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Fishes, Volume 6, Issue 3 (September 2021) – 21 articles

Cover Story (view full-size image): Chondrichthyans are apex predators influencing the trophic web through a top-down process thus their depletion will affect the remaining biota. Notwithstanding that, research on chondrichthyans is sparse or data-limited in several biogeographic areas worldwide, including the Levantine Sea. We revise and update the knowledge of chondrichthyans in Cyprus based on a bibliographic review. Our updated checklist reports 60 species that account for about 70% of the Mediterranean chondrichthyan biota. Our research highlights the need for conservation measures and more studies regarding the highly threatened blackchin guitarfish Glaucostegus cemiculus and the devil ray Mobula mobular, and stresses the importance for training a new generation of observers to strengthen the knowledge. View this paper
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9 pages, 918 KiB  
Article
Comparative Analysis of the nrDNA Repeat Unit of Manila Clam Ruditapes philippinarum and Quahog Mercenaria mercenaria
by Zhansheng Guo, Zhen Wang and Xuguang Hou
Fishes 2021, 6(3), 42; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fishes6030042 - 17 Sep 2021
Viewed by 1834
Abstract
Ruditapes philippinarum and Mercenaria mercenaria are economically important bivalve species. The complete ribosomal DNA (rDNA) unit sequences of R. philippinarum and M. mercenaria, with as-sembled rDNA unit lengths of 12,910 and 12,100 bp, respectively, were obtained in this study for the first [...] Read more.
Ruditapes philippinarum and Mercenaria mercenaria are economically important bivalve species. The complete ribosomal DNA (rDNA) unit sequences of R. philippinarum and M. mercenaria, with as-sembled rDNA unit lengths of 12,910 and 12,100 bp, respectively, were obtained in this study for the first time. The rDNA unit structural organisation was similar to that in other eukaryotes, in-cluding the following elements in order: 18S rRNA-internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1); 5.8S rRNA-ITS2-28S rRNA-intergenic spacer (IGS) (3′ external transcribed spacer (ETS); non-transcribed spacer (NTS)-5′ ETS). The genetic differences between R. philippinarum and M. mercenaria were mainly attributable to non-coding regions (ITS1, ITS2 and IGS), especially the IGS region. The boundaries of putative 3′ ETS, NTS and 5′ ETS were confirmed. Seven and three sub-repeat fragments were found in R. philippinarum and M. mercenaria, respectively. These frag-ments ranged from 4 to 154 bp in length, and were located at the NTS and 5′ ETS regions. Five and six cytosine–guanine (CpG) islands were detected in R. philippinarum and M. mercenaria, respec-tively, and these covered 85.58% and 79.29% of the entire IGS sequence, respectively. The phylo-genetic tree was constructed based on Veneridae ITS and 18S rRNA sequences using the maxi-mum likelihood (ML) method. The ML tree based on ITS revealed that species within the same genus clearly clustered together with relatively high supporting values, and all the genera were recovered as monophyletic. The phylogenetic analyses using 18S rRNA provided a weaker phy-logenetic signal than ITS. Full article
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20 pages, 1236 KiB  
Article
Evaluation on the Effect of Fishery Insurance Policy: Evidence Based on Text Mining
by Xinyi Wei, Qiuguang Hu and Jintao Ma
Fishes 2021, 6(3), 41; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fishes6030041 - 13 Sep 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2320
Abstract
As a quasi-public product, fishery insurance has become an important starting point for the construction of the modern fishery industry chain, supply chain and value chain risk management mechanism. We used visual data processing methods and text mining technology to screen policy samples. [...] Read more.
As a quasi-public product, fishery insurance has become an important starting point for the construction of the modern fishery industry chain, supply chain and value chain risk management mechanism. We used visual data processing methods and text mining technology to screen policy samples. We then built a fishery insurance policy evaluation system based on the Policy Modeling Consistency (PMC) index model. We combined the PMC index score and PMC surface to quantitatively analyze the policy samples. This paper has four important findings: (1) After three adjustments and developments, the fishery insurance policy has grown in terms of initial attention, changes, and development and gradually matured. (2) A gap exists between the content of the fishing insurance policy text and the actual demand. The scoring results of the policy samples are concentrated in the acceptable range, the policy effects are not satisfactory, and the formulation of fishery insurance policies has weak links that need to be improved. (3) The consistency and effectiveness of fishery insurance policies have developed simultaneously with fishery insurance research, and the practical effects of high-quality fishery insurance policies are conducive to the development of theoretical research. (4) The policy text of fishery insurance has major problems, such as missing joint force of issuing institutions, low professionalism of the text, inadequate subdivision guidance of fishery insurance, weak social effectiveness, high dependence on financial subsidies, lack of incentive sustainability and corresponding laws and regulations and reduction in policy feasibility among others. Considering the above issues, this paper puts forward relevant policy optimization paths and safeguard measures on the basis of giving priority to greater absolute value. Full article
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11 pages, 237 KiB  
Article
Influence of Fishery Subsidies on Fishing: Empirical Test Based on China’s Provincial Panel Data
by Panfeng Chai, Qiuguang Hu and Xinyi Wei
Fishes 2021, 6(3), 40; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fishes6030040 - 13 Sep 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1916
Abstract
Controversies surrounding fishery subsidy policies are widespread. Many stakeholders believe that fishery subsidies play an important role in ensuring the livelihood of fishermen. At the same time, fishery subsidies pose a threat to the stock of fishery resources and affect the sustainable development [...] Read more.
Controversies surrounding fishery subsidy policies are widespread. Many stakeholders believe that fishery subsidies play an important role in ensuring the livelihood of fishermen. At the same time, fishery subsidies pose a threat to the stock of fishery resources and affect the sustainable development of fisheries. Based on the panel data of 30 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in China from 2007 to 2017, the article empirically examines the influence of fishery subsidies on fishing. The results of the study show that China′s fishery subsidies are negatively correlated with fishing. On average, for each 1% increase in fishery subsidies, fishing will decrease by 2.9%. That is to say, in general, fishery subsidies are conducive to the sustainable development of fisheries. The results of heterogeneity analysis based on geographic location and economic development level show that fishery subsidies do not have a palpable negative influence on fishing in coastal areas or developed regions, whereas have an obvious adverse influence on fishing in inland areas or underdeveloped regions. The deterioration of the fishing environment and the natural environment explains the occurrence of this differentiation. Full article
14 pages, 2021 KiB  
Article
Shelf-Life Prediction of Glazed Large Yellow Croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) during Frozen Storage Based on Arrhenius Model and Long-Short-Term Memory Neural Networks Model
by Yuanming Chu, Mingtang Tan, Zhengkai Yi, Zhaoyang Ding, Dazhang Yang and Jing Xie
Fishes 2021, 6(3), 39; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fishes6030039 - 10 Sep 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2531
Abstract
In this study, the changes in centrifugal loss, TVB-N, K-value, whiteness and sensory evaluation of glazed large yellow croaker were analyzed at −10, −20, −30 and −40 °C storage. The Arrhenius prediction model and long-short-term memory neural networks (LSTM-NN) prediction model were developed [...] Read more.
In this study, the changes in centrifugal loss, TVB-N, K-value, whiteness and sensory evaluation of glazed large yellow croaker were analyzed at −10, −20, −30 and −40 °C storage. The Arrhenius prediction model and long-short-term memory neural networks (LSTM-NN) prediction model were developed to predict the shelf-life of the glazed large yellow croaker. The results showed that the quality of glazed large yellow croaker gradually decreased with the extension of frozen storage time, and the decrease in quality slowed down at lower temperatures. Both the Arrhenius model and the LSTM-NN prediction model were good tools for predicting the shelf-life of glazed large yellow croaker. However, for the relative error, the prediction accuracy of LSTM-NN (with a mean value of 7.78%) was higher than that of Arrhenius model (with a mean value of 11.90%). Moreover, the LSTM-NN model had a more intelligent, convenient and fast data processing capability, so the new LSTM-NN model provided a better choice for predicting the shelf-life of glazed large yellow croaker. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Aquaculture and Fisheries)
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18 pages, 3199 KiB  
Article
Growth Performance, Feed Utilization, Gut Integrity, and Economic Revenue of Grey Mullet, Mugil cephalus, Fed an Increasing Level of Dried Zooplankton Biomass Meal as Fishmeal Substitutions
by Hamdy A. Abo-Taleb, Mohamed M. M. El-feky, Ahmad M. Azab, Mohamed M. Mabrouk, Mohamed A. Elokaby, Mohamed Ashour, Abdallah Tageldein Mansour, Othman F. Abdelzaher, Khamael M Abualnaja and Ahmed E. Sallam
Fishes 2021, 6(3), 38; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fishes6030038 - 10 Sep 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3278
Abstract
Fishmeal is the most expensive feedstuff in the aquafeed and one of the most environmentally limiting factor of aquaculture development. Therefore, the search for alternative protein sources is a continuous process. The present feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of replacing [...] Read more.
Fishmeal is the most expensive feedstuff in the aquafeed and one of the most environmentally limiting factor of aquaculture development. Therefore, the search for alternative protein sources is a continuous process. The present feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of replacing fishmeal with zooplankton biomass meal (ZBM) on the growth performance, nutrient utilization, intestine, and liver histological changes of grey mullet, Mugil cephalus (initial weight of 0.10 ± 0.01 g). Five isoproteic (35% crude protein) and isolipidic (8% crude lipid) diets were formulated as the control diet (Z0) and the other four diets (Z25, Z50, Z75, and Z100), where 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of fishmeal was replaced by ZBM, respectively. After 60 days of feeding, the final weight, weight gain, and daily growth index of the grey mullet fed the Z100 diet were higher than those fed the control diet (p < 0.05). In addition, the better values of feed conversion ratio, protein efficiency ratio and lipid efficiency ratio were recorded in the fish fed with the Z100 diet. Additionally, the intestinal villus length, crypts depth, and muscle thickness were significantly improved with ZBM inclusion (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, there were no histopathological changes observed on the liver when compared with the control group. From the economic point of view, dietary substitution of fishmeal by ZBM (Z100) reduced the cost of diet formulation by 18% and the price per kg weight gain by about 40%. Overall, according to the findings of this study, substituting fishmeal with ZBM up to 100% could improve growth performance, feed utilization, gut health status, and profit ability of rearing M. cephalus juveniles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and Immunity of Fish and Shellfish)
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15 pages, 5140 KiB  
Article
Deep Heat: A Comparison of Water Temperature, Anemone Bleaching, Anemonefish Density and Reproduction between Shallow and Mesophotic Reefs
by Anne Haguenauer, Frédéric Zuberer, Gilles Siu, Daphne Cortese, Ricardo Beldade and Suzanne C. Mills
Fishes 2021, 6(3), 37; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fishes6030037 - 09 Sep 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3855
Abstract
French Polynesia is experiencing increasing coral bleaching events in shallow waters triggered by thermal anomalies and marine heatwaves linked to climate change, a trend that is replicated worldwide. As sea surface thermal anomalies are assumed to lessen with depth, mesophotic deep reefs have [...] Read more.
French Polynesia is experiencing increasing coral bleaching events in shallow waters triggered by thermal anomalies and marine heatwaves linked to climate change, a trend that is replicated worldwide. As sea surface thermal anomalies are assumed to lessen with depth, mesophotic deep reefs have been hypothesized to act as refuges from anthropogenic and natural disturbances, the ‘deep reef refugia hypothesis’ (DRRH). However, evidence supporting the DRRH is either inconclusive or conflicting. We address this by investigating four assumptions of the DRRH focusing on the symbiotic association between anemones and anemonefish. First, we compare long-term temperature conditions between shallow (8 m) and mesophotic sites (50 m) on the island of Moorea from 2011–2020. Second, we compare the densities of the orange-fin anemonefish, Amphiprion chrysopterus between shallow and mesophotic (down to 60 m) reefs across three archipelagos in French Polynesia. Finally, we compare the percentage of anemone bleaching, as well as anemonefish reproduction, between shallow and mesophotic reefs. We found that the water column was well mixed in the cooler austral winter months with only a 0.19 °C difference in temperature between depths, but in the warmer summer months mixing was reduced resulting in a 0.71–1.03 °C temperature difference. However, during thermal anomalies, despite a time lag in warm surface waters reaching mesophotic reefs, there was ultimately a 1.0 °C increase in water temperature at both 8 and 50 m, pushing temperatures over bleaching thresholds at both depths. As such, anemone bleaching was observed in mesophotic reefs during these thermal anomalies, but was buffered compared to the percentage of bleaching in shallower waters, which was nearly five times greater. Our large-scale sampling across French Polynesia found orange-fin anemonefish, A. chrysopterus, in mesophotic zones in two high islands and one atoll across two archipelagos, extending its bathymetric limit to 60 m; however, orange-fin anemonefish densities were either similar to, or 25–92 times lower than in shallower zones. Three spawning events were observed at 50 m, which occurred at a similar frequency to spawning on shallower reefs at the same date. Our findings of thermal anomalies and bleaching in mesophotic reefs, coupled with mainly lower densities of anemonefish in mesophotic populations, suggest that mesophotic reefs show only a limited ability to provide refugia from anthropogenic and natural disturbances. Full article
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17 pages, 3392 KiB  
Article
SNP Development in Penaeus vannamei via Next-Generation Sequencing and DNA Pool Sequencing
by Yongyu Huang, Lili Zhang, Hui Ge, Guodong Wang, Shiyu Huang and Zhangwu Yang
Fishes 2021, 6(3), 36; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fishes6030036 - 07 Sep 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2292
Abstract
Next-generation sequencing and pool sequencing have been widely used in SNP (single-nucleotide polymorphism) detection and population genetics research; however, there are few reports on SNPs related to the growth of Penaeus vannamei. The purpose of this study was to call SNPs from rapid-growing [...] Read more.
Next-generation sequencing and pool sequencing have been widely used in SNP (single-nucleotide polymorphism) detection and population genetics research; however, there are few reports on SNPs related to the growth of Penaeus vannamei. The purpose of this study was to call SNPs from rapid-growing (RG) and slow-growing (SG) individuals’ transcriptomes and use DNA pool sequencing to assess the reliability of SNPs. Two parameters were applied to detect SNPs. One parameter was the p-values generated using Fisher’s exact test, which were used to calculate the significance of allele frequency differences between RG and SG. The other one was the AFI (minor allele frequency imbalance), which was defined to highlight the fold changes in MAF (minor allele frequency) values between RG and SG. There were 216,015 hypothetical SNPs, which were obtained based on the transcriptome data. Finally, 104 high-quality SNPs and 96,819 low-quality SNPs were predicted. Then, 18 high-quality SNPs and 17 low-quality SNPs were selected to assess the reliability of the detection process. Here, 72.22% (13/18) accuracy was achieved for high-quality SNPs, while only 52.94% (9/17) accuracy was achieved for low-quality SNPs. These SNPs enrich the data for population genetics studies of P. vannamei and may play a role in the development of SNP markers for future breeding studies. Full article
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11 pages, 879 KiB  
Article
Using Observed Residual Error Structure Yields the Best Estimates of Individual Growth Parameters
by Marcelo V. Curiel-Bernal, E. Alberto Aragón-Noriega, Miguel Á. Cisneros-Mata, Laura Sánchez-Velasco, S. Patricia A. Jiménez-Rosenberg and Alejandro Parés-Sierra
Fishes 2021, 6(3), 35; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fishes6030035 - 02 Sep 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2425
Abstract
Obtaining the best possible estimates of individual growth parameters is essential in studies of physiology, fisheries management, and conservation of natural resources since growth is a key component of population dynamics. In the present work, we use data of an endangered fish species [...] Read more.
Obtaining the best possible estimates of individual growth parameters is essential in studies of physiology, fisheries management, and conservation of natural resources since growth is a key component of population dynamics. In the present work, we use data of an endangered fish species to demonstrate the importance of selecting the right data error structure when fitting growth models in multimodel inference. The totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi) is a fish species endemic to the Gulf of California increasingly studied in recent times due to a perceived threat of extinction. Previous works estimated individual growth using the von Bertalanffy model assuming a constant variance of length-at-age. Here, we reanalyze the same data under five different variance assumptions to fit the von Bertalanffy and Gompertz models. We found consistent significant differences between the constant and nonconstant error structure scenarios and provide an example of the consequences using the growth performance index ϕ′ to show how using the wrong error structure can produce growth parameter values that can lead to biased conclusions. Based on these results, for totoaba and other related species, we recommend using the observed error structure to obtain the individual growth parameters. Full article
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11 pages, 2042 KiB  
Article
Effect of MMP/TIMP Balancing of Cynoglossus semilaevis Shell Extracts on Skin Protection
by Soo-Cheol Choi and In-Ah Lee
Fishes 2021, 6(3), 34; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fishes6030034 - 24 Aug 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1740
Abstract
Cynoglossus semilaevis shell is a by-product of the Cynoglossus semilaevis, a species of fish mainly distributed along the west coast of Korea. As its skin is very tough and difficult to process, it is not useful as food. For this reason, most [...] Read more.
Cynoglossus semilaevis shell is a by-product of the Cynoglossus semilaevis, a species of fish mainly distributed along the west coast of Korea. As its skin is very tough and difficult to process, it is not useful as food. For this reason, most of it is discarded except for a small amount that is used as feed, which results in environmental pollution. Considering this, there is a need for research on the development of functional materials using Cynoglossus semilaevis shell. This study focused on the mechanism of in vitro expression function of Cynoglossus semilaevis shell extract (CSE) for skin tissue in human dermal fibroblasts that induced or did not induce wrinkles by UV-B irradiation and aims to use it as a functional material for human skin beauty or wrinkle improvement through extraction and purification. According to the ELISA results using human dermal fibroblast cells, CSE reduced MMP-1 and elastase activity by up to 21.89% and 12.04%, respectively, in a concentration-dependent manner, and increased PIP synthesis by up to 62.24% in a concentration-dependent manner. The RT-PCR test results using mRNA showed the MMP-1, 2, and 3 expression levels were suppressed in the CSE-treated group compared to the UVB-induced group and caused a concentration-dependent increase in TIMP-1 in the CSE-treat group. These results suggest that CSE can maintain and improve skin tissue conditions through MMP/TIMP balancing in human dermal fibroblast cell lines and indicate its potential as a functional material for improving skin diseases and suppressing photo-aging. Full article
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15 pages, 2961 KiB  
Article
Conservative Scoring Approach in Productivity Susceptibility Analysis Leads to an Overestimation of Vulnerability: A Study from the Hilsa Gillnet Bycatch Stocks of Bangladesh
by Hasan Faruque and Hiroyuki Matsuda
Fishes 2021, 6(3), 33; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fishes6030033 - 24 Aug 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2971
Abstract
Despite different approaches used to assign the risk scores for missing information in productivity susceptibility analysis (PSA)—a widely used semi-quantitative risk assessment tool for target and non-target fisheries stocks—for the selected attributes of a given species, no formal comparison has been made between [...] Read more.
Despite different approaches used to assign the risk scores for missing information in productivity susceptibility analysis (PSA)—a widely used semi-quantitative risk assessment tool for target and non-target fisheries stocks—for the selected attributes of a given species, no formal comparison has been made between scoring approaches in terms of how well they can predict species vulnerability. The present study evaluated the PSA findings of 21 bycatch stocks of the Hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha) gillnet fishery of Bangladesh using two different scoring approaches (the conservative scoring approach, CSA; and the alternative scoring approach, ASA) to determine the most reliable approach to minimize false estimates of species vulnerability. Our analysis revealed that the V scores increased by 0.0−0.20 with a mean value of 0.09 for 21 selected bycatches when CSA was applied. The inconsistency between the vulnerability (V)-score-suggested fishing status (V ≤ 1.8 = underfishing, V > 1.8 = overfishing) and the fishing status defined by exploitation rate (E > 0.5 = overfishing, E < 0.5 = underfishing) were 38.1% and 19.0% under CSA and ASA, respectively. Likewise, the consistency between the V-score-suggested fishing status and fishers’ perceived catch trends was found to be higher when using ASA than when using CSA. Our analysis suggests that CSA could overestimate species vulnerability. Therefore, ASA is more reliable than CSA in PSA, which may increase the confidence of fisheries stakeholders in PSA. Full article
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13 pages, 1460 KiB  
Article
In Vitro Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Activity of S-(-)-Limonene and R-(+)-Limonene against Fish Bacteria
by Elisia Gomes da Silva, Guerino Bandeira Junior, Juliana Felipetto Cargnelutti, Roberto Christ Vianna Santos, André Gündel and Bernardo Baldisserotto
Fishes 2021, 6(3), 32; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fishes6030032 - 19 Aug 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2702
Abstract
Brazilian fish farming goes together with the emergence of numerous bacterial diseases, with Aeromonas hydrophila being the main bacterial pathogen. As a consequence, antimicrobials are excessively used. Considering that antimicrobials are relatively stable and nonbiodegradable, medicinal plants and their phytochemicals have been used [...] Read more.
Brazilian fish farming goes together with the emergence of numerous bacterial diseases, with Aeromonas hydrophila being the main bacterial pathogen. As a consequence, antimicrobials are excessively used. Considering that antimicrobials are relatively stable and nonbiodegradable, medicinal plants and their phytochemicals have been used as alternative treatments of bacteriosis in fish farming. Limonene is a monoterpene available in two enantiomers: R-(+)-limonene and S-(-)-limonene. This study analyzed the antibacterial activity of the phytochemicals S-(-)-limonene and R-(+)-limonene against some bacteria isolated from silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen). Furthermore, by means of spectrophotometry and atomic force microscopy, we also investigated the combination therapy of phytochemicals with antimicrobials and their activity in terms of inhibiting biofilm formation. Six clinical isolates and a standard strain were selected for antimicrobial activity testing. Biofilm formation was tested in 96-well plates and nylon cubes. The most sensitive of the strains tested was the A. hydrophila strain (MF 372510). S-(-)-limonene and R-(+)-limonene had high minimum inhibitory concentrations; however, they strongly inhibited A. hydrophila biofilm formation. R-(+)-limonene and S-(-)-limonene had an additive effect when combined with florfenicol and an antagonistic effect with oxytetracycline. In general, the phytochemicals tested showed strong antibiofilm activity against A. hydrophila, and when in combination therapy with florfenicol, they showed an additive effect against the treatment of A. hydrophila. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals in Aquaculture)
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6 pages, 384 KiB  
Communication
Dusky Grouper Epinephelus marginatus Growth and Survival When Exposed to Different Photoperiods
by Paulo Henrique R. Aride, Maria Fernanda S. Gomes, Darlan G. Azevedo, Gilson R. Sangali, Ana Cláudia F. Silva, Henrique D. Lavander, André B. Souza, Marcelo F. Polese, Douglas C. Mattos, Lucas A. Bassul, Leonardo D. Cardoso, Adriano T. Oliveira and Caterina Faggio
Fishes 2021, 6(3), 31; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fishes6030031 - 12 Aug 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2762
Abstract
Photoperiod is considered an environmental factor that influences reproduction and the growth processes of fish throughout the year. In the present study, we subjected dusky grouper Epinephelus marginatus to different photoperiods in order to evaluate growth and survival. Juvenile dusky grouper were randomly [...] Read more.
Photoperiod is considered an environmental factor that influences reproduction and the growth processes of fish throughout the year. In the present study, we subjected dusky grouper Epinephelus marginatus to different photoperiods in order to evaluate growth and survival. Juvenile dusky grouper were randomly distributed in twelve 100 L tanks containing four fish per aquarium. The fish were exposed to continuous light, normal photoperiod or continuous darkness for 50 days. Fish were fed 3% of their total biomass, twice a day, and the diet consisted of ground commercial dry pellets (42% crude protein, 12% humidity, 9% ether extract, 15% mineral matter, 4% crude fiber, 3.5% calcium and 3% vitamin C, in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions). There was no mortality during the experiment. After 50 days, the best performance was found for exposure to continuous light (24 h artificial light). The final weight of the fish reared under continuous light was significantly higher than that of the fish exposed to continuous darkness. The specific growth rate of the fish exposed to continuous light was significantly higher than that of the fish exposed to the natural photoperiod and to continuous darkness. Modifications to the photoperiod can be a key factor in increasing the efficacy of current production and the improvement of current aquaculture protocols. Full article
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17 pages, 1878 KiB  
Article
Bioproduction of Prodigiosin from Fishery Processing Waste Shrimp Heads and Evaluation of Its Potential Bioactivities
by Van Bon Nguyen, San-Lang Wang, Anh Dzung Nguyen, Tu Quy Phan, Kuaanan Techato and Siriporn Pradit
Fishes 2021, 6(3), 30; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fishes6030030 - 11 Aug 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3556
Abstract
The aim of this work was to reuse a fish processing waste, shrimp head powder (SHP), for the production of prodigiosin (PG) via microbial technology and to assess its potential bioactivities. PG was produced in a 12 L-bioreactor system, and the highest PG [...] Read more.
The aim of this work was to reuse a fish processing waste, shrimp head powder (SHP), for the production of prodigiosin (PG) via microbial technology and to assess its potential bioactivities. PG was produced in a 12 L-bioreactor system, and the highest PG productivity of 6310 mg L−1 was achieved when Serratia marcescens CC17 was used for fermentation in a novel designed medium (6.75 L) containing 1.5% C/N source (SHP/casein = 9/1), 0.02% K2SO4, ans 0.025% Ca3(PO4)2, with initial pH 7.0, and fermentation was performed at 28 °C for 8 h. The purified PG showed moderate antioxidants, efficient anti-NO (anti-nitric oxide), and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activities. In a docking study, PG showed better binding energy scores (−12.3 kcal/mol) and more interactions (6 linkages) with several prominent amino acids in the biding sites on AChE that were superior to those of Berberine chloride (−10.8 kcal/mol and one linkage). Notably, this is the first investigation using shrimp heads for the mass bioproduction of PG with high productivity, and Ca3(PO4)2 salt was also newly found to significantly enhance PG production by S. marcescens. This study also provided available data on the anti-NO and anti-AChE effects of PG, especially from the docking simulation PG towards AChE that was described for the first time in this study. The above results suggest that SHP is a good material for the cost-effective bioproduction of PG, which is a potential candidate for anti-NO and anti-Alzheimer drugs. Full article
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1 pages, 152 KiB  
Editorial
Fishes Receives Its First Impact Factor
by Maria Angeles Esteban, Bernardo Baldisserotto and Eric Hallerman
Fishes 2021, 6(3), 29; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fishes6030029 - 11 Aug 2021
Viewed by 1399
Abstract
“A new journey for Fishes” [...] Full article
16 pages, 1523 KiB  
Article
Fishmeal Replacement with Hermetia illucens Meal in Aquafeeds: Effects on Zebrafish Growth Performances, Intestinal Morphometry, and Enzymology
by Baldassare Fronte, Rosario Licitra, Carlo Bibbiani, Lucia Casini, Mahanama De Zoysa, Vincenzo Miragliotta, Simona Sagona, Francesca Coppola, Letizia Brogi and Francesca Abramo
Fishes 2021, 6(3), 28; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fishes6030028 - 05 Aug 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3427
Abstract
Fishmeal (FM) is still the most important protein source in aquafeeds. However, due to the reduction of wild fish stocks used for FM production, its manufacturing it is now unsustainable. Insect meal represents a valid alternative to FM, due to the low carbon [...] Read more.
Fishmeal (FM) is still the most important protein source in aquafeeds. However, due to the reduction of wild fish stocks used for FM production, its manufacturing it is now unsustainable. Insect meal represents a valid alternative to FM, due to the low carbon footprint of its production and its high nutritional value. The aim of this study was to investigate the potentials of replacing FM with black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) meal (HIM) in aquafeeds, using zebrafish as the animal model. Four diets were formulated with increasing HIM/FM replacement rate (the control diet contained 20% FM). Mortality rates, growth performances, and feed consumptions were measured, and fish intestine samples were collected for histological and enzymatic analysis. After 49 days, all groups almost tripled their initial body weight (cumulative body weight gain ranged between 143.9 and 155.2 mg), and no statistically significant differences among treatments were observed in relation to growth performances and histological traits. Contrarily, trypsin, alkaline phosphatases, and alpha amylase–glucoamylase activities were significantly reduced when the FM replacement rate was increased. In conclusion, HIM may represent an alternative to FM, since no adverse effects were observed when it was included up to 20% in the zebrafish diet, even when replacing 100% of the FM. Full article
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21 pages, 2300 KiB  
Article
Evaluating the Sampling Design of a Long-Term Community-Based Estuary Monitoring Program
by Jess A. Kidd, Monica Boudreau, Robert C. Bailey, Michael R. van den Heuvel, Mark R. Servos and Simon C. Courtenay
Fishes 2021, 6(3), 27; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fishes6030027 - 02 Aug 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2794
Abstract
Community-based monitoring programs (CBMPs) are a cost-effective option to collect the long-term data required to effectively monitor estuaries. Data quality concerns have caused some CBMP datasets, which could fill knowledge gaps for aquatic ecosystems, to go unused. The Community Aquatic Monitoring Program (CAMP) [...] Read more.
Community-based monitoring programs (CBMPs) are a cost-effective option to collect the long-term data required to effectively monitor estuaries. Data quality concerns have caused some CBMP datasets, which could fill knowledge gaps for aquatic ecosystems, to go unused. The Community Aquatic Monitoring Program (CAMP) is a CBMP that has collected littoral nekton assemblage data from estuaries in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence since 2003. Concerns with the CAMP sampling design (station placement and numbers) have prevented decision-makers from using the data to inform estuary health assessments. This study tested if CAMP’s sampling design that accommodates volunteer participation provides similar information as a scientific sampling approach. Six CAMP stations and six stations selected using a stratified random design were sampled at ten estuaries. A permutational-MANOVA revealed nekton assemblages were generally not significantly different between the two sampling designs. The current six CAMP stations are sufficient to detect the larger differences in species abundances that may indicate differences in estuary condition. The predicted increase in precision (2%) with twelve stations is not substantive enough to warrant an increased sampling effort. CAMP’s scientific utility is not limited by station selection bias or numbers. Furthermore, well-designed CBMPs can produce comparable data to scientific studies. Full article
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10 pages, 1032 KiB  
Article
Cryobank of Mediterranean Brown Trout Semen: Evaluation of the Use of Frozen Semen up to Six Hours Post-Collection
by Giusy Rusco, Michele Di Iorio, Roberta Iampietro, Alessandra Roncarati, Stefano Esposito and Nicolaia Iaffaldano
Fishes 2021, 6(3), 26; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fishes6030026 - 02 Aug 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2357
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different cold-storage time intervals between collection and semen-freezing on both fresh and cryopreserved semen motility parameters and the post-thaw fertilizing ability of Mediterranean brown trout semen. The ejaculates were split into six [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different cold-storage time intervals between collection and semen-freezing on both fresh and cryopreserved semen motility parameters and the post-thaw fertilizing ability of Mediterranean brown trout semen. The ejaculates were split into six aliquots and stored on ice from 1 to 6 h, until freezing. Fresh and post-thaw sperm motility was evaluated by a Computer-Assisted Sperm Analysis system, whilst the fertilizing ability was assessed by in vivo trials. In fresh semen, at 3 h of storage, a significant decrease of total motility, linear movement (STR, LIN) and beat cross frequency (BCF) was recorded, whilst the amplitude of lateral displacement of the spermatozoon head (ALH) underwent a significant increase. In frozen semen, no significant difference was observed for all the motility parameters evaluated, except for the total motility between 1 and 6 h of storage and the duration of sperm movement between 1 and 5 h. Cold-storage time did not significantly affect the percentage of live embryos following the use of frozen semen. In conclusion, our results showed that, if necessary, the Mediterranean brown trout semen can be frozen even until 6 h post-collection without losing its fertilizing ability. Full article
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13 pages, 664 KiB  
Article
Maclura tinctoria Extracts: In Vitro Antibacterial Activity against Aeromonas hydrophila and Sedative Effect in Rhamdia quelen
by Luana da Costa Pires, Patricia Rodrigues, Quelen Iane Garlet, Luisa Barichello Barbosa, Bibiana Petri da Silveira, Guerino Bandeira Junior, Lenise de Lima Silva, Amanda Gindri, Rodrigo Coldebella, Cristiane Pedrazzi, Agueda Palmira Castagna de Vargas, Bernardo Baldisserotto and Berta Maria Heinzmann
Fishes 2021, 6(3), 25; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fishes6030025 - 27 Jul 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2519
Abstract
Maclura tinctoria is a tree species native from Brazil and rich in phenolic compounds. Since plant antibacterial activity is highly associated with phenolic compound concentration, we aim to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of different extracts against fish pathogenic bacteria. In addition, [...] Read more.
Maclura tinctoria is a tree species native from Brazil and rich in phenolic compounds. Since plant antibacterial activity is highly associated with phenolic compound concentration, we aim to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of different extracts against fish pathogenic bacteria. In addition, some phenolic compounds have central depressant effects and can be useful in aquaculture due to possible sedative and/or anesthetic effects. Four M. tinctoria extracts were extracted separately with ethanol; leaves (LE), bark (BE), heartwood (HE), and the sapwood (SE). In vitro antimicrobial activity was tested against Aeromonas strains at concentrations of 6400 to 3.125 μg/mL. The sedative effect was evaluated for 24 h with 30 and 100 mg/L concentrations. Chemical composition was analyzed by HPLC-DAD-MS. The HE extract had the best MIC (400 µg/mL) and MBC (800 µg/mL) compared to the LE, BE, and SE extracts. LE extract induced deep sedation and the BE, SE, and HE extracts induced light sedation. Additionally, BE, SE, and HE induced a normal behavior without side effects. Polyphenolic compounds with antimicrobial activity and sedative effects were identified mainly in HE. Thus, HE extract is safe and can be used as a sedative for silver catfish. Full article
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18 pages, 1422 KiB  
Article
Integrating Literature, Biodiversity Databases, and Citizen-Science to Reconstruct the Checklist of Chondrichthyans in Cyprus (Eastern Mediterranean Sea)
by Ioannis Giovos, Fabrizio Serena, Dimitra Katsada, Athanasios Anastasiadis, Adi Barash, Charis Charilaou, Jason M. Hall-Spencer, Fabio Crocetta, Alexander Kaminas, Demetris Kletou, Mary Maximiadi, Vasileios Minasidis, Dimitrios K. Moutopoulos, Roxani Naasan Aga-Spyridopoulou, Ioannis Thasitis and Periklis Kleitou
Fishes 2021, 6(3), 24; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fishes6030024 - 26 Jul 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 6298
Abstract
Chondrichthyans are apex predators influencing the trophic web through a top-down process thus their depletion will affect the remaining biota. Notwithstanding that, research on chondrichthyans is sparse or data-limited in several biogeographic areas worldwide, including the Levantine Sea. We revise and update the [...] Read more.
Chondrichthyans are apex predators influencing the trophic web through a top-down process thus their depletion will affect the remaining biota. Notwithstanding that, research on chondrichthyans is sparse or data-limited in several biogeographic areas worldwide, including the Levantine Sea. We revise and update the knowledge of chondrichthyans in Cyprus based on a bibliographic review that gains information retrieved from peer-reviewed and grey literature, Global Biodiversity Information Facility (135 records of at least 18 species) and the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (65 records of at least14 species), and the citizen science project Mediterranean Elasmobranchs Citizen Observations (117 records per 23 species). Our updated checklist reports 60 species that account for about 70% of the Mediterranean chondrichthyan biota. The list includes 15 more species than the previous checklist and our study reports three new species for Cyprus waters, namely the blackmouth catshark Dalatias licha, the round fantail stingray Taeniurops grabatus, and the sawback angelshark Squatina aculeata. Our research highlights the need for conservation measures and more studies regarding the highly threatened blackchin guitarfish Glaucostegus cemiculus and the devil ray Mobula mobular, and stresses the importance for training a new generation of observers to strengthen the knowledge and conservation of elasmobranchs in the region. Full article
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19 pages, 1059 KiB  
Article
Growth, Chemical Composition, Histology and Antioxidant Genes of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) Fed Whole or Pre-Processed Nannochloropsis oceanica and Tetraselmis sp.
by Solveig Lysfjord Sørensen, Ateshm Ghirmay, Yangyang Gong, Dalia Dahle, Ghana Vasanth, Mette Sørensen and Viswanath Kiron
Fishes 2021, 6(3), 23; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fishes6030023 - 23 Jul 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3747
Abstract
New sustainable feed ingredients are a necessity for the salmon aquaculture industry. In this study, we examined the effect of pre-extrusion processing of two microalgae, Nannochloropsis oceanica and Tetraselmis sp., on the growth, fatty acid content in the flesh and health of [...] Read more.
New sustainable feed ingredients are a necessity for the salmon aquaculture industry. In this study, we examined the effect of pre-extrusion processing of two microalgae, Nannochloropsis oceanica and Tetraselmis sp., on the growth, fatty acid content in the flesh and health of Atlantic salmon. The fish were fed one of the following five diets for nine weeks: (1) CO: a fish meal-based control (basal) diet, (2) NU: a Nannochloropsis diet, (3) NE: a pre-extruded Nannochloropsis diet, (4) TU: a Tetraselmis diet, and (5) TE: a pre-extruded Tetraselmis diet. The algae-incorporated diets contained 30% of the respective microalgae. Our results showed that the best growth performance was achieved by the CO diet, followed by the NE diets. Feeding of unprocessed Nannochloropsis and Tetraselmis resulted in a significant reduction in enterocyte vacuolization compared to the CO feeding. A significant effect of processing was noted in the fillet fatty acid content, the intestine and liver structure and the expression of selected genes in the liver. The expression of antioxidant genes in both the liver and intestine, and the accumulation of different fatty acids in the fillet and liver of the extruded algae-fed groups, warrants further investigation. In conclusion, based on the short-term study, 30% inclusion of the microalgae Nannochloropsis oceanica and Tetraselmis sp. can be considered in Atlantic salmon feeds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integration of Nutrition and Physiology in Aquatic Animals)
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15 pages, 3770 KiB  
Article
Nonstationary Responses of Demersal Fishes to Environmental Variations in Temperate Waters of the Northwestern North Pacific under a Changing Climate
by Qingsong He, Shuyang Ma, Qinwang Xing, Wenchao Zhang, Haiqing Yu and Zhenjiang Ye
Fishes 2021, 6(3), 22; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fishes6030022 - 22 Jul 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2431
Abstract
Although nonstationarity in marine ecosystems has attracted great attention, the nonstationary responses of demersal fishes to environmental variations induced by the changing climate are still not well understood. Here, we collected 21 time series of demersal fishes from 1956 to 2015 to investigate [...] Read more.
Although nonstationarity in marine ecosystems has attracted great attention, the nonstationary responses of demersal fishes to environmental variations induced by the changing climate are still not well understood. Here, we collected 21 time series of demersal fishes from 1956 to 2015 to investigate the climate-induced nonstationary responses in temperate waters of the northwestern North Pacific (NWP). We showed that these demersal fishes experienced state shifts in approximately 1986/87, accompanied by abrupt warming over this region. Moreover, the relationships between demersal fishes and sea surface temperature (SST) were found to change between the two identified eras (i.e., a weak relationship before 1986 and a strong negative relationship after 1986), which may be primarily caused by the alternating dominance of the East Asian winter monsoon and mega-ENSO on SST in temperate waters of the NWP. The identified climate-induced nonstationary responses of demersal fishes to SST variability in this study may provide implications for understanding climate-induced biological dynamics, predicting demersal fish fluctuations, coping with potential ecological risks, and the sustainable exploitation of fishery resources in the future climate. Note that the impact of fishing on the demersal fishes in temperate waters of the NWP was not assessed in this study due to the lack of fishing effort data and therefore the conclusions of our research should be approached with caution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Aquaculture and Fisheries)
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