface area ratios. Plankton fatty acid profiles (indicators of food quality) differed between locations. In AB, instantaneous growth rates differed between cohorts, and trends varied seasonally. Within both locations, condition index was usually higher in Chilean oysters, whereas shell density was higher in Namibian oysters. In AB only, Chilean seed suffered substantially higher summer mortalities than Namibian seed, suggesting that the latter are more suited to temperatures in AB. AB should also be assessed for culture of the indigenous oyster species that occur there.     

不同产地浒苔对幼刺参生长、消化和非特异性免疫的影响

为探究不同产地浒苔型饵料对幼刺参生长、消化和非特异性免疫的影响,本实验将青岛浒苔与宁波浒苔的干粉与海泥分别按一定质量比例混合,开展刺参饲喂实验,并与刺参天然饵料马尾藻进行对比。结果表明,青岛浒苔饵料和马尾藻饵料喂养的刺参的粗蛋白含量分别为14.31%±0.10%和15.43%±1.41%,显著高于宁波浒苔饵料(11.17%±0.63%),粗脂肪和灰分含量无显著差异;青岛浒苔组、宁波浒苔组和马尾藻组的增重率分别为22.65%±5.68%、3.03%±1.17%和20.47%±2.01%,特定生长率分别为(1.44±0.33)、(0.21±0.08)、(1.33±0.12)%/d,青岛浒苔组和马尾藻组刺参的增重率和特定生长率显著高于宁波浒苔组;青岛浒苔组、宁波浒苔组和马尾藻组刺参肠道淀粉酶、胃蛋白酶、胰蛋白酶和纤维素酶活力无显著差异;马尾藻组刺参体腔液碱性磷酸酶活力为(17.57±4.56)金氏单位/100mL,显著高于青岛浒苔组[(5.56±1.32)金氏单位/100mL]和宁波浒苔组[(2.83±0.75)金氏单位/100mL],超氧化物歧化酶和酸性磷酸酶活力无显著差异。由此可见,绿潮暴发时,通过打捞浒苔用以配制刺参饵料,既有助于缓解绿潮的生态灾害,又能够补充刺参饵料来源,具有广阔的生态效益和市场前景,但是其营养成分影响因素较为复杂,配制饵料时应充分考虑不同品种、采集时间和生长地点的差异,并通过一些前处理手段充分发挥浒苔的饵料价值。     

夏季养殖刺参(Apostichopus japonicus)大面积死亡的原因分析与应对措施

夏季刺参大面积死亡正逐渐呈现常态化趋势,不仅造成了巨大的经济损失,同时使刺参资源严重衰退,制约了刺参产业的良性发展,其原因亟待揭示。本文从高温、低氧、低盐、硫化物、氨氮及藻类腐烂等环境因素,以及种质因素、病原因素、人为因素共四方面阐述了夏季刺参大面积死亡的原因,提出"建设工程化"、"养殖机械化"、"监测自动化"及"管理智能化"的应对理念,进而通过培育抗逆良种、调查关键指标并建立风险预警体系、构建综合养殖系统、完善应急处置方案、提高现代养殖技术等应对措施,综合应对夏季极端天气的威胁,为保证刺参健康度夏提供科学参考。     

Assessment of Holothuria arguinensis feeding rate,growth and absorption efficiency under aquaculture conditions

Holothuria arguinensis is a potential species for sea cucumber aquaculture in Europe. In a first experiment, feeding rate (FR), growth, absorption efficiency (AE) and survival of adults (135.01?±?10.87?g eviscerated weight) were assessed under sediment tank conditions. In a second experiment, the feasibility to use sea bream (Sparus aurata) biodeposits as a food source was studied for adults (168.69?±?14.59?g eviscerated weight). Individuals in the first experiment showed an increase of weight (specific growth rate (SGR)?=?0.2% d^?1), positive FRs and mean value of AE close to 80% with a mean organic matter content of 90.07?±?11.5?mg/g in the offered sediment. Sea cucumbers fed with fish biodeposits showed a reduction of weight (SGR??1), low FRs and negative values of AE. The influence of low salinity and temperature during experiments should be considered to explain these results. Indeed, sea cucumbers can be affected by a decrease of these parameters during winter months resulting in a period of inactivity.     

Modelling the influence of environmental factors on the physiological status of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas in an estuarine embayment; The Baie des Veys (France)

It is well known that temporal changes in bivalve body mass are strongly correlated with temporal variations in water temperature and food supply. In order to study the influence of the year-to-year variability of environmental factors on oyster growth, we coupled a biogeochemical sub-model, which simulates trophic resources of oysters (i.e. phytoplankton biomass via chlorophyll a), and an ecophysiological sub-model, which simulates growth and reproduction (i.e. gametogenesis and spawning), using mechanistic bases. The biogeochemical sub-model successfully simulated phytoplankton dynamics using river nutrient inputs and meteorological factors as forcing functions. Adequate simulation of oyster growth dynamics requires a relevant food quantifier compatible with outputs of the biogeochemical sub-model (i.e. chlorophyll a concentration). We decided to use the phytoplankton carbon concentration as quantifier for food, as it is a better estimator of the energy really available to oysters. The transformation of chlorophyll a concentration into carbon concentration using a variable chlorophyll a to carbon ratio enabled us to improve the simulation of oyster growth especially during the starvation period (i.e. autumn and winter). Once validated, the coupled model was a suitable tool to study the influence of the year-to-year variability of phytoplankton dynamics and water temperature on the gonado-somatic growth of the Pacific oyster. Four years with highly contrasted meteorological conditions (river inputs, water temperature and light) 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003, were simulated. The years were split into two groups, wet years (2000 and 2001) and dry years (2002 and 2003). Significant variability of the response of oysters to environmental conditions was highlighted between the four scenarios. In the wet years, an increase in loadings of river nutrients and suspended particulate matter led to a shift in the initiation and the magnitude of the phytoplanktonic spring bloom, and consequently to a shift in oyster growth patterns. In contrast, in the dry years, an increase in water temperature—especially during summer—resulted in early spawning. Thus, the gonado-somatic growth pattern of oysters was shown to be sensitive to variations in river loadings and water temperature. In this context, the physiological status of oysters is discussed using a relevant indicator of energy needs.     

不同体质量仿刺参免疫活性的研究

通过研究不同体质量仿刺参(Apostichopus japonicus)的免疫活性, 为仿刺参生长中免疫指标的建立提供依据。实验选取了50、100、150 g 左右的仿刺参各10 只, 测定其体腔细胞数量、各细胞类群比例及部分免疫酶活性。结果表明: 不同体质量的仿刺参, 其体腔细胞数量及各细胞类群、过氧化物酶(POD)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)具有显著性变化, 而体腔液中酚氧化酶(PO)活性极低。体质量150 g左右仿刺参的细胞数量和SOD活性较其他两组都明显升高, 细胞类群也有明显变化(P<0.017), 但POD活性显著降低(P<0.05)。不同体质量的仿刺参免疫活性具有显著性差别, 说明了仿刺参免疫组分在生长过程中不断变化, 免疫防御能力在各阶段有所差别。     

Highly localised distribution patterns of juvenile sea cucumber Australostichopus mollis

Information on the environmental characteristics of the juvenile habitat of many deposit-feeding sea cucumber species is limited, despite most fished species exhibiting rapid localised depletion. The current study combined large and small scale surveying techniques within a New Zealand harbour to identify areas with high densities of juvenile Australostichopus mollis, a commercially valuable aspidochirote holothurian. Data from detailed surveys were used to relate densities of juveniles and adults with measures of physical habitat characteristics including depth, sediment facies type, grain size range, as well as measures of chlorophyll-a, phaeopigment, carbon and nitrogen content of surface sediment. Results revealed a highly localised distribution of juvenile A. mollis focused on one site associated with an area of high adult density. Sites of high juvenile A. mollis density were characterised by sediment qualities favouring epibenthic detritivorous deposit feeding, including high nitrogen content, high phaeopigment:chlorophyll-a ratio and small grain size. The high-density juvenile site had facies that were further characterised by the presence of large shell fragments (>10 cm length) of the horse mussel (Atrina zelandica), which may provide a unique settlement microhabitat for early juveniles. Unlike some other sea cucumber species, juvenile A. mollis shows no distinct spatial separation from adult sea cucumbers, no association with dense macroalgae and no clear preference for shallower depths than adults. Overall, the results illustrate the highly localised pattern of recruitment of this species to a widely distributed adult population, which may help to explain the lack of previous observations of juveniles in this species. These results indicate the importance of identifying and protecting what appear to be very specific juvenile habitats in deposit-feeding sea cucumbers to ensure continuing recruitment to exploited populations.     

Scales of recruitment variability in warming waters: Comparing native and introduced oysters in Hood Canal,Washington, USA

The effect of climate change on natural oyster recruitment has the potential to disrupt many of the ecosystem services oysters provide. Due to the temperature‐sensitivity of reproduction, oyster recruitment may shift as water temperatures rise. A biological imprint of climate change was revealed in a multi‐decadal time series of recruitment of non‐native Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) in the main stem of Hood Canal, Washington, USA, extracted from historic fishery documents. Water in July and August warmed significantly from 1945 to 1995 (0.028 ± 0.004°C per year [±SE]) and accounted for an increase in Pacific oyster recruitment (7% per year, 0.028 ± 0.006 spat per year on log scale [±SE]); recruitment also strongly tracked inter‐annual variability in summer water temperature. Methods used to collect historical data were repeated in 2013–2015 when recruitment of both Pacific oysters and native Olympia oysters (Ostrea lurida) were recorded in main stem and lower Hood Canal. Both historic and modern data show large variation within and between years for temperature as well as recruitment. The modern data add information regarding spatial variation, in that recruitment patterns in the two regions of Hood Canal were decoupled. As temperatures continue to increase, non‐native Pacific oysters are likely to be favored over Olympia oysters, which recruit earlier at lower temperatures and presently contribute less than half of total oyster recruits. Future recruitment, however, may be limited by environmental factors other than temperature, a point indicated particularly in Hood Canal where many subtidal species already respond strongly to gradients in dissolved oxygen.     

Socio-economic features of sea cucumber fisheries in southern coast of Kenya

A socio-economic assessment was conducted at Vanga, Shimoni, Majoreni and Gazi villages in the Kenyan south coast with focus on the sea cucumber fishing patterns, the social and economic characteristics of the fisher communities, the contribution of sea cucumbers to the local livelihoods, and analysis of the management systems. The results indicate that sea cucumber fishers are mainly men. Fishing is done in sub-tidal areas (3–10 m deep) and inter-tidal areas depending on the species being targeted. Those who fish in the sub-tidal areas do skin diving without using SCUBA diving gear. Sea cucumber fishing is heavily done during the northeast monsoon season when the sea is calm and water is clear. About 32% of the sea cucumber fishers also collect other marine products such as octopus. The sea cucumbers are sold fresh from the sea to local first level middlemen who process and sell them to the second level middlemen and exporters in Mombasa. The fishers occasionally borrow money from first level middlemen especially when they fail to catch sea cucumbers but this in turn creates conditions of dependence and possible exploitation. Almost all sea cucumber fishers have stated that they are not willing to make sea cucumbers part of their daily diet. The economic value of the product was substantial; the average monthly revenue for dry sea cucumbers in the area was estimated to US$ 8000. The relative highest profits are derived from juvenile species, thus there is an economic incentive hindering local stocks to reach sexual maturity, which in turn may create a situation in which recruitment success is highly dependent on faraway populations. The present management system falls into general fisheries regulations and was found weak. No specific management plan for sea cucumbers was found.     

The occurrence of hydrocarbons and histopathological abnormalities in oysters for seven years following the wreck of the Amoco Cadiz in Brittany (France)

A study of the main oyster areas polluted by the Amoco Cadiz oil spill (Abers, Baie de Morlaix) was carried out between 1978 and 1985 by chemical analyses (mainly aromatic hydrocarbon determinations) and histopathological observations of lesions in the digestive tracts and gonads of oysters. The hydrocarbon content in oyster tissues was monitored and analyzed by UV spectrofluorimetry, and gas and liquid chromatographic techniques.Seven years after the Amoco Cadiz wreck, the oysters sampled in the AberBenoit and in the Baie de Morlaix (Carantec) are still polluted with residual aromatic hydrocarbons, corresponding, respectively, to about five and two times the values from an unpolluted site (Baie de Saint-Brieuc). Since petroleum residues are buried in anaerobic sediments, especially in the Abers areas, they are expected to persist and accordingly may still contaminate oysters for several more years.Depuration kinetics of contaminated flat and Pacific oysters from the heavily polluted zones (Abers, Carantec) were studied and compared with that of healthy oysters transplanted in the same areas. The decontamination rates of oysters after transfer to a clean environment were heavily dependent on the duration of oil exposure.Necrosis and inflammation were the most significant and noticeable changes occurring during the first months after the pollution. Atrophy of the gonadal cells was detected in the oysters from the Abers only during the first six months of the study. No neoplastic and parasitic diseases have been related to this oil spill.     

白刺参，浅青刺参，深青刺参和紫刺参色素组成及黑色素含量的比较分析

Sea cucumber, Apostichopus japonicus(Selenka), is a commercially important marine species in China. Among the differently colored varieties sold in China, white and purple sea cucumbers have the greatest appeal to consumers. Identification of the pigments that may contribute to the formation of different color morphs of sea cucumbers will provide a scientific basis for improving the cultivability of desirable color morphs. In this study,sea cucumbers were divided into four categories according to their body color: white, light green, dark green, and purple. The pigment composition and contents in the four groups were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). The results show that the pigment contents differed significantly among the white, lightgreen, dark-green, and purple sea cucumbers, and there were fewer types of pigments in white sea cucumber than in the other color morphs. The only pigments detected in white sea cucumbers were guanine and pteroic acid.Guanine and pteroic acid are structural colors, and they were also detected in light-green, dark-green, and purple sea cucumbers. Every pigment detected, except for pteroic acid, was present at a higher concentration in purple morphs than in the other color morphs. The biological color pigments melanin, astaxanthin, β-carotene, and lutein were detected in light-green, dark-green, and purple sea cucumbers. While progesterone and lycopene,which are also biological color pigments, were not detected in any of the color morphs. Melanin was the major pigment contributing to body color, and its concentration increased with deepening color of the sea cucumber body. Transmission electron microscopy analyses revealed that white sea cucumbers had the fewest epidermal melanocytes in the body wall, and their melanocytes contained fewer melanosomes as well as non-pigmented pre-melanosomes. Sea cucumbers with deeper body colors contained more melanin granules. In the body wall of dark-green and purple sea cucumbers, melanin granules were secreted out of the cell. The results of this study provide evidence for the main factors responsible for differences in coloration among white, light-green, darkgreen, and purple sea cucumbers, and also provide the foundation for further research on the formation of body color in sea cucumber, A. japonicus.     

刺参池塘养殖的研究

本文报道了刺参池塘养殖的研究成果。本试验在水深80cm、日换水率在3%以上、面积为3.91亩的养虾池中进行。在虾池内建造人工海参礁;往虾池投放体长5—7cm的参苗1249头和体长1cm左右的参苗2500头;不投任何饵料。经过1年半饲养,刺参有147头(约4%)长到商品规格,平均体重达179.6g,有600头平均体重达到50—120g。 本项试验的意义在于:为刺参的人工养殖开辟了新的途径,对刺参要求的环境条件提供了新的依据,同时为生物净化养虾池创出了新路,具有重要的理论意义和经济价值。     

天津新港褶牡蛎体内Hg和As含量的季节变化

本文研究了1983年5月—1984年2月天津新港褶牡蛎(Ostrea plicatula)体内Hg和As含量的季节变化。结果表明:牡蛎体内的Hg含量在秋季与冬季略高,夏季偏低;而As含量以春末和夏季较高,冬季最低。在牡蛎体内Hg的含量范围为0.118—0.235mg╱kg(干重),年平均值为O.183mg╱kg。As的含量范围为1.20—25.98mg/kg(干重),年平均值为19.46mg╱kg。     

刺参养殖池塘一种塑料人工参礁表面生态学特征初步研究

人工参礁在中国刺参(Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka))养殖业中被广泛应用,本文调查了2008年春、秋季刺参池塘中一种塑料人工礁表面的生物群落结构.采用沉积物捕捉器的方法调查了刺参池塘人工礁表面碳、氮、磷的循环及参礁的生态特征.结果表明,春季礁体底栖动物生物量及生物多样性高于秋季,底栖动物均集中在礁体外表面的缝隙内,4月礁体表面颗粒物,底泥沉积物总有机碳(TOC)平均含量分别为41.9 mg/g 和2.45 mg/g;总氮(TN)平均含量分别为4.1 mg/g 和0.2 mg/g.10月礁体表面颗粒物,底泥沉积物 TOC 含量分别为27.5 mg/g 和3.1 mg/g; TN 平均含量分别3.1 mg/g 和0.3 mg/g.4月 TOC, TN 沉积量分别达到711.2 mg/(m2·d)和70.7 mg/(m2·d);10月 TOC, TN 沉积量分别为804.9 mg/(m2·d)和87.3 mg/(m2·d).4月人工礁表面叶绿素/脱镁叶绿素(Chl a/Pheophytin)>1,表明礁体活体藻类较多.10月人工礁表面 Chl a/Pheophytin<1表明礁体表面降解颗粒物质较多.人工礁为刺参提供遮蔽场所,其表面生物膜为刺参提供优质食物,同时可增加池塘底面积,增强养殖系统稳定性.     

Effects of PCBs sorbed to algal paste and sediments on the stress protein response (HSP70 family) in the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica.

This study examined the stress protein response (HSP70 family) of reproductively inactive oysters fed 0.7 g algal paste containing 0, 0.35 and 3.5 micrograms polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) daily. A second set of treatment groups investigated the combined effect of PCBs and sediments (0.3 g sediments daily per oyster) on HSP70 response. After 8 weeks of PCB exposure, oyster tissues (mantle and gill) were sampled and analyzed for HSP70. Preliminary results did not show a significant effect in HSP70 response in oysters fed PCB sorbed to algal paste, albeit PCBs accumulated up to 1342 ng/g dry weight in the mantle, and up to 180 ng/g dry weight in gill tissues. However, the addition of sediments caused a significant increase in HSP70 levels of gills and mantle, although the mantle was less sensitive to the sediments.     

Minchinia nelsoni (MSX) infections in the James River seed-oyster area and their expulsion in spring

Spread of a new oyster disease caused by Minchinia nelsoni (MSX) in lower Chesapeake Bay in 1959–1960 threatened Virginia's James River seed area. Infections appeared in the lower half of the seed area in 1960 and 1961, but few oysters died from the disease and infections were eliminated by oysters in April-May the following spring. Distribution of the disease in controlled broadly by low salinities that inhibit development of infections and allow oysters to discharge plasmodia. Penetrations of the seed area occurred in dry and wet years, but mortalities occurred only in 1964 and 1980, both years of low precipitation. Little mortality was caused by transplanting infected seed oysters to other rivers because only low-salinity grounds were planted after 1959–1960 when severe mortalities occurred in areas of high salinities. In most years, infections were minimal in the seed area and other estuaries where salinities do not exceed 15–20‰ in late summer and fall. Salinities <10‰ prevailed in most of the seed area when oysters expelled the pathogen in early spring.     

Introduced Pacific oysters Crassostrea gigas in South Africa: demographic change,genetic diversity and body condition

Successful aquaculture species are often chosen for their fast growth rates and fecundity, which are also characteristics of invasive species. The Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas, which constitutes 80% of global oyster trade, has been confirmed as invasive in 17 of the 66 countries where it is cultured. The single study of its status in South Africa reported populations in six South Coast estuaries in 2001, dropping to three sites in 2003. We resurveyed these estuaries, visited others in the Eastern and Western Cape provinces, and sampled oyster tissue for molecular analyses of population structure. Pacific oysters have disappeared from Knysna and, following our collections, possibly also from the GouKou Estuary. Between 2003 and 2012, the Breede Estuary population decreased by 87%, from an estimated 184 206 to 23 760 individuals. Within this estuary, oysters 12 km upriver had denser shells and higher body condition indices than did those within 1.4 km of the river mouth, presumably reflecting higher availability of suspended organic matter. However, low salinity over most of the species’ range in the estuary probably inhibits recruitment. New populations of Pacific oysters in the Swartkops and Kaaimans estuaries urgently require monitoring and eradication. Haplotype (h) and nucleotide (π) diversities across all oyster populations sampled (h = 0.2300 [SD 0.0595], π = 0.0006 [SD 0.0007]) were lower than those of co-occurring indigenous Cape rock oysters Striostrea margaritacea from the GouKou and Breede estuaries (h = 0.9076 [SD 0.0386], π = 0.00589 [SD 0.00347]). Pacific oysters either have been introduced to South African estuaries infrequently, or have experienced genetic bottlenecks following river floods or human exploitation, or both. Populations growing outside culture infrastructure are restricted to estuaries in the Eastern and Western Cape provinces, with no evidence of occurrence in fully marine shelf environments. Given the species’ considerable socio-economic importance, estuarine and coastal surveillance coupled with aquaculture zoning are required to integrate biodiversity and food security considerations.