Joanna Nowosad

Effect of temperature on the effectiveness of artificial reproduction of dace [Cyprinidae (Leuciscus leuciscus (L.))] under laboratory and field conditions

This study sought to determine the effect of water temperature on the effectiveness of artificial reproduction of dace brooders under laboratory and field conditions. Three temperatures were tested in the laboratory: 9.5, 12 and 14.5 °C (± 0.1 °C). The water temperature under field conditions was 11.0 ± 0.3 °C (Czarci Jar Fish Farm) and 13.2 ± 1.4 °C (Janowo Fish Farm). The study showed that artificial reproduction of dace is possible in all the temperature ranges under study and an embryo survival rate of over 87% can be achieved. Dace has also been found to be very sensitive to rapid temperature changes, even within the temperature ranges optimal for the species. Such changes have an adverse effect on the outcome of the reproduction process, such as a decrease in the percentage of reproducing females, a decrease in the pseudo-gonado-somatic index (PGSI) and a decrease in the embryo survival rate.

Changes in Body Weight and Eye Size in Female European Eel Kept in Fresh and Salt Water

The eel is a catadromous fish which spends most of its life in freshwater and adults swim to the Sargasso Sea region to spawn. While preparing for the reproductive process, eels undergo a metamorphosis to become what is called silver eel; a process involving changes in the colour and weight of the body and an increase in the eye size. These are indicators of fish maturity and they facilitate the selection of fish for reproduction under controlled conditions. During this study, changes in the body weight (BW) and eye size in female European eel were observed while being given weekly hormonal injections of 20 mg kg–1 carp pituitary homogenate and kept in 15°C freshwater and in 15°C saltwater with a salinity of 32-33‰. Fish kept in saltwater but not subjected to hormonal stimulation were used as a control group. Furthermore, after the experiment was finished, females in the control group were kept for next 5 months, with the same environmental parameters maintained. Differences between the treated groups were observed as early as week 4 of the experiment. An increase in fish BW was observed in fish kept both in salt and freshwater which were subjected to hormonal stimulation. On the other hand, changes in eye size were observed in the fish kept in saltwater, both in those hormonally stimulated and otherwise. The eye diameter in the fish kept in fresh after hormonal stimulation did not change significantly.

Induced artificial androgenesis in common tench, Tinca tinca (L.), using common carp and common bream eggs

This study presents artificial induction using tench eggs, Tinca tinca (L.), of androgenetic origin. The oocytes taken from common bream, Abramis brama (L.) and common carp, Cyprinus carpio L. were genetically inactivated using UV irradiation and then inseminated using tench spermatozoa. Androgenetic origin (haploid or diploid embryos) was checked using a recessive colour (blond) and morphological markers. The percentage of hatched embryos in all experimental groups was much lower than in the control groups. All haploid embryos showed morphological abnormalities, which were recorded as haploid syndrome (stunted body, poorly formed retina, etc.). The optimal dose of UV irradiation of common bream and common carp eggs was 3456 J m–2. At this dose, almost 100% of haploid embryos were produced at a hatching rate of over 6%. Lower UV-ray doses affected abnormal embryo development. The highest yield of tench androgenesis (about 2%) was noted when eggs were exposed to thermal shock 30 min after egg activation.

Fecundity of Migrating European eel (Anguilla Anguilla) from Polish Waters

This study demonstrated that individual fecundity of 34 migrating European female eels Anguilla anguilla increases linearly with body weight (BW) and total length (TL). The total individual fecundity of fish from 560 to 1960 g BW was between 981 x 103 and 6320 x 103 eggs, respectively. The mean relative individual fecundity equalled 2415 x 103(± 524 x 103) per kg BW. The values of this parameter ranged from 1753 x 103 to 3224.5 x 103 kg–1. Based on the results, it might be suggested that A. anguilla has lower total individual fecundity than New Zealand longfin eel (Anguilla dieffenbachii), American eel (Anguilla rostrata) and Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica) although it has one of the highest fecundity values per kg BW. Total fecundity was strongly depended from fat level in muscle (R2 = 0.9523) and ovary (R2= 0.9531) as well as level of DHA content in ovary (R2= 0.8967) and muscle (R2= 0.6274) (N=10). There were no important relationship between total fecundity and protein level as well as in muscle and ovary.

New technique for fertilizing eggs of burbot, asp and ide under hatchery conditions

The development of a new protocol for egg fertilization may increase embryo survival and benefit the aquaculture process. In the present study, a new technique of partially adding sperm to activated eggs in the artificial fertilization of burbot (Lota lota), ide (Leuciscus idus) and asp (Aspius aspius) eggs was evaluated. If the same volume of sperm was divided into two or three parts and added to eggs in 30-60s intervals, it significantly improved embryo survival at the eyed-egg-stage of development. In the present study, the periodic addition of spermatozoa to eggs affected fertilization (ide and asp) and embryo survival rates (ide, asp and burbot) and might be successfully applied under hatchery conditions.

Mercury, Fatty Acids Content and Lipid Quality Indexes in Muscles of Freshwater and Marine Fish on the Polish Market. Risk Assessment of Fish Consumption

Mercury content and fatty acids in muscles of Perca fluviatilis L. (European perch), Leuciscus idus L. (ide), Cyprinus carpio L. (European or common carp), Oncorhynchus mykiss Walb. (rainbow trout), Platichthys flesus L. (European flounder). and Clupea harengus L. (bream) from the Polish market were investigated. The total mercury was processed with AAS. The fatty acids were analyzed by gas chromatography. The concentration of mercury in muscles varied from 0.006 to 0.138 mg/kg and decreased as follows: perch ≈ ide > flounder > herring ≈ bream ≈ rainbow trout > carp (p ≤ 0.05). There were only significant positive correlations between body weight and mercury content in muscle tissue of carp (r = 0.878), flounder (r = 0.925) and herring (r = 0.982) (p ≤ 0.05). The atherogenic index (AI), thrombogenicity index (TI) and flesh-lipid quality index (FLQ) were calculated as follows 0.33–0.70 (IA), 0.16–0.31 (IT) and 13.01–33.22 (FLQ). Hypocholesterolemic (OFA) and hypercholesterolemic fatty acids (DFA) in muscles of fish ranged from 18.26 to 23.01 and from 73.91 to 78.46, respectively. In most cases, there were not significant correlations between size (body weight and total length) and fatty acids in the muscles of the examined fish (p > 0.05). The Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) values were below 1, which shows that there is no non-carcinogenic health risk to the consumer by consuming the examined fish.

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA) and the Prospects for the Development of Aquaculture

Finfish are an important source of easily-digestible proteins and unsaturated fatty acids for humans. Fish should ensure proper food from adult individuals, fry and larvae before commencing exogenous nutrition. In recent years, there has been a growing demand for aquaculture products, which imposes on breeders the need to increase production and ensure an adequate quantity and expected quality of commercial material for consumers [1,2]. On the other hand, conservative aquaculture requires providing stocking material (larvae, juveniles) in order to strengthen or initiate natural fish populations. In both cases, the culture material, intended for further breeding, as well as stocking, should be of high quality, understood as individuals in a fit condition and health. Fish with injuries, without scales, dimensionally smaller or deformed (Figure 1) are often unattractive to the consumer and raise concerns that they may be contaminated or sick.

Heterochromatin organization and chromosome mapping of rRNA genes and telomeric DNA sequences in the burbot Lota lota (Linnaeus, 1758) (Teleostei: Gadiformes: Lotidae)

Abstract The knowledge about the genome of the burbot Lota lota (Linnaeus, 1758), the only freshwater gadiform fish (Gadidae, Gadiformes), is limited to chromosome number (2n = 48, NF = 78). In this work analysis of burbot chromosomes by C-banding, DAPI staining and restriction endonuclease digestion proved both heterogeneity of the heterochromatin and interchromosomal differences in the vulnerability to the endonuclease treatment. Silver nitrate and chromomycine A3 staining and fluorescence in situ hybridization using 28S rDNA probes showed that nucleolus organizer regions appear in one pair of burbot chromosomes. There is also a single locus for 5S rDNA repeats exhibited in burbot; however, major and minor rRNA gene families are not linked. The single and separated location of major and minor rDNA families suggests that the burbot karyotype still retains some characteristics of the putative ancestral karyotype. Although the increased number of the chromosome arms in relation to the ancestral karyotype suggests that burbot karyotype experienced several inversions, we did not find any intercalary telomeric DNA sequences in their chromosomes.