Demographic structure of the exploited stock of European eel (Anguilla anguilla (Linnaeus, 1758)) from Albufera d'es Grau (Minorca)

Abstract not availabl

Coordinated regulation of chromatophore differentiation and melanogenesis during the ontogeny of skin pigmentation of Solea senegalensis (Kaup, 1858)

Abnormal pigmentation of Senegalese sole has been described as one problem facing the full exploitation of its commercial production. To improve our understanding of flatfish pigmentation of this commercially important species we have evaluated eleven genes related to two different processes of pigmentation: melanophore differentiation, and melanin production. The temporal distribution of gene expression peaks corresponds well with changes in pigmentation patterns and the intensity of skin melanization. Several gene ratios were also examined to put in perspective possible genetic markers for the different stages of normal pigmentation development. Further, the phenotypic changes that occur during morphogenesis correspond well with the main transitions in gene expression that occur. Given the dramatic phenotypic alterations which flatfish undergo, including the asymmetric coloration that occurs between the ocular and the blind side, and the synchrony of the two processes of morphogenesis and pigmentation ontogenesis, these species constitute an interesting model for the study of pigmentation. In this study we present a first approximation towards explaining the genetic mechanisms for regulating pigmentation ontogeny in Senegalese sole, Solea senegalensis.Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICIIN) of the Spanish Government [AGL2008-03897-C04-01/ACU]; European Community [FP7/2007-2013-222719-LIFECYCLE]; Spanish Governmentinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Thermal imprinting modifies adult stress and innate immune responsiveness in the teleost sea bream

The impact of thermal imprinting on the plasticity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis and stress response in an adult ectotherm, the gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata, L.), during its development was assessed. Fish were reared under 4 thermal regimes, and the resulting adults exposed to acute confinement stress and plasma cortisol levels and genes of the HPI axis were monitored. Changes in immune function, a common result of stress, were also evaluated using histomorphometric measurements of melanomacrophages centers (MMCs) in the head kidney and by monitoring macrophage-related transcripts. Thermal history significantly modified the HPI responsiveness in adult sea bream when eggs and larvae were reared at a higher than optimal temperature (HT, 22 degrees C), and they had a reduced amplitude in their cortisol response and significantly upregulated pituitary pomc and head kidney star transcripts. Additionally, after an acute stress challenge, immune function was modified and the head kidney of adult fish reared during development at high temperatures (HT and LHT, 18-22 degrees C) had a decreased number of MMCs and a significant downregulation of dopachrome tautomerase. Thermal imprinting during development influenced adult sea bream physiology and increased plasma levels of glucose and sodium even in the absence of an acute stress in fish reared under a high-low thermal regime (HLT, 22-18 degrees C). Overall, the results demonstrate that temperature during early development influences the adult HPI axis and immune function in a teleost fish.project Lifecycle EU-FP7 [222719]FCT- Foundation for Science and Technology [CCMAR/Multi/04326/2013]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Temperature responsiveness of gilthead sea bream bone; an in vitro and in vivo approach

This study aimed to characterize the molecules involved in osteogenesis in seabream and establish using in vitro/in vivo approaches the responsiveness of selected key genes to temperature. The impact of a temperature drop from 23 to 13 degrees C was evaluated in juvenile fish thermally imprinted during embryogenesis. Both, in vitro/in vivo, Fib1a, appeared important in the first stages of bone formation, and Col1A1, ON and OP, in regulating matrix production and mineralization. OCN mRNA levels were up-regulated in the final larval stages when mineralization was more intense. Moreover, temperature-dependent differential gene expression was observed, with lower transcript levels in the larvae at 18 degrees C relative to those at 22 degrees C, suggesting bone formation was enhanced in the latter group. Results revealed that thermal imprinting affected the long-term regulation of osteogenesis. Specifically, juveniles under the low and low-to-high-temperature regimes had reduced levels of OCN when challenged, indicative of impaired bone development. In contrast, gene expression in fish from the high and high-to-low-temperature treatments was unchanged, suggesting imprinting may have a protective effect. Overall, the present study revealed that thermal imprinting modulates bone development in seabream larvae, and demonstrated the utility of the in vitro MSC culture as a reliable tool to investigate fish osteogenesis."Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad" (MINECO) [BES-2015-074654]; Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT) [SFRH/BPD/111512/2015, SFRH/BD/81625/2011]; MINECO, Spain [AGL2010-17324, AGL2014-57974-R]; "Generalitat de Catalunya" (XRAq); Generalitat de Catalunya [2014SGR-01371]; FCT, Portugal [CCMAR/Multi/04326/2013]; European Union [LIFECYCLE EU-FP7 222719]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Weaning European glass eels (Anguilla anguilla) with plant protein-based diets and its effects on intestinal maturation

Weaning glass eels with compound diets (36% proteins, 16% lipids) differing in their fishmeal (FM) level (50, 75 and 100% FM replaced by a blend of plant proteins, PP) was compared to a group fed cod roe. Weaning lasted for 20 days and then, eels were fed compound diets for 70 days, whereas the other group was only fed cod roe (90 days). Diets were tested with four replicates and evaluated in terms of growth, survival, glass eels metamorphosis into elvers, oxidative stress status and activity of digestive enzymes. Although glass eels are traditionally fed with fish roe and progressively weaned onto compound diets, results revealed that this strategy should not be prolonged for a long time, since feeding glass eels with cod roe for 90 days negatively affected their growth (2 times lower than fish fed compound diets), delayed their metamorphosis, as well as the maturation of their digestive function as the ratio of alkaline phosphatase and leucine-alanine peptidase indicated. Weaning glass eels onto compound diets differing in their FM levels did not affect their growth, metamorphic stage nor the activity of pancreatic enzymes (total alkaline proteases, trypsin, bile salt-activated lipase and α-amylase), although 75% FM replacement by PP sources delayed the level of intestinal maturation in eels. In comparison to glass eels fed the 100% FM diet, survival was negatively affected in groups fed diets with 50 and 75% FM replacement by PP ingredients, which indicated that further improvement is needed in diet formulation for this stage of development.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Acuaponía: un complemento sostenible para la Acuicultura

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Towards the standardization of brush border purification and intestinal alkaline phosphatase quantification in fish with notes on other digestive enzymes

Assessing the activity of digestive enzymes is a common procedure in many biological, physiological and nutritional studies. After reviewing the available literature on fish digestive tract maturation and enzymatic activity (pancreatic and intestinal enzymes) published between 1994 and 2017, authors detected some possible methodological and/or interpretative inconsistencies in this kind of studies, and concluded that special attention should be paid on: i) the time of conservation of frozen samples prior their analysis, ii) the proper purification of the brush border of enterocytes by a double centrifugation step (Crane et al., 1979) when authors want to evaluate the activity of intestinal brush border enzymes in order to avoid the overestimation, particularly of alkaline phosphatase (AP), because it is present in other tissues; iii) the use of the proper reaction conditions at the normal range of values in terms of ions, temperature and intestinal alkalinity for the species of interest, and AP unit calculation. The implementation of these recommendations will promote the standardization of actual analytical procedures, as well as improve the reliability of comparative studies between different fish species or rearing procedures.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Editorial: Animal welfare, Volume I: Animal welfare in aquaculture - Physiological basis and recent findings

Since animal welfare is a multidisciplinary scientific discipline, the papers published in this special issue are based on diverse subjects, such as feeding and nutrition, behavior, immunology, reproduction, pathology, endocrinology, and neuroendocrinology. The studies targeting fish species have been the most frequent, being salmonids the main group. Nevertheless, only one out of the thirteen published articles deals with an invertebrate species, the lobster (Homarus americanus), which highlights the recent interest for crustaceans’ welfare. The results derived from these works state objectively the importance of animal welfare in both physiological and behavioral traits and responses, as well as in zootechnical parameters of interest for farmers.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Determinism and causative factors for morphological anomalies in reared European fishes

The presence of sublethal morphological deformities represents one of the main bottleneck of the industrial finfish hatchery production, resulting in major economic loss due to reduced growth and marketing ability of the final product, that has to be transformed (filets) or sold for fish flour. Furthermore, the elimination of deformed fishes from the productive cycle needs for periodic selections at present carried out by manual sorting. This represents an additional economic cost, and a stress for fishes