Juvenile Rockfish Research Articles

Effect of Blood Orange (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) Peel Waste as a Feed Additive on the Growth Performance, Digestive Enzyme Activity, Antioxidant Capacity, and Immune Response in Juvenile Black Rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii)

This study evaluated bioactive compounds in blood orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) peel (BOP) as dietary additives. An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation on the growth performance, body composition, digestive enzyme activity, antioxidant capacity, and immune response of juvenile black rockfish. A total of 1260 juvenile rockfish (1.4 ± 0.01 g) were randomly distributed into seven treatment groups, each with 50 fish per circular tank. The groups were fed seven different diets containing graded levels of 0 (control, BOP0), 1 (BOP1), 2 (BOP2), 3 (BOP3), 5 (BOP5), 7 (BOP7), and 10 (BOP10) g kg−1, respectively. The BOP10 diet significantly enhanced the final weight, weight gain, specific growth rate, protein efficiency ratio, and protein retention in fish. The BOP treatments notably affected the fishes’ whole-body crude protein and lipid contents. Plasma total cholesterol levels of fish fed the BOP0 and BOP1 diets were significantly higher than those fed the BOP7 and BOP10 diets. The activities of trypsin and lipase were significantly affected by dietary BOP levels. The antioxidant enzyme activity in the plasma of fish fed the BOP10 diet was significantly higher than those fed the BOP0 diet. The lysozyme activity and levels of immunoglobulin M and G in fish fed the BOP0 diet were significantly lower than those in fish fed the BOP10 diet. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of BOP at 10 g kg−1 improved the growth performance and overall health of juvenile black rockfish.

The toxic effects of exposure to fibrous and fragmented microplastic in juvenile rockfish based on two omics approach

Although the hazards of environmental microplastics (MPs) are well known, it is unclear which of their characteristics have the greatest effects on organism. We investigated the toxic effects of oral administration according to physical properties, including the shape of fragmented polyethylene terephthalate (PET) (FrPET) and fibrous PET (FiPET) MPs. After 72 h of exposure, apoptosis and phagocytic activity varied significantly among juvenile rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli) exposed to both FrPET and FiPET. The levels of immune-related genes and hepatic metabolic activity also increased after exposure to both shapes of MPs, but the variation in responses was greater in fish exposed to FiPET compared with those exposed to FrPET. The transcriptomic and metabolomics analysis results indicated that the maintenance and homeostasis of immune system was affected by oral exposure to FrPET and FiPET. The amino acid metabolic processes were identified in rockfish exposed to FrPET, but the notch signaling pathway were evident in the FiPET exposure group. Metabolomics analysis revealed that oral ingestion of MP fibers led to a stronger inflammatory response and greater oxidative stress in juvenile rockfish. These results can be used to understand environmentally dominant MP toxic effects such as type, size, shapes, as well as to prioritize ecotoxicological management.

Impact on Growth and Feed Availability from Including Jack Mackerel (Trachurus japonicas) Meal in Rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli) Feeds Which Otherwise Replace Fish Meal with Chicken By-Product Meal.

This study was conducted to elucidate the impact on the growth and feed availability of rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli) from including jack mackerel meal (JMM) in feeds which otherwise substitute 20% fish meal (FM) with chicken by-product meal (CBM). Six formulated feeds were designed to be isonitrogenous and isolipidic. Specifically, 55% FM was included in the control (Con) diet. In the Con diet, 20% FM was substituted by CBM, and then the graded levels (0, 20, 40, 60, and 80%) of JMM were included instead of FM, named as the C20J0, C20J20, C20J40, C20J60, and C20J80 diets, respectively. Five hundred and forty juvenile rockfish (initial weight of 11.2 g) were assigned to 18 tanks. All experimental feeds were fed to triplicate groups of rockfish twice daily for 8 weeks. Superior weight gain, specific growth rate (SGR), and feed intake of rockfish fed the C20J60 and C20J80 diets compared to rockfish fed the Con and C20J0 diets were observed. However, the feed utilization, biological indices, proximate composition, amino acid profiles, and blood chemistry of the rockfish were not affected by the dietary treatments. The slightly but not significantly higher economic profit index and growth performance were obtained in the C20J60 diet compared to the C20J80 diet. In conclusion, the C20J60 diet was the most recommendable treatment based on the improvement in growth performance (weight gain and SGR) and feed intake of rockfish, and the highest economic return to farmers.

Fishing damage to cloud sponges may lead to losses in associated fish communities in Pacific Canada

Glass sponge gardens are important biogenic habitats that support fish communities in Pacific Canada. However, glass sponges (class Hexactinellida) are delicate and susceptible to damage from fishing gear such as downriggers. In this study we document changes in a fish community before –and after damage from a presumed fishing event that resulted in a reduction of 58.9% of the available sponge habitat in a small cloud sponge garden in British Columbia. This habitat loss coincided with a decline of 76.9% of the relative abundance of rockfish, an economically important group of fishes, at the garden. This decline was particularly pronounced in small size classes with the disappearance of juvenile rockfish after the sponge loss. Although based on a single site, this is the first documentation of how anthropogenic damage in a sponge aggregation may impact the associated fish community. Damage from fishing gear is likely most pronounced in small sponge aggregations, like nearshore gardens, where a single event may result in a disproportionately large loss of available fish habitat. Slow regrowth of sponges suggests the habitat availability may be permanently altered at these sites and can coincide with shifts in the localized fish community that may be long lasting on a local scale. Currently sponge gardens do not have any direct spatial protections in the Pacific Northwest, and this work highlights the importance of considering them in future protection initiatives.

Critical swimming speed of juvenile rockfishes (Sebastes) following long- and short-term exposures to acidification and deoxygenation

Reef fishes in the California Current Ecosystem have evolved in habitats affected by seasonally variable, episodic upwelling of high pCO2 (acidified, low pH) and low dissolved oxygen (deoxygenated) water, which suggests that these fishes might exhibit resilience to ocean acidification (OA) and deoxygenation. Yet, how the fitness of these fish are affected by natural variability in pH and DO over short time scales remains poorly understood, as do the effects of longer-term trends in pH and DO driven by climate change. We conducted a complementary suite of experiments to study the effects of acidification and deoxygenation on the critical swimming speed (Ucrit) of juvenile copper (Sebastes caurinus) and black (S. melanops) rockfish collected from nearshore habitats in an ocean acidification “hotspot” off Northern California. We consistently observed that Ucrit declined more strongly in response to deoxygenation than to acidification, at least under ranges of these stressors consistent with current conditions and plausible future scenarios, and that reduction in swimming performance reflected additive rather than synergistic responses to concurrent exposure. Reductions in swimming performance manifested quickly–on the scale of hours–in response to exposure to elevated pCO2/reduced DO, yet are reversible: swimming performance of juvenile rockfish recovers within a matter of days, and perhaps much more quickly, after acidified/deoxygenated conditions have subsided. Insights from this study address potential effects of variability in upwelling intensity at event and seasonal scales for nearshore rockfishes and contribute to our understanding of fish responses to future ocean conditions driven by ongoing climate change.

Food habits of three species of juvenile rockfish co-occurring in Hiroshima Bay, the Seto Inland Sea, Japan

The diets of three juvenile rockfish species (Sebastes inermis, S. ventricosus, and S. cheni) are poorly understood because they had been treated as a single species until recently. To address the lack of data on their diets, we examined the stomach contents of juvenile rockfish collected from both macroalgal (Sargassum macrocarpum) beds and docks in Hiroshima Bay, the Seto Inland Sea, and analyzed their dietary differences based on the location (five islands), habitat type (macroalgal bed and dock), and species. We found that these juveniles primarily consumed both epifaunal and planktonic small crustaceans, especially amphipods, calanoids, and ostracods. Moreover, their diet composition differed significantly based on the location and habitat type, but not based on the species. These results indicate that these three species are opportunistic feeders and may compete for food. However, the difference in habitat types predominated by S. inermis and S. ventricosus suggests that interspecific competition for food is not strong between both species. Furthermore, the docks may function as feeding grounds for juvenile rockfish, as well as the macroalgal beds, because their stomach fullness indices did not differ significantly between the two habitats.

Substitution Impact of Tuna By-Product Meal for Fish Meal in the Diets of Rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli) on Growth and Feed Availability.

This experiment was performed to assess the substitution impact of fish meal (FM) with tuna by-product meal (TBM) in feeds on growth and feed availability of the early stage of juvenile rockfish (S. schlegeli). Six experimental feeds were prepared to be isonitrogenous and isolipidic. Fifty-five percent of FM was contained in the control (Con) diet. In the Con diet, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100% FM were replaced by TBM, named the TBM20, TBM40, TBM60, TBM80, and TBM100 diets, respectively. A total of 540 early-stage juvenile rockfish averaging 2.4 g was divided into 18 tanks and hand-fed to satiation for 56 days. Weight gain and feed consumption of rockfish fed the TBM20 and TBM40 diets were comparable to rockfish fed the Con diet. The specific growth rate (SGR) of rockfish fed the Con diet was comparable to rockfish fed the TBM20, TBM40, and TBM60 diets. Feed efficiency, biometric indices, hematological parameters, proximate composition, and amino acid profiles of rockfish were not impacted by dietary treatments. The economic profit index (EPI) of the Con, TBM20, and TBM40 diets were higher than that of all other diets. FM up to 40% could be substitutable with TBM in the diets of rockfish without deteriorating weight gain and feed consumption, but producing the highest EPI.

Effects of replacing fish meal with a blend of corn gluten meal and meat meal on the growth, biochemical profile, digestive enzyme activity, antioxidant status, and innate immunity of juvenile black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii)

This study assessed the impact of replacing fish meal (FM) with a blend of corn gluten meal and meat meal (BCM) at a ratio of 1:2 on the growth performance, digestive enzyme activity, and nonspecific immune response of juvenile black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii). Seven experimental diets were formulated. The control (BCM0) diet contained 65% FM. Subsequently, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60% FM in BCM0 diet were replaced with BCM, referred to as the BCM10, BCM20, BCM30, BCM40, BCM50 and BCM60, respectively. Each diet was randomly assigned to triplicate groups of 30 rockfish (initial body weight: 3.6 ± 0.01 g) for 8 weeks. The BCM0–BCM50 diets resulted in no significant differences in final body weight (FBW), weight gain (WG), and specific growth rate (SGR), whereas the BCM60 diet led to the lowest FBW, WG, and SGR. The feed consumption and feed efficiency of rockfish fed BCM10–BCM50 diets did not differ significantly from those of rockfish fed the BCM0 diet. Intestinal trypsin and lipase activities showed a linear decrease with increasing substitution levels of BCM in the experimental diets. Moisture levels increased with elevated BCM replacement in diets, whereas crude protein and lipid levels decreased with increased BCM replacement. Whole-body amino acid profiles of rockfish, except for glycine and proline content, were not significantly affected by diet. However, lysozyme and catalase activities exhibited quadratic responses to increasing dietary BCM levels, and superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione content showed a negative linear response. Overall, these results show that a blend of corn gluten meal and meat meal can replace up to 50% of dietary FM without adversely affecting the growth performance of juvenile rockfish.

Size‐selective predation effects on juvenile Chinook salmon cohort survival off Central California evaluated with an individual‐based model

AbstractVariation in the recruitment of salmon is often found to be correlated with marine climate indices, but mechanisms behind environment–recruitment relationships remain unclear and correlations often break down over time. We used an ecosystem modeling approach to explore bottom‐up and top‐down mechanisms linking a variable environment to salmon recruitment variations. Our ecosystem model incorporates a regional ocean circulation submodel for hydrodynamics, a nutrient‐phytoplankton‐zooplankton submodel for producing planktonic prey fields, and an individual‐based model (IBM) representing juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), combined with observations of foraging distributions and diet of a seabird predator. The salmon IBM consists of modules, including a juvenile salmon growth module based on temperature and salmon–prey availability, a behavior‐based movement module, and a juvenile salmon predation mortality module based on juvenile salmon size distribution and predator–prey interaction probability. Seabird–salmon interactions depend on spatial overlap and juvenile salmon size, whereby salmon that grow past the size range of the prey distribution of the predator will escape predation. We used a 21‐year historical simulation to explore interannual variability in juvenile Chinook salmon growth and predation‐mediated survival under a range of ocean conditions for sized‐based mortality scenarios. We based a series of increasingly complex predation scenarios on seabird observational data to explore variability in predation mortality on juvenile Chinook salmon. We initially included information about the predator spatial distribution, then added population size, and finally the predator's diet percentage made up of juvenile salmon. Model agreement improves with added predator complexity, especially during periods when predator abundance is high. Overall, our model found that when the fraction of juvenile salmon in seabird diet increased relative to alternate prey (e.g., Northern anchovy Engraulis mordax, and juvenile rockfish Sebastes spp.), there was a concomitant decrease in salmon cohort survival during their first year at sea.

Material properties and broadband backscatter measurements of individual euphausiids from the California coastal ecosystem

During the 14–24 May 2019 leg of the NOAA juvenile rockfish survey, zooplankton and small nekton were sampled off the coast of Northern California using a midwater trawl. This talk will focus on three euphausiid species (E. pacifica, T. spinifera, N. difficilis) which were present in most catches. Krill morphology (size and shape) and animal density relative to seawater were measured for 175 live (or very recently expired) individuals. Roughly 150 individual krill were frozen and brought back to land for mass measurements. Soundspeed relative to seawater was measured for 15 mixed-species aggregations of krill. Broadband (38–73 and 130–210 kHz) and narrowband (38, 50, 70, 120, 150, and 200 kHz) backscatter measurements were made on 32 live (or very recently expired) individual krill. These empirical measurements were then compared to predictive backscatter measurements using scattering model parameters measured for those individuals (when available). Differences between predicted and measured backscatter were generally small, although there were individual krill where measurements at some frequencies varied significantly (i.e. more than 3dB). Understanding the variability in scattering model inputs among and within these species, and the accuracy of scattering model predictions provides context (i.e. uncertainty estimates) for acoustic measures (or indices) of krill biomass.

Evaluation of Garlic Juice Processing Waste Supplementation in Juvenile Black Rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) Diets on Growth Performance, Antioxidant and Digestive Enzyme Activity, Growth- and Antioxidant-Related Gene Expression, and Disease Resistance against Streptococcus iniae.

An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of various dietary levels of garlic juice processing waste (GJPW) on the growth, feed utilization, digestive and antioxidant enzyme activity, growth- and antioxidant-related gene expression, and resistance to Streptococcus iniae infection of juvenile black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii). A total of 450 juvenile rockfish were randomly distributed into 30 L rectangular tanks (30 fish per tank). Five experimental diets were prepared in triplicate. The fish were fed experimental diets supplemented with GJPW at concentrations of 0 (GJPW0, control), 2.5 (GJPW2.5), 5 (GJPW5), 7.5 (GJPW7.5), and 10 g kg-1 (GJPW10) diet. All of the GJPW-supplemented treatments (2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 g kg-1) significantly enhanced weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR), feed efficiency (FE), protein efficiency ratio (PER), and digestive enzyme activity (amylase, trypsin, and lipase). A decreasing trend was seen in plasma aspartate aminotransferase (ALT), alanine aminotransferase (AST), and glucose (GLU) content with increasing dietary levels of GJPW. In contrast, plasma lysozyme and antioxidant enzyme activities were significantly increased with increasing dietary GJPW levels. Furthermore, GJPW administration significantly upregulated the expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) in the liver of rockfish. A challenge test with S. iniae showed significantly higher resistance in the GJPW-supplemented treatments than in the control. In short, dietary supplementation GJPW enhanced growth performance and antioxidant response in juvenile black rockfish, with suitable effects in fish fed with 2.5 g kg-1 GJPW for 8 weeks.

Detoxification effects of ascorbic acid on the oxidative stress, neurotoxicity, and metallothionein (MT) gene expression in juvenile rockfish, Sebastes schlegelii by the dietary chromium exposure

Juvenile rockfish Sebastes schlegelii (mean length 10.8 ± 1.4 cm, and mean weight 31.7 ± 3.6 g) were exposed for 4 weeks with the different levels of dietary chromium (Cr6+) at 0, 120 and 240 mg/L and ascorbic acids (AsA) at 100, 200 and 400 mg/L. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity, and glutathione (GSH) level of liver and gill were evaluated as antioxidant response indicators for the 4 weeks exposure. The SOD and GST activity of liver and gill were substantially increased by the high concentrations of dietary Cr exposure, whereas a significant decrease was observed in the GSH levels of liver and gill. Metallothionein (MT) gene in liver was significant stimulated in the response to the dietary Cr exposure. In neurotoxicity, AChE activity was considerably inhibited in brain and muscle tissues by dietary Cr exposure. The high levels of AsA supplementation were highly effective to attenuate the alterations in the antioxidant responses, MT gene expression, and AChE activity by the dietary Cr exposure.

사료내 블루베리 주스부산물 첨가가 조피볼락 치어의 성장, 사료이용성, 항산화효소 활성 및 Streptococcus iniae에 대한 질병저항성에 미치는 영향

This study investigated that the effects of dietary blueberry pomace (BP) on growth performance, antioxidant enzyme activity, and resistance to Streptococcus iniae of juvenile black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii). A total of 720 juvenile rockfish (average 2.8 g) was randomly assigned to 12 flow-through tanks. Four experimental diets with BP concentrations of 0 (control, BP0), 0.25% (BP0.25), 0.5% (BP0.5) and 1% (BP1) were prepared in triplicate. At the end of the 8 weeks feeding trial, fish were challenged with S. iniae, and cumulative survival was observed for seven days. Growth (weight gain and specific growth rate) and feed utilization (feed efficiency and protein efficiency ratio) were significantly greater in BP1 diet compared with other diets. Dietary BP supplementation had no significant effect on the proximate composition and plasma chemistry. Activity of plasma lysozyme, superoxide dismutase and catalase of fish fed the BP1 diet was significantly higher than that of fish fed the other diets. Moreover, in the S. iniae challenge test, fish fed the BP1 diet had a significantly greater survival rate. Our findings demonstrated that 1% BP dietary supplementation enhanced the growth performance, antioxidant enzyme activity, and disease resistance against S. iniae of juvenile black rockfish.

Dietary Supplementation with Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Residue from Juice Extraction Improves Juvenile Black Rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) Growth Performance, Antioxidant Enzyme Activity and Resistance to Streptococcus iniae Infection.

Simple SummaryPlant-derived feed additives are gaining interest as environmentally friendly and practical alternatives to antibiotics in fish aquaculture. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of a ginger by-product generated from juice extraction as a feed additive for fish. We compared the effects of varying dietary levels of ginger residue from juice extraction (GRJE) on the growth performance and health status of black rockfish. GRJE diet supplementation had a positive influence on growth, feed utilization, non-specific immunity, and disease resistance and produced no adverse effects. Dietary supplementation of 0.75% GRJE is recommended for improving juvenile black rockfish performance.Plant-derived feed additives provide cost effective and environmentally friendly alternatives to antibiotics for improving fish performance in aquaculture. An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary ginger residue from juice extraction (GRJE) on juvenile black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) growth performance, antioxidant enzyme activities, and resistance to Streptococcus iniae infection. Juvenile rockfish (n = 450; initial weight = 2.2 ± 0.01 g) were randomly distributed into 30 L rectangular tanks (30 fish per tank). Five experimental diets with GRJE concentrations of 0% (control), 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75% and 1% were prepared in triplicate. Three groups of fish were randomly assigned to each diet and fed to apparent satiation twice daily. After the feeding trial, fish were challenged with S. iniae, and cumulative survival was observed for six days. Growth parameters, feed efficiency, and the protein efficiency ratio showed a quadratic correlation with the GRJE concentration in the fish diet. Proximate composition and plasma chemistry were not significantly affected. Plasma lysozyme, superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and catalase activities linearly increased with increasing GRJE supplementation levels. Moreover, survival in the S. iniae challenge test was significantly higher in fish fed diets supplemented with 0.75–1% GRJE. Our findings demonstrated that 0.75% GRJE dietary supplementation enhanced the growth performance, antioxidant activity, and disease resistance of juvenile black rockfish with no adverse effects.

Smoothed dynamic factor analysis for identifying trends in multivariate time series

Abstract Ecological processes are rarely directly observable, and inference often relies on estimating hidden or latent processes. State‐space models have become widely used for this task because of their ability to simultaneously estimate the multiple sources of variation (natural variability and variance attributed to observation errors). For multivariate time series, a second aim is often dimension reduction, or estimating a number of latent processes that are smaller than the number of observed time series. Dynamic factor analysis (DFA) has been used for performing time‐series dimension reduction, where latent processes are modelled as random walks. Whereas this may be suitable for some situations, random walks may be too flexible for other cases. Here, we introduce a new class of models, where latent processes are modelled as smooth functions (basis splines, penalized splines or Gaussian process models). We implement these models in our bayesdfa r package, which uses the rstan package for fitting. After evaluating model performance with simulated data, we apply conventional models and our smooth trend models to two long‐term datasets from the west coast of the United States: (a) a 35‐year dataset of pelagic juvenile rockfishes and (b) a 39‐year dataset of fisheries catches. Our simulations demonstrate that models matching the underlying trend smoothness make better out‐of‐sample predictions, but this advantage diminishes with increasing levels of observation error. For both case studies, the best smooth trend models had higher predictive accuracy, and yielded more precise predictions, compared to the conventional approach. The smooth trend factor models introduced here offer a new approach for state‐space dimension reduction of multivariate time series. These flexible Bayesian models may be particularly useful for data that are clumped in time, for data with high signal to noise ratios and generally for data where the underlying trend is assumed to be relatively smooth.

Changes in kelp forest communities off Washington, USA, during and after the 2014-2016 marine heatwave and sea star wasting syndrome

Canopy-forming kelps are foundation species in many coastal ecosystems, but kelp-forest communities are subject to abrupt state changes caused by environmental drivers and trophic dynamics. We examined changes in kelp communities at 5 sites along the Olympic Coast of Washington State, USA, during and following the recent perturbations of anomalous warm-water events and sea star wasting syndrome (SSWS). Anomalously warm water in 2013 and 2014 corresponded with a loss of approximately 50% of Macrocystis pyrifera and Nereocystis luetkeana canopy. However, the canopy quickly recovered, and stipe density increased after 2015. Purple sea urchins Strongylocentrotus purpuratus increased in density 164-fold, largely at one site, but this increase was first observed in 2017 and peaked in 2019, after the warm period. Sea stars did not show recovery from SSWS, with several species including Pycnopodia helianthoides continuing to decline. The majority of variation in assemblage structure occurred at the site level for kelps, macroinvertebrates, and fishes, while year explained most of the variability for juvenile rockfishes Sebastes spp. We did not see strong top-down effects of urchins on kelp, suggesting that top-down impacts were not dominant regionally during this period. In contrast, we found evidence for a bottom-up influence of kelp habitat on juvenile rockfishes, as rockfish recruits occurred with higher probability where kelp stipe density was higher. Our analyses highlight the importance of spatial variation in structuring changes in kelp forest communities associated with disturbance and suggest that it is essential to ensure the protection of a diversity of kelp forests.

Establishment of myoblast cell line and identification of key genes regulating myoblast differentiation in a marine teleost, Sebastes schlegelii.

Skeletal myoblasts are activated satellite cells capable of proliferation and differentiation. Studies on mammalian myoblast differentiation and myogenesis could be carried out in vitro thanks to the availability of mouse myoblast cell line C2C12. Lacking of muscle cell line hinders the studies of teleost fish myogenesis. Here, we established a continuous skeletal muscle cell line from juvenile rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) muscle using explant method and subcultured more than 50 passages for over 150days. Stable expression of myoblast-specific marker, MyoD (myoblast determination protein) and the potential of differentiation into multi-nucleated skeletal myotubes upon induction suggested the cell line were predominately composed of myoblasts. Transcriptome analysis revealed a total of 4375 genes differentially expressed at four time points after the switch to differentiation medium, which were mainly involved in proliferation and differentiation of myoblasts. KIF22 (kinesin family member 22) and POLA1 (DNA polymerase alpha 1) were identified as the key genes involved in fish myoblast proliferation whereas MYL3 (myosin light chain 3) and TNNT2 (troponin T2) were determined as the crucial genes responsible for differentiation. In all, the continuous myoblasts cultured in this study provided a cell platform for future studies on marine fish myoblast differentiation and myogenesis. The molecular process of myoblast differentiation revealed in this study will open a window into the understanding of indeterminate muscle growth of large teleost.

Stable isotope analysis reveals differences in domoic acid accumulation and feeding strategies of key vectors in a California hotspot for outbreaks

Given the effects of harmful algal blooms (HABs) on human and wildlife health, understanding how domoic acid (DA) is accumulated and transferred through food webs is critical for recognizing the most affected marine communities and predicting ecosystem effects. This study combines stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) from bulk muscle tissue with DA measurements from viscera to identify the foraging strategies of important DA vectors and predators in Monterey Bay, CA. Tissue samples were collected from 27 species across three habitats in the summer of 2018 and 2019 (time periods without prominent HABs). Our results highlight an inshore-offshore variation in krill δ13C values and DA concentrations ([DA]; ppm) in anchovies indicating differences in coastal productivity and DA accumulation. The narrow overlapping isotopic niches between anchovies and sardines suggest similar diets and trophic positions, but striking differences in [DA] indicate a degree of specialization, thus, resource partitioning. In contrast, krill, market squid, and juvenile rockfish accumulated minimal DA and had comparatively broad isotopic niches, suggesting a lower capacity to serve as vectors because of potential differences in diet or feeding in isotopically distinct locations. Low [DA] in the liver of stranded sea lions and their generalist foraging tendencies limits our ability to use them as sentinels for DA outbreaks in a specific geographic area. Collectively, our results show that DA was produced a few kilometers from the coastline, and anchovies were the most powerful DA vector in coastal-pelagic zones (their DA loads exceeded the 20 ppm FDA regulatory limits for human consumption), while mussels did not contain detectable DA and only reflect in situ DA, δ13C, and δ15N values. Our study demonstrates the efficacy of combining multiple biogeochemical tracers to improve HAB monitoring efforts and identify the main routes of DA transfer across habitats and trophic levels.

Characterization of a Bacillus sp. KRF-7 isolated from the intestine of rockfish and effects of dietary supplementation with mannan oligosaccharide in rockfish aquaculture

The purpose of this study was to characterize the bacteria isolated from rockfish intestines and to investigate the effects of feed supplementation in rockfish aquaculture. Bacillus sp. KRF-7 isolated from the intestine of rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) was demonstrated to be safe based on in vitro tests confirming the absence of hemolysis, cytotoxicity, and genes with toxigenic potential. In a feeding trial, providing a supplemental diet of 1 × 108 CFU g−1Bacillus sp. KRF-7 was observed to positively alter the weight gain, specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio, and protein efficiency ratio of juvenile rockfish. KRF-7 supplementation showed positive regulation of nonspecific immune parameters, such as superoxide dismutase, lysozyme activity, and myeloperoxidase activity. This analysis also revealed a change in the composition of the intestinal microbiota at the phylum level from Proteobacteria to Firmicutes. In both the kidney and spleen, the expression levels of IL-10, NF-κB, and B cell activating factors in the KRF-7-supplemented group were significantly increased compared to those in the control group. Therefore, this study verified the safety of KRF-7 isolated from the intestine of rockfish and suggests that dietary supplementation with KRF-7 enhances the growth performance of rockfish and has beneficial effects on the regulation of the intestinal microbiota and immune response.

Dietary inclusion effect of various levels of jack mackerel meal on the growth performance, feed efficiency and whole body composition of rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli)

Inclusion effect of various levels of jack mackerel meal (JMM) acting as feed attractants and/or stimulants in diets on the growth, feed consumption, feed utilization and whole body composition of rockfish was investigated. Three hundred juvenile rockfish were randomly allocated into 15 flow-through tanks. Five experimental diets supplemented with JMM at 0%, 1%, 3%, 5%, and 10% at the expense of anchovy meal were prepared and referred to as the JMM0, JMM1, JMM3, JMM5, and JMM10 diets, respectively. Weight gain, specific growth rate (SGR) and feed consumption of fish tended to improve with dietary levels of JMM. The greatest weight gain, SGR and feed consumption were observed in fish fed the JMM10 diet, followed by the JMM5, JMM3, JMM1, and JMM0 diets, in that order. Condition factor (CF) of fish tended to improve with dietary inclusion levels of JMM. Growth performance, feed consumption and CF of fish tended to improve with dietary inclusion levels of JMM ranging from 0% to 10%.