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Larval Fish (larval + fish)
Terms modified by Larval Fish Selected AbstractsThe regulation of ecosystem functions by ecotypic variation in the dominant plant: a Spartina alterniflora salt-marsh case studyJOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2002Denise M. Seliskar Summary 1Genetic differences among populations of a keystone species may affect ecosystem functional properties. We tested this by planting Spartina alterniflora from different geographical regions in a newly created salt marsh in Delaware, USA. 2Spartina alterniflora plants from morphologically distinct short-form (back marsh) populations were originally collected from Massachusetts (41°34, N), Delaware (38°47, N), and Georgia (31°25, N) in the USA and vegetatively propagated for 6 years in a salt water-irrigated common garden in Delaware before transfer to a newly created salt marsh. 3The magnitude of the expression of marsh functions in the created marsh, measured over 5 years, remained distinct in patches of each ecotype. End of season aerial biomass, below-ground biomass, root and rhizome distribution, canopy height, stem density, and carbohydrate reserves were closer to values reported for the plants' native sites than to those typical of Delaware. Thus, many of the plant features characteristic of particular latitudes appear to be under genetic control. Such ecotypic differentiation influences ecosystem function through keystone resource and keystone modifier activities. 4Respiration of the microbial community associated with either dead shoots or the soil varied with plant ecotype in the created wetland and the patterns reflected those reported for their native sites. High edaphic respiration under the Massachusetts ecotype was correlated with the high percentage of sugar in the rhizomes. Edaphic chlorophyll was greater under the canopies of the Massachusetts and Delaware ecotypes than under the Georgia canopy and exhibited a relationship similar to that of algal production rates reported for the native sites. Larval fish were most abundant in pit traps in the Massachusetts ecotype. [source] Do larval fishes exhibit diel drift patterns in a large, turbid river?JOURNAL OF APPLIED ICHTHYOLOGY, Issue 4 2010K. S. Reeves Summary Previous research suggested larval fishes do not exhibit a diel drift cycle in turbid rivers (transparency <30 cm). We evaluated this hypothesis in the turbid, lower Missouri River, Missouri. We also reviewed diel patterns of larval drift over a range of transparencies in rivers worldwide. Larval fishes were collected from the Missouri River primary channel every 4 h per 24-h period during spring-summer 2002. Water transparency was measured during this period and summarized for previous years. Diel drift patterns were analyzed at the assemblage level and lower taxonomic levels for abundant groups. Day and night larval fish catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) was compared for the entire May through August sampling period and spring (May , June) and summer (July , August) seasons separately. There were no significant differences between day and night CPUE at the assemblage level for the entire sampling period or for the spring and summer seasons. However, Hiodon alosoides, Carpiodes/Ictiobus spp. and Macrhybopsis spp. exhibited a diel cycle of abundance within the drift. This pattern was evident although mean Secchi depth (transparency) ranged from 4 to 25 cm during the study and was <30 cm from May through August over the previous nine years. Larval diel drift studies from 48 rivers excluding the Missouri River indicated the primary drift period for larval fishes was at night in 38 rivers and during the day for five, with the remaining rivers showing no pattern. Water transparency was reported for 10 rivers with six being <30 cm or ,low'. Two of these six turbid rivers exhibited significant diel drift patterns. The effect of water transparency on diel drift of larval fishes appears taxa-specific and patterns of abundant taxa could mask patterns of rare taxa when analyzed only at the assemblage level. [source] Population ecology and prey consumption by fathead minnows in prairie wetlands: importance of detritus and larval fishECOLOGY OF FRESHWATER FISH, Issue 3 2007B. R. Herwig Abstract,,, The fathead minnow Pimephales promelas occurs in high densities in wetlands of the prairie pothole region (PPR) of North America, but food resources sustaining these populations are poorly known. We assessed population dynamics and prey consumption of fathead minnow populations in three PPR wetlands for 2 years. Fish density peaked at 107 fish per m2 for all age classes combined. Larval and juvenile fish dominated these populations in terms of abundance and accounted for 83% of total prey consumption. Detritus dominated fish diets, representing 53%, 40% and 79% of diet mass for larval, juvenile and adult fish respectively. Detritus consumption was positively related to minnow density and negatively related to invertebrate abundance, but only for adult fish. Seasonal production:biomass ratios were unrelated to proportions of detritus in the diet for all ages of fish, indicating that detritus is an important food resource capable of meeting metabolic demands and sustaining fish growth in high-density populations. Detritus consumption may also weaken links between abundance of invertebrate prey and minnows, promoting dense fish populations with strong, consistent influences on wetland ecosystems. [source] Dissolved copper triggers cell death in the peripheral mechanosensory system of larval fishENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2006Tiffany L. Linbo Abstract Dissolved copper is an increasingly common non,point source contaminant in urban and urbanizing watersheds. In the present study, we investigated the sublethal effects of dissolved copper on the peripheral mechanosensory system, or lateral line, of larval zebrafish (Danio rerio). Zebrafish larvae were exposed to copper (0,65 ,g/L), and the cytotoxic responses of individual lateral line receptor neurons were examined using a combination of in vivo fluorescence imaging, confocal microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and conventional histology. Dissolved copper triggered a dose-dependent loss of neurons in identified lateral line neuromasts at concentrations ,20 ,g/L. The onset of cell death in the larval mechanosensory system was rapid (<1 h). When copper-exposed zebrafish were transferred to clean water, the lateral line regenerated over the course of 2 d. In contrast, the lateral line of larvae exposed continuously to dissolved copper (50 ,g/L) for 3 d did not recover. Collectively, these results show that peripheral mechanosensory neurons are vulnerable to the neurotoxic effects of copper. Consequently, dissolved copper in non-point source storm-water runoff has the potential to interfere with rheotaxis, schooling, predator avoidance, and other mechanosensory-mediated behaviors that are important for the migration and survival of fish. [source] Altering cytochrome P4501A activity affects polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolism and toxicity in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 9 2002Stephanie A. Hawkins Abstract The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) phenanthrene and retene (7-isopropyl-1-methyl phenanthrene) are lethal to rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) larvae during chronic exposures. Phenanthrene is a low-toxicity, non-cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A),inducing compound that accumulates in fish tissues during exposure to lethal concentrations in water. Retene is a higher toxicity CYP1A-inducing compound that is not detectable in tissue at lethal exposure concentrations. The metabolism, excretion, and toxicity of retene and phenanthrene were examined in juvenile and larval rainbow trout during coexposure to the model CYP1A inducer ,-naphthoflavone (,NF), or to the inducer-inhibitor piperonyl butoxide to determine if modulating CYP1A activity affected PAH metabolism and toxicity. Phenanthrene metabolism, excretion rate, and toxicity increased with coexposure to ,NF. Piperonyl butoxide inhibited phenanthrene metabolism and reduced the excretion of all phenanthrene metabolites. As a consequence, embryo mortality rates increased but rates of sublethal effects did not. Coexposure of trout to retene and ,NF caused no change in retene metabolism and excretion, but retene toxicity increased, perhaps due to additivity. Piperonyl butoxide inhibited retene metabolism, decreased the excretion of some retene metabolites while increasing the excretion of others, and increased the toxicity of retene. These results support the role of CYP1A activity in PAH metabolism and excretion, and the role of the CYP1A-generated metabolites of PAHs in chronic toxicity to larval fish. [source] A spatially explicit study of prey,predator interactions in larval fish: assessing the influence of food and predator abundance on larval growth and survivalFISHERIES OCEANOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2003P. Pepin Abstract We apply a coupled biophysical model to reconstruct the environmental history of larval radiated shanny in Conception Bay, Newfoundland. Data on the larvae, their prey and predators were collected during a 2-week period. Our goal was to determine whether environmentally explicit information could be used to infer the characteristics of individual larvae that are most likely to survive. Backward drift reconstruction was used to assess the influence of variations in the feeding environment on changes in the growth rates of individual larvae. Forward drift projections were used to assess the impact of predators on mortality rates as well as the cumulative density distribution of growth rates in the population of larvae in different areas of the bay. There was relatively little influence of current feeding conditions on increment widths. Patterns of selective mortality indicate that fast-growing individuals suffered higher mortality rates, suggesting they were growing into a predator's prey field. However, the mortality rates appeared to increase with decreasing predator abundance, based on the drift reconstructions. The relationship of growth and mortality with environmental conditions suggests that short-term, small-scale variations in environmental history may be difficult to describe accurately in this relatively small system (,1000 km2). [source] Using patch studies to link mesoscale patterns of feeding and growth in larval fish to environmental variabilityFISHERIES OCEANOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2002John F. Dower We present results from a series of three patch studies designed to examine links between environmental variability and mesoscale patterns of feeding and growth of larval radiated shanny (Ulvaria subbifurcata). We examine the effects of variability in temperature, turbulence and prey concentration on both the mean (i.e. population level) and the variance (i.e. individual level) of larval feeding and growth rates among the three bays. Although both gut fullness and growth rates differ significantly between bays, our results show only weak environmental influences. When larvae are pooled across bays (i.e. treated as independent observations), environmental factors generally explain <4% of the variability in gut fullness. When treated as daily mean residuals, however, temperature accounts for 41% of the variability in mean gut fullness, while both temperature and prey concentration also explain significant portions of the variance in gut fullness (38 and 43%, respectively). Between-bay differences in larval growth rates are consistent with patterns of temperature variation but not with patterns of prey availability. Studies relying on tracking a single patch of larvae typically suffer from having too few observations to detect significant relationships between feeding or growth and environmental variables. By following three patches we collected a larger number of observations. However, as we encountered only a limited range of environmental conditions it remains difficult to adequately assess the role of environmental factors. In part, this problem stems from the inability of fisheries oceanographers to track the recent environmental history of individual larvae on the same fine scales currently employed to collect biological data (e.g. guts and otoliths) on individuals. [source] Relationships among vertically structured in situ measures of turbulence, larval fish abundance and feeding success and copepods on Western Bank, Scotian ShelfFISHERIES OCEANOGRAPHY, Issue 3 2002ChristianS. Using vertically stratified data of the abundance of silver hake (Merluccius bilinearis) larvae and concentrations of copepods collected in the field, we examine relationships among the vertical distribution of larval fish, their potential prey, feeding success and water column turbulence. Water column turbulence and associated stratification parameters were estimated from: (i) in situ measures of turbulent kinetic energy dissipation (,) provided by an EPSONDE profiler; (ii) in situ wind speed; (iii) the Richardson number (Ri); and (iv) the buoyancy frequency (N2). Small (< 5 mm total length) silver hake were more abundant in the least turbulent waters (i.e. at a minimum in the rate of dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy, , < 10,7 W kg,1; Ri > 0.25; N2 > 0.001 (rad s,1)2). Partial correlations amongst ,, N2 and small hake larvae were significant only for N2. The abundance of larger (> 5 mm total length) hake larvae was positively correlated with depth and was not associated with either , or N2. Vertical distributions of three potential prey (classified by stage) were variable. Early stage copepodids were positively correlated with N2 and negatively correlated with ,. We found no evidence of diel distribution patterns for small (< 5 mm total length) hake larvae or for any of the developmental stages of the copepods examined. Neither estimate of water column turbulence inferred from wind speed nor from Ri was meaningfully related to in situ estimates of , or to larval fish abundance. Feeding success, measured either as prey items (gut),1, average prey length, or total prey volume (gut),1, was not related to predicted encounter rates between days. However, the average prey length (gut),1 was significantly (P < 0.01) related to water column turbulence. These conflicting results suggest that the relationship between larval feeding and the environment is more complicated than assumed. We conclude that without substantial high resolution in situ examination of the relationship between the vertical distributions of turbulence, larvae and their prey, the growing acceptance in the secondary literature that turbulence has a positive and biologically meaningful effect on trophic interactions between fish and their zooplankton prey (a generalization based largely on modelling and laboratory experiments) is premature. [source] Veligers of an introduced bivalve, Limnoperna fortunei, are a new food resource that enhances growth of larval fish in the Paraná River (South America)FRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 9 2010ESTEBAN M. PAOLUCCI Summary 1.,Larvae of ,sábalo', Prochilodus lineatus, whose adults represent over 60% of overall fish biomass in the Río de la Plata Catchment, have been observed to feed intensively on veligers of the exotic bivalve Limnoperna fortunei. 2.,To assess the effects of this dietary shift on the growth of P. lineatus, 28-day laboratory experiments were carried out feeding newly hatched P. lineatus larvae with three diets: zooplankton artificially enriched with L. fortunei veligers; natural zooplankton; and zooplankton artificially enriched with cladocerans and copepods. The average length, weight and gut contents of the fish larvae were assessed weekly and metabolic rates of fish larvae were measured. 3.,Proportions of veligers in gut contents were always higher than those in the experimental diet: 100, 76 and 21% for veliger-enriched, natural and low-veliger diets, respectively. Larvae fed a veliger-enriched diet grew to a significantly larger size than larvae fed the other two diets. In energetic balance comparisons using metabolic rates and prey energy content, all three diets were sufficient to support metabolism and growth. The greatest values of excess energy at the end of each week were in the veliger-enriched experiments. 4.,Feeding on veligers of L. fortunei significantly enhances the growth of P. lineatus larvae and supports the idea that this new and abundant resource is selectively preyed upon by P. lineatus during its larval stage. Higher growth rates may stem from the higher energy contents of veligers compared to crustaceans and/or from the lower energy costs of capturing slower prey. [source] The effects of dietary Microcystis aeruginosa and microcystin on the copepods of the upper San Francisco EstuaryFRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 7 2010KEMAL A. GER Summary 1. Increasing blooms of Microcystis aeruginosa have unknown impacts on the copepods Eurytemora affinis and Pseudodiaptomus forbesi, which are the dominant zooplankters and key prey species for endangered larval fish in the upper San Francisco Estuary. 2. Laboratory feeding experiments were designed to measure the effect of Microcystis on copepod survival and to distinguish the effects of toxicity and nutrition. In a series of survival tests, copepods were fed a mixed diet of algae plus one of two strains of Microcystis, either producing (MC+) or lacking microcystin (MC,). 3. Microcystis significantly reduced survival even when it was a small proportion of the diet, indicating that toxicity was the major cause of mortality. Contrary to expectation, however, the MC+ strain did not result in higher mortality, suggesting that non-MC metabolites of Microcystis can be toxic to copepods. 4. Across treatments, survival of P. forbesi was greater than that of E. affinis, although the two copepods responded differently to both the ratio and the strain of Microcystis in their food. Survival of P. forbesi was greater on the MC+ strain and was inversely proportional to the ratio of dietary Microcystis (MC+ or MC,). In contrast, survival of E. affinis declined similarly across treatments and was not related to the proportion or strain of dietary Microcystis. Results indicate that the copepod P. forbesi can coexist with Microcystis while the other copepod E. affinis cannot. 5. Regardless of species, dietary Microcystis caused significant mortality to copepods, and it may cause adverse impacts to the potentially food-limited zooplankton community of the San Francisco Estuary. These impacts may not be related to the cellular MC concentration because Microcystis contains other metabolites that negatively affect copepods. [source] The need for adequate quality assurance/quality control measures for selenium larval deformity assessments: Implications for tissue residue guidelinesINTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2009Blair G McDonald Abstract Assessing the frequency and severity of larval fish deformities is a subjective exercise that is subject to considerable parameter uncertainty unless appropriate quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) measures are incorporated. This issue has received limited attention in the literature. Only one study was identified that contained adequate data to evaluate the reproducibility of larval deformity data. Parameter uncertainty was substantially larger than expected. There was poor reproducibility between observers for nearly all types and magnitudes of deformities, and there were particularly large differences in how mild deformities were assessed. The reproducibility of the edema endpoint was the poorest of the 4 types of deformity evaluated. Specific recommendations for improving the QA/QC aspects of larval deformity assessments include blind and nonsequential labeling; explicit effort on the development and application of an a priori framework; internal QC checks to quantify the influence of sample preservatives, observer drift, or multiple observers; and an external QC check of a minimum of 10% of all larval fish. Future selenium reproductive studies should include an explicit uncertainty analysis and disclose raw deformity data to facilitate recalculation of tissue residue guidelines as the science in this area advances. [source] Effects of the toxic dinoflagellate, Alexandrium fundyense on three species of larval fish: a food-chain approachJOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2008J. C. Samson Sublethal behavioural effects of exposure to paralytic shellfish toxins (PST; saxitoxin and its derivatives) from the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium fundyense were investigated in newly settled winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus, larval sheepshead minnow Cyprinodon variegatus and larval mummichog Fundulus heteroclitus through an A. fundyense,copepod,fish food chain. Consumption of as few as six to 12 toxin-containing copepods was lethal to the fishes. After consuming fewer toxin-containing copepods, all three fish species exhibited sublethal effects from vector-mediated exposure. Prey-capture ability of mummichogs was reduced in larvae that had consumed toxic copepods, Coullana canadensis. After consuming toxic C. canadensis or mixed copepods, mummichog larvae had reduced swimming performance. Swimming activity was also significantly reduced in winter flounder after consuming toxic copepods, including time spent in motion and distance travelled. Prey capture and predator avoidance were reduced in first-feeding sheepshead minnow larvae that had consumed toxic dinoflagellate cells. Adverse effects on prey capture or predator avoidance may reduce larval survival and facilitate the transmission of PST through the food web. This study provides baseline information on sublethal effects of PST exposure on fishes using a novel food-chain approach with zooplankton as vectors. [source] Effects of temperature on larval fish swimming performance: the importance of physics to physiologyJOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2002I. Hunt von Herbing Temperature influences both the physiology offish larvae and the physics of the flow conditions under which they swim. For small larvae in low Reynolds number (Re) hydrodynamic environments dominated by frictional drag, temperature-induced changes in the physics of water flow have the greatest effect on swimming performance. For larger larvae, in higher Re environments, temperature-induced changes in physiology become more important as larvae swim faster and changes in swimming patterns and mechanics occur. Physiological rates at different temperatures have been quantified using Q10s with the assumption that temperature only affected physiological variables. Consequently, Q10s that did not consider temperature-induced changes in viscosity overestimated the effect of temperature on physiology by 58% and 56% in cold-water herring and cod larvae respectively. In contrast, in warm-water Danube bleak larvae, Q10s overestimated temperature-induced effects on physiology by only 5,7%. This may be because in warm water, temperature-induced changes affect viscosity to a smaller degree than in cold water. Temperature also affects muscle contractility and efficiency and at high swimming velocities, efficiency decreases more rapidly in cold-exposed than in warm-exposed muscle fibres. Further experiments are needed to determine whether temperature acts differently on swimming metabolism in different thermal environments. While hydrodynamic factors appear to be very important to larval fish swimming performance in cold water, they appear to lose importance in warm water where temperature effects on physiology dominate. This may suggest that major differences exist among locomotory capacities of larval fish that inhabit cold, temperate waters compared to those that live in warm tropical waters. It is possible that fish larvae may have developed strategies that affect dispersal and recruitment in different aquatic habitats in order to cope not only with temperature-induced physiological challenges, but physical challenges as well. [source] Development of feeding structures in larval fish with different life histories: winter flounder and Atlantic codJOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2001I. Hunt von Herbing The size at which feeding structures developed and shifts in head proportions occurred, differed between Atlantic cod Gadus morhua and winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus. The sequence and timing of the development of feeding structures may not be dependent on size, but may occur because they are necessary to meet specific requirements offish larvae feeding in the plankton. In early larval stages development of feeding structures was similar in number and type and was necessary for first-feeding in both species. In later stages, significant differences between species occurred in the timing of the development of feeding structures. In cod differentiation of new structures and changes in head proportions occurred at about two-thirds of the way through larval life, which coincided with an increase in growth. In flounder changes in feeding morphology did not occur during the symmetrical larval stage, but occurred only after metamorphosis to the asymmetrical demersal juvenile stage. Differences between cod and flounder in the size at which feeding structures develop may reflect life history adaptations expressed in the duration of the pelagic larval stage, as well as differences in juvenile habitat and feeding ecology. [source] A NEW LARVAL FISH BIOASSAY FOR TESTING THE PATHOGENICITY OF PFIESTERIA SPP. (DINOPHYCEAE),JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 3 2003Vincent J. Lovko Water quality, microbial contamination, prior fish health, and variable results have been major impediments to identifying the cause and mechanism of fish mortality in standard aquarium-format Pfiesteria bioassays. Therefore, we developed a sensitive 96-h larval fish bioassay for assessing Pfiesteria spp. pathogenicity using six-well tissue culture plates and 7-day-old larval cyprinodontid fish. We used the assay to test pathogenicity of several clonal lines of Pfiesteria piscicida Steidinger and Burkholder and P. shumwayae Glasgow and Burkholder that had been cultured with algal prey for 2 to 36 months. The P. shumwayae cultures exhibited 80%,100% cumulative mortality in less than 96 h at initial zoospore densities of approximately 1000 cells·mL,1. No fish mortalities occurred with P. piscicida at identical densities or in controls. In a dose-response assay, we demonstrated a strong positive correlation between dinospore density and fish mortality in a highly pathogenic culture of P. shumwayae, generating a 96-h LD50 of 108 zoospores·mL,1. Additionally, we applied the assay to evaluate a 38-L P. shumwayae bioassay that was actively killing fish and compared results with those from exposures of juvenile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in a 500-mL assay system. Water from the fish-killing 38-L assay was filtered and centrifuged to produce fractions dominated by dinoflagellates, bacteria, or presumed ichthyotoxin (cell-free fraction). After 96 h, the larval fish assay exhibited 50%,100% cumulative mortality only in fractions containing dinoflagellates, with no mortalities occurring in the other fractions. The 500-mL bioassay with tilapia produced inconsistent results and demonstrated no clear correlation between mortality and treatment. The new larval fish bioassay was demonstrated as a highly effective method to verify and evaluate dinoflagellate pathogenicity. [source] Digestion and Assimilation of the Free-living Nematode Panagrellus redivivus Fed to First Feeding Coregonid Larvae: Evidence from Histological and Isotopic StudiesJOURNAL OF THE WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY, Issue 1 2005Christian Schlechtriem The free-living nematode Panagrellus redivivus is a potential source of live food for first feeding fish. The digestion and assimilation of nematodes by larval fish were investigated with the aid of a histological and stable isotope approach. Larvae of whitefish Coregonus lavaretus were reared for 8 d with nematodes and compared with an unfed control. Nematodes were readily ingested by 3-d-old larvae. Different stages of nematode digestion could be observed in transverse sections of fish larvae sampled on Day 6 at regular intervals after feeding. Nematodes were produced on corn medium. In this way nematodes with a stable carbon isotope signature clearly different from the isotopic pattern of the fish larvae could be obtained. Stable carbon isotope signatures for lipids and lipid-free matter of fish larvae sampled on Days 2 and 8 after first feeding were clearly influenced by the stable isotopic pattern of the nematodes. The high acceptance of the nematodes by Coregonus lavaretus larvae and the early onset of digestion and nutrient retention positively confirm the potential of PanagreUus redivivus as a live food for first feeding fish larvae. [source] The Protozooplankton,Ichthyoplankton Trophic Link: An Overlooked Aspect of Aquatic Food Webs,THE JOURNAL OF EUKARYOTIC MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2010DAVID J. S. MONTAGNES ABSTRACT. Since the introduction of the microbial loop concept, awareness of the role played by protozooplankton in marine food webs has grown. By consuming bacteria, and then being consumed by metazooplankton, protozoa form a trophic link that channels dissolved organic material into the "classic" marine food chain. Beyond enhancing energy transfer to higher trophic levels, protozoa play a key role in improving the food quality of metazooplankton. Here, we consider a third role played by protozoa, but one that has received comparatively little attention: that as prey items for ichthyoplankton. For >100 years it has been known that fish larvae consume protozoa. Despite this, fisheries scientists and biological oceanographers still largely ignore protozoa when assessing the foodweb dynamics that regulate the growth and survival of larval fish. We review evidence supporting the importance of the protozooplankton,ichthyoplankton link, including examples from the amateur aquarium trade, the commercial aquaculture industry, and contemporary studies of larval fish. We then consider why this potentially important link continues to receive very little attention. We conclude by offering suggestions for quantifying the importance of the protozooplankton,ichthyoplankton trophic link, using both existing methods and new technologies. [source] A method to determine protein digestibility of microdiets for larval and early juvenile fishAQUACULTURE NUTRITION, Issue 6 2009J.M. HANSEN Abstract A method to evaluate protein quality using in vivo methods was developed for larval fish. FluoSpheres® fluorescent microspheres (10 ,m) were incorporated into two test diets, our standard zein microdiet (ZMD) and a microdiet with identical ingredients except for the replacement of high quality fish meal with the same product cooked for 24 h at 80 °C (ZMD-CF). Several trials were performed to design a reliable method to test digestibility using FluoSpheres® as a marker. The developed in vivo technique was tested on 35 days posthatch (dph) larval Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) and two tropical fish species in the early juvenile stage. The method took into account loss of total protein to the faecal pellet and water column. Apparent digestibility of protein in larval cod fed ZMD was significantly higher than that of larvae fed ZMD-CF (P < 0.05). A growth study to validate differences between the two diets showed significant differences in growth and survival of larvae fed ZMD versus ZMD-CF (P < 0.05). Further validation of our results was indicated through the use of a pH-stat method using enzymes extracted from 35 dph larval cod guts. This novel technique will be advantageous for researchers to evaluate feed ingredients for larval marine fish and is adaptable to many different areas of larval fish nutrition. [source] Fatty acid nutritional quality of sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck 1816) eggs and endotrophic larvae: relevance for feeding of marine larval fishAQUACULTURE NUTRITION, Issue 4 2009J.M. GAGO Abstract Sea urchin eggs and larvae have been suggested as potential live prey for marine fish larval feeding. This study evaluated the fatty acid composition of Paracentrotus lividus eggs, prisms and four-armed plutei, obtained from wild and captive broodstocks fed on raw diets: maize, seaweed and a combination of maize and seaweed. Amounts of essential fatty acids (EFA) for marine fish larvae [arachidonic acid (ARA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA)] were determined in eggs and endotrophic larvae. ARA ranged from 3.93% in eggs from combination to 18.7% in plutei from maize diets. In any developmental stage, EPA amounts were always lower than 5% for the raw diets, and DHA showed null or trace amounts including the wild diet. Thus, broodstock-prepared diets had to be formulated based on different lipid sources (Algamac, linseed oil, cod liver oil and olive oil) in order to test eggs and larvae EFA enhancement. EFA improvement was possible for all tested prepared diets. Algamac diet lead to superior EFA enhancement mainly in DHA (7.24%, 4.92% and 6.09% for eggs, prisms and plutei, respectively) followed by cod liver oil diet. Only these two lipid sources should be considered for prepared broodstock diets in order to obtain suitable live prey for fish larval feeding. [source] Towards an inert diet for first-feeding gilthead seabream Sparus aurata L. larvaeAQUACULTURE NUTRITION, Issue 3 2000Yúfera The development of an inert food to replace live prey during the early stages of marine fish larvae requires research in different fields and therefore a precise work strategy. Our research on this subject has been carried out in successive steps using the gilthead seabream Sparus aurata. The first step was the design of a food particle that would be well accepted and ingested by free-swimming marine larval fish during the first developmental stages. We chose microencapsulation by polymerization of the dietary protein as the most appropriate method for making the particles; different types of microcapsules were made using a basic diet containing only the major dietary components. In the second step, our aim was to keep the larvae alive in a routine rearing system in 300-L tanks, using exclusively this kind of food, long enough to detect any changes in growth, survival, or anatomical and histological status of the larvae, in order to verify whether the technological changes were positive. The third step focused on diet formulation and searching for clues to inefficient assimilation and growth. The use of ,in vitro' digestibility techniques allowed us to detect the inhibitory effect of some diet ingredients on larval proteases and to determine more suitable sources of protein. We now have a microcapsule able to efficiently support growth and development of S. aurata larvae, at least during the first 2 weeks of life, although the larvae still need to feed on rotifers during the first 2,4 days of exogenous feeding. This microcapsule will make it possible to make advances in determining the specific nutritional requirements of larval fish. [source] Nutritional values of Apocyclops dengizicus (Copepoda: Cyclopoida) fed Chaetocerous calcitrans and Tetraselmis tetratheleAQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 1 2008Omidvar Farhadian Abstract The cyclopoid copepod Apocyclops dengizicus was isolated from a marine shrimp pond, Penaeus monodon, Kuala Selangor, Malaysia, and reared in the laboratory for 3 months to establish a pure population stock. Amino acids and fatty acids of A. dengizicus were determined when fed Chaetocerous calcitrans (C), Tetraselmis tetrathele (T) and their combination (CT) (1:1 by number). The protein contents in A. dengizicus that received C, T and CT were 46.8%, 60.5% and 55.3% of dry weight respectively. Correspondingly, the lipid was 19.0%, 17.8% and 19.1% of dry weight for C, T and CT respectively. The A. dengizicus cultured on C, T and CT had total essential amino acids without tryptophan measurement of 57.1, 60.3 and 67.8 and total non-essential amino acids of 42.9%, 40.0% and 32.2% of total amino acids. The fatty acid content of A. dengizicus showed that it was able to synthesize docosahexenoic acid (22:6n-3, DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3, EPA) and arachidonic acid (20: 4n-6, ARA) from examined microalgal diets. The DHA:EPA:ARA ratios of A. dengizicus fed on C, T and CT were 6.8:3.0:1, 14.0:5.8:1 and 11.6:2.6:1 respectively. Apocyclops dengizicus could be suitable live food for larval fish and shrimp rearing because it meets their nutritive requirements. [source] Panagrellus redivivus (Linné) as a live food organism in the early rearing of the catfish Synodontis petricola (Matthes)AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 6 2007Jürgen Sautter Abstract The nematode Panagrellus redivivus (Linné) has been suggested as a source of live food in the rearing of larval fish and shrimp species. This study tested the use of P. redivivus in the early rearing of the bottom-feeding catfish Synodontis petricola (Matthes). A comparison of feeding rates of 5000,10 000 nematodes larva,1 day,1 showed that fish receiving 5000 nematodes larva,1 day,1 grew faster than those fed a dry diet, but slower than treatments fed 200 and 600 Artemia larva,1 day,1. Enrichment of nematodes with SuperSelco® improved fish growth relative to a non-enriched control treatment, with both treatments receiving 5000 nematodes larva,1 day,1. In the first two trials, feeding commenced 2 days after hatching. In the third study, fish were fed nematodes 6 days after hatching and there was no difference in growth between Artemia -fed fish (600 Artemia larva,1 day,1) and fish fed 5000 nematodes larva,1 day,1. Thus, it is suggested to feed S. petricola at a nematode density of at least 10 000nematodes larva,1 day,1 in order to achieve growth comparable to that of fish fed Artemia, or, alternatively, to feed 5000 nematodes larva,1 day,1 to improve growth relative to that achieved with a dry diet. Furthermore, nematodes may be enriched with essential fatty acids to improve the growth of S. petricola larvae. [source] Larval fish assemblages along the south-eastern Australian shelf: linking mesoscale non-depth-discriminate structure and water massesFISHERIES OCEANOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2008JOHN P. KEANE Abstract We present findings of the first mesoscale study linking larval fish assemblages and water masses along shelf waters off south-eastern Australia (southern Queensland-New South Wales), based on vertical, non-depth discriminate data from surveys in October 2002 and 2003 (spring) and July 2004 (winter). Clustering and ordination were employed to discriminate between larval assemblages and, for the first time, to define water masses from water column temperature frequencies. Surveys yielded 18 128 larval fishes comprising 143 taxa from 96 identifiable families, with small pelagics accounting for 53% of the total. Three major recurrent larval assemblages were identified during the study, each of which matched one of three water masses, namely East Australian Current to the north (EAC; 20.5,23.4°C), Tasman Sea to the south (TAS; 14.8,17.5°C), and mixed EAC,TAS water in between (MIX; 18.3,19.9°C). All three assemblages were present in spring, whereas only EAC and MIX occurred in the more northerly constrained winter survey. Furthermore, boundaries between the EAC, MIX and TAS assemblages were found to be dynamic, with locations shifting temporally and spatially depending on EAC extent. Assemblage composition differed significantly between water masses across surveys, with EAC,TAS being most dissimilar. Such contrast was due to the presence of tropical/temperate taxa in EAC, primarily temperate-associated taxa in TAS, and a combination of EAC,TAS taxa within MIX consistent with the convergence of both waters. Results highlight the strength of employing larval assemblages as indicators of water masses, particularly in view of the potential effect of climate change on spawning habitats of shelf fishes. [source] Distribution of larval fishes among water masses in Onslow Bay, North Carolina: implications for cross-shelf exchangeFISHERIES OCEANOGRAPHY, Issue 6 2005A. M. QUATTRINI Abstract The Gulf Stream (GS) is a major oceanographic feature with potential to influence the recruitment of larval fishes to continental shelf habitats in the southeastern United States. To test the hypothesis that the GS is a source of certain larval fishes to Onslow Bay, North Carolina, we (i) classified water masses as shelf, GS, GS front (GSF), or GS/shelf mixture (GS/S); (ii) compared larval fish assemblages and concentrations among these water masses; and (iii) compared length,frequency distributions and length,concentration relationships of indicator and commercially important taxa among water masses. A total of 21,222 larvae were collected with bongo and neuston nets from April 2000 to December 2001. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analyses revealed distinct larval assemblages associated with different water masses. For bongo catches, bothids were abundant in all water masses, gobiids, callionymids, and labrids were abundant in shelf waters, and myctophids and scombrids were abundant in the GS. For neuston catches, carangids dominated in GS/S, GSF, and GS waters, whereas triglids were abundant in shelf water. Larval concentrations in neuston catches were lower in shelf waters and higher in GS and GSF waters. Concentrations of most taxa in bongo catches were low in the GS and higher in shelf waters. We used trends in myctophid (offshore/GS) and gobiid (shelf) length,concentration data as indicators of the sources of commercially important serranids. Length distributions and concentrations of larval indicator taxa suggested local, shelf spawning, and transport of larvae from offshore. [source] Springtime ichthyoplankton of the slope region off the north-eastern United States of America: larval assemblages, relation to hydrography and implications for larval transportFISHERIES OCEANOGRAPHY, Issue 2 2001Jonathan A. Hare Larval transport in the slope region off north-eastern North America influences recruitment to juvenile habitats for a variety of fishes that inhabit the continental shelf. In this study, collections of larval fishes were made during springtime over the continental slope to provide insights into larval distributions and transport. Ichthyoplankton composition and distribution mirrored the physical complexity of the region. Three larval fish assemblages were defined, each with different water mass distributions. A Gulf Stream assemblage was found predominantly in the Gulf Stream and associated with filaments of discharged Gulf Stream water in the Slope Sea. Larvae of this assemblage originated from oceanic and shelf regions south of Cape Hatteras. Several members of this assemblage utilize habitats in the Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB) as juveniles (Pomatomus saltatrix, Peprilus triacanthus) and other members of the assemblage may share this life cycle (Mugil curema, Sphyraena borealis, Urophycis regia). A Slope Sea assemblage was found in all water masses, and was composed of epi- and mesopelagic fish larvae, as well as larvae of benthic shelf/slope residents. Larvae of one member of this assemblage (U. tenuis) are spawned in the Slope Sea but cross the shelf-slope front and use nearshore habitats for juvenile nurseries. A MAB shelf assemblage was found in MAB shelf water and was composed of larvae that were spawned on the shelf. Some of these species may cross into the Slope Sea before returning to MAB shelf habitats (e.g. Enchelyopus cimbrius, Glyptocephalus cynoglossus). Previous studies have examined the effect of warm-core rings on larval distributions, but this study identifies the importance of smaller-scale features of the MAB shelf/slope front and of filaments associated with Gulf Stream meanders. In combination with these advective processes, the dynamic nature of larval distributions in the Slope Sea appears to be influenced, to varying degrees, by both vertical and horizontal behaviour of larvae and pelagic juveniles themselves. [source] Do larval fishes exhibit diel drift patterns in a large, turbid river?JOURNAL OF APPLIED ICHTHYOLOGY, Issue 4 2010K. S. Reeves Summary Previous research suggested larval fishes do not exhibit a diel drift cycle in turbid rivers (transparency <30 cm). We evaluated this hypothesis in the turbid, lower Missouri River, Missouri. We also reviewed diel patterns of larval drift over a range of transparencies in rivers worldwide. Larval fishes were collected from the Missouri River primary channel every 4 h per 24-h period during spring-summer 2002. Water transparency was measured during this period and summarized for previous years. Diel drift patterns were analyzed at the assemblage level and lower taxonomic levels for abundant groups. Day and night larval fish catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) was compared for the entire May through August sampling period and spring (May , June) and summer (July , August) seasons separately. There were no significant differences between day and night CPUE at the assemblage level for the entire sampling period or for the spring and summer seasons. However, Hiodon alosoides, Carpiodes/Ictiobus spp. and Macrhybopsis spp. exhibited a diel cycle of abundance within the drift. This pattern was evident although mean Secchi depth (transparency) ranged from 4 to 25 cm during the study and was <30 cm from May through August over the previous nine years. Larval diel drift studies from 48 rivers excluding the Missouri River indicated the primary drift period for larval fishes was at night in 38 rivers and during the day for five, with the remaining rivers showing no pattern. Water transparency was reported for 10 rivers with six being <30 cm or ,low'. Two of these six turbid rivers exhibited significant diel drift patterns. The effect of water transparency on diel drift of larval fishes appears taxa-specific and patterns of abundant taxa could mask patterns of rare taxa when analyzed only at the assemblage level. [source] A comparison of gut evacuation models for larval mackerel (Scomber scombrus) using serial photographyJOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2009R. Dunbrack A novel technique is described, using serial photography of the gut contents of transparent living larval fishes, to generate individual gut evacuation time series. This technique was applied to Atlantic mackerel Scomber scombrus larvae to compare three widely used models of gut evacuation: linear, exponential and square-root. Regression r2 for the exponential model exceeded those for the linear and square root models in 20 of 21 time series, strongly supporting the exponential model. At the initial gut fullness for each time series, total gut evacuation rates calculated with the exponential model averaged 2·2 and 1·3 times greater than those calculated with the linear and square-root models, respectively, and would produce correspondingly higher estimates of feeding rates for field-collected larvae with similar levels of gut fullness. The results highlight the importance of choosing the appropriate evacuation model in feeding studies, particularly those intended to examine short-term changes in larval fish feeding rates, a contributing factor to the highly variable yearly recruitment of many marine fish species. [source] | |||||||||||||