Haematology and leucocyte morphology of wild caught Thunnus maccoyii

The haematology of wild southern bluefin tuna Thunnus maccoyii was described using blood samples collected from fish immediately after they were caught. Cytology and cytochemistry revealed that the blood in peripheral circulation is comprised of erythrocytes, reticulocytes, ghost cells, lymphocytes, thrombocytes, eosinophilic granulocytes, neutrophilic granulocytes and monocytes. Reference ranges established were 41·09–55·50% for haematocrit, 0·62–3·00% for leucocrit, 13·25–17·92 g dl⁻¹ for haemoglobin and 2·1–2·9 million erythrocytes μl⁻¹ for erythrocyte count. Differential cell counts showed 94·58 ± 2·15% erythrocytes, 3·99 ± 1·44% leucocytes and 1·43 ± 1·03% thrombocytes (mean ±  s . d .). Normal ranges for differential leucocyte counts were 0·00–5·45% for neutrophils, 0·69–12·06% for eosinophils, 0·00–5·03% for monocytes, 46·97–74·32% for lymphocytes and 14·47–43·92% for thrombocytes. Erythrocyte indices, leucocyte types and cytochemistry were comparable to other species of scombrids. Packed cell volume was sensitive to the physiological state of the fish and to sample handling technique.     

Microsatellite DNA markers for population‐genetic studies of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus thynnus) and other species of genus Thunnus

Twenty‐five microsatellites from Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus thynnus) were characterized. All 25 microsatellites were polymorphic; the number of alleles among up to 56 individuals surveyed ranged from two to 23. Atlantic bluefin tuna are highly exploited and major questions remain as to stock structure and abundance in the eastern and western North Atlantic. The microsatellites will be useful in testing stock‐structure hypotheses and in generating estimates of effective population size. The polymerase chain reaction primer sets developed also amplified identifiable alleles in three other species of genus Thunnus: T. albacares (yellowfin tuna), T. alalunga (albacore tuna) and T. obesus (bigeye tuna).     

Comparative feeding strategies of yellowfin tuna around St Helena and adjacent seamounts of the South Atlantic Ocean

Yellowfin tuna are the mainstay of the traditional tuna fisheries in St Helena waters, but there is limited knowledge of their ecology and feeding behaviour in the area. In this study yellowfin tuna stomach contents were used to assess spatio-temporal changes in feeding strategy and consider the role of tuna in the local ecosystem. Comparisons of the feeding spectra of yellowfin tuna between inshore regions of St Helena and oceanic seamounts demonstrated that in both areas the species was largely piscivorous. In inshore waters yellowfin consumed more neritic fauna, including significant numbers of crab megalopa, whereas around seamounts the diet included a greater diversity of epi- and mesopelagic fish and squids. The most important fish prey species in inshore waters was the St Helena butterflyfish Chaetodon sanctahelenae, and around seamounts was the pufferfish Lagocephalus lagocephalus. Results indicate that the diet spectrum of yellowfin tuna in St Helena waters is relatively similar to those of conspecifics living in waters with relatively low productivity, with strategies indicative of food-poor ecosystems. The availability of coastal fauna may make areas around islands and seamounts more attractive for feeding aggregations of yellowfin tuna, compared to the open ocean. The relatively unselective feeding of yellowfin tuna means that stomachs can provide valuable data on the species diversity, particularly in remote areas with limited opportunities for dedicated research expeditions.     

Turning radius of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) in unsteady swimming manoeuvres

The specific turning radius of yellowfin tuna Thunnus albacares Cuvier is large relative to that of other fish (0.47 total body length ± 0.18, mean ± 2 s.e .). We argue that specializations for efficient steady swimming compromise performance in transient turning manoeuvres.     

Isolation and characterization of seven tetranucleotide microsatellite loci from Atlantic northern bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus thynnus

Microsatellite‐enriched genomic libraries were obtained from the Atlantic northern bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus thynnus and seven tetranucleotide markers were successfully isolated and characterized from this library. These markers were found to have between 1 and 17 alleles in Atlantic northern bluefin tuna and heterozygosity ranged from 0 to 0.85. No deviations from the expectation of Hardy‐Weinburg equilibrium were found for any marker. Several of these markers amplify reliably in other tuna species.     

Mediterranean juvenile bluefin tuna: life history patterns

As there is a lack of information on the growth and migrations of bluefin tuna, information about them was gathered using the structural and chemical characteristics of their otoliths and mercury levels in body tissues as indicators of physiological and habitat characteristics. The otoliths of juvenile tuna caught in the Spanish Mediterranean littoral were studied. Otolith increments, assumed to be formed daily, were enumerated. Measurements by wavelength dispersive electron microprobe confirmed the presence of strontium in otolith tissue, and an inverse relationship between strontium/calcium (Sr/Ca) concentration ratio and temperature is suggested. Electron microprobe analyses combined with daily increment analyses of otoliths provided life history profiles for individual fish. Additional Sr/Ca concentration ratio data on fish supported the idea that Sr/Ca ratios can provide information on the environmental history of individual fish. Body concentrations of mercury were related to otolith analyses to suggest age structure, critical life history periods, growth environment, stock structure, food web position, and migration history. The techniques applied present an innovative approach to management-related problems, and the combination of chemical analyses with structural analyses promises to expand our knowledge of the life history of migratory fishes.     

Environmental preferences of bigeye tuna, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Thunnus obesus</Emphasis>, in the Indian Ocean: an application to a longline fishery

A survey of the fishing grounds for bigeye tuna, Thunnus obesus, in the Indian Ocean was carried out for a better understanding of the environmental preferences of bigeye tuna in a longline fishery. Catch rates of bigeye tuna were analyzed with respect to the ranges of depth, temperature, salinity, chlorophyll-a, and dissolved oxygen. The optimum capture depth, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen range of bigeye tuna were identified as 240.0 m to 279.9 m, 12.0°C to 13.9°C, and 2.00 mg·L⁻¹ to 2.99 mg·L⁻¹, respectively, in the study area of Indian Ocean. Neither salinity nor chlorophyll-a had a detectable effect on the vertical distribution of the adult bigeye tuna. The dissolved oxygen is the principal factor limiting the vertical distribution of bigeye tuna.     

Oxygen transport and cardiovascular responses in skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) and yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) exposed to acute hypoxia

Summary Responses to acute hypoxia were measured in skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) and yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) (1–3 kg body weight). Fish were prevented from making swimming movements by a spinal injection of lidocaine and were placed in front of a seawater delivery pipe to provide ram ventilation of the gills. Fish could set their own ventilation volumes by adjusting mouth gape. Heart rate, dorsal and ventral aortic blood pressures, and cardiac output were continuously monitored during normoxia (inhalant water (PO ₂>150 mmHg) and three levels of hypoxia (inhalant water PO ₂130, 90, and 50 mmHg). Water and blood samples were taken for oxygen measurements in fluids afferent and efferent to the gills. From these data, various measures of the effectiveness of oxygen transfer, and branchial and systemic vascular resistance were calculated. Despite high ventilation volumes (4–71·min^-1·kg^-1), tunas extract approximately 50% of the oxygen from the inhalant water, in part because high cardiac outputs (115–132 ml·min^-1·kg^-1) result in ventilation/perfusion conductance ratios (0.75–1.1) close to the theoretically ideal value of 1.0. Therefore, tunas have oxygen transfer factors (ml O₂·min^-1·mmHg^-1·kg^-1) that are 10–50 times greater than those of other fishes. The efficiency of oxygen transfer from water in tunas (65%) matches that measured in teleosts with ventilation volumes and order of magnitude lower. The high oxygen transfer factors of tunas are made possible, in part, by a large gill surface area; however, this appears to carry a considerable osmoregulatory cost as the metabolic rate of gills may account for up 70% of the total metabolism in spinally blocked (i.e., non-swimming) fish. During hypoxia, skipjack and yellowfin tunas show a decrease in heart rate and increase in ventilation volume, as do other teleosts. However, in tunas hypoxic bradycardia is not accompanied by equivalent increases, in stroke volume, and cardiac output falls as HR decreases. In both tuna species, oxygen consumption eventually must be maintained by drawing on substantial venous oxygen reserves. This occurs at a higher inhalant water PO₂ (between 130 and 90 mmHg) in skipjack tuna than in yellowfin tuna (between 90 and 50 mmHg). The need to draw on venous oxygen reserves would make it difficult to meet the oxygen demand of increasing swimming speed, which is a common response to hypoxia in both species. Because yellowfin tuna can maintain oxygen consumption at a seawater oxygen tension of 90 mmHg without drawing on venous oxygen reserves, they could probably survive for extended periods at this level of hypoxia.Abbreviations BP_da, BP_va dorsal, ventral aortic blood pressure - C _aO₂, C _vO₂ oxygen content of arterial, venous blood - DO₂ diffusion capacity - E_b, E_w effectiveness of O₂ uptake by blood, and from water, respectively - Hct hematocrit - HR heart rate - PCO₂ carbon dioxide tension - P _aCO₂, P _vCO₂ carbon dioxide tension of arterial and venous blood, respectively - PO₂ oxygen tension - P _aO₂, P _vO₂, P _iO₂, P _cO₂ oxygen tension of arterial blood, venous blood, and inspired and expired water, respectively - pHa, pHv pH of arterial and venous blood, respectively - P_w—b effective water to blood oxygen partial pressure difference - Pg partial pressure (tension) gradient - cardiac output - R vascular resistance - SV stroke volume - SEM standard error of mean - TO₂ transfer factor - U utilization - _g ventilation volume - O₂ oxygen consumption     

Recent developments for making gastric evacuation and daily ration determinations

Synopsis Gastric evacuation rate estimates often suffer from an important bias caused by fitting experimentally-derived data distributions that are inherently constricted by the X-axis (Y = 0). Monte Carlo simulations were used to evaluate the bias. Truncating constricted distributions prior to curve fitting was suggested as a means to circumvent the problem. A food consumption model developed by D.S. Robson was presented. It employs the integral of the function fit to percentage gastric evacuation data, and does not require an a priori assumption of exponential gastric evacuation. The methods were illustrated using experimental gastric evacuation data and stomach contents data for fishery-caught yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares.     

印度洋中西部和大西洋西部水域大眼金枪鱼的食性比较

根据2004年8月至2005年3月大西洋西部水域及2003年12月份至2004年5月份在印度洋中西部水域金枪鱼延绳钓渔业所获取的大眼金枪鱼数据,对两个诃查区域内的大眼金枪鱼食性进行了研究。结果表明,印度洋中西部水域大眼金枪鱼的食物组成包括沙丁鱼、鱿鱼、乌贼等13个饵料类群,其中主要摄食鱿鱼和沙丁鱼;大西洋西部水域大眼金枪鱼主要摄食沙丁鱼、鱿鱼、虾类等13种饵料类群,主要以沙丁鱼为饵,其次为鱿鱼。印度洋中西部水域大眼金枪鱼空胃率非常高,基本上维持在60％以上;大西洋西部水域大眼金枪鱼空胃率相对较低,基本上都在30％以下。印度洋中西部水域大眼金枪鱼平均饱满指数变化不大,基本上维持在0．40～0．55之间。大西洋西部水域大眼金枪鱼平均饱满指数变化也不太大。印度洋中西部水域大眼金枪鱼各月平均饱满指数高于大西洋西部水域,且各月空胃率高于后者。印度洋中西部和大西洋西部水域大眼金枪鱼Shannon-Weiner多样性指数H’基本上都1．50～2．00之间变化。相同调查月份内,印度洋中西部水域大眼金枪鱼食物Pielou均匀度指数J’均高于大西洋西部水域。     

Proliferation and apoptosis of male germ cells in captive Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus L.) treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa)

The effects of administration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) on proliferation and apoptosis of male germ cells were evaluated on Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus L.) reared in captivity. Fish (n = 19) were treated with a sustained-release delivery system loaded with GnRHa during the natural spawning season of 2004 and 2005 (June–July). Untreated Control fish (n = 17) and adult wild spawners were used for comparison. Fish were sacrificed 2–8 d after GnRHa implantation and body weight and gonad weight were recorded, and gonads and blood were taken. Germ cell proliferation and apoptosis were evaluated through the immunohistochemical detection of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated d’UTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) method, respectively. Plasma 11 ketotestosterone (11-KT) levels were measured using an ELISA method. Mean gonado-somatic index and seminiferous lobule diameter did not differ between GnRHa-treated and Control fish, and were significantly lower in captive-reared individuals than in wild spawners. Significant increases in 11-KT plasma levels and spermatogonial mitosis, along with a reduction of germ cell apoptosis were demonstrated in GnRHa-treated fish compared to Controls. The results suggest that GnRHa administration was effective in enhancing germ cell proliferation and reducing apoptosis in captive males through the stimulation of luteinizing hormone (LH) release and testicular 11-KT production.     

Growth and mortality of bigeye tuna <Emphasis Type="Italic">Thunnus obesus</Emphasis> (Scombridae) in the eastern and central tropical Pacific Ocean

Biological parameters such as age, growth and age (or size) at maturity are vital for stock assessment and management. Aging is essential in yielding such information. However, limited aging studies have been conducted for large tropical pelagic species in the eastern and central tropical Pacific Ocean. The objective of this study is to conduct a length frequency analysis for estimating growth and mortality of bigeye tuna in the eastern and central tropical Pacific Ocean using samples from the Chinese longline fishery during February to November 2006. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters of asymptotic fork length L _∞ and growth coefficient k were estimated at L _∞ = 207.4 cm fork length, k = 0.23 year^-1, and theoretical age at zero length t ₀ = −0.40 year. The total mortality rate (Z) was estimated to be 0.60; the fishing mortality rate (F) and the natural mortality rate (M) were 0.25 year^-1 and 0.35 year^-1, respectively. The exploitation rate (E) was 0.16. This study provides the estimates of growth and mortality rate for bigeye tuna in the eastern and central tropical Pacific Ocean, which can be used as biological input parameters in further stock evaluations in this region. However, age analysis, further validation of the age composition and stock structure are needed for future studies.     

Cardicola opisthorchis n. sp. (Trematoda: Aporocotylidae) from the Pacific bluefin tuna, Thunnus orientalis (Temminck & Schlegel, 1844), cultured in Japan

A new aporocotylid blood fluke is described, based on specimens from the ventricle of the Pacific bluefin tuna, Thunnus orientalis (Temminck et Schlegel), cultured in Wakayama and Nagasaki Prefectures, Japan. The new species is morphologically similar to the members of the genus Cardicola Short, 1953, but shows distinct differences in the body form, location of the testis and the orientation of the ootype. The body of the new species is long and slender, whereas other Cardicola species are small and generally lanceolate. The testis is mostly located posterior to the caeca and anterior to the ovary, occupying 31–45% of body length, in contrast to the known Cardicola species, whose testis is typically intercaecal. The ootype is oriented anteriorly, while in most congeners, it is directed posteriorly or horizontally. Phylogenetic analyses of this aporocotylid, together with Cardicola orientalis Ogawa, Tanaka, Sugihara et Takami, 2010 from the same host, were conducted based on DNA sequences of the ITS2 rDNA and the 28S region of ribosomal RNA. The analyses revealed that the new blood fluke belongs to the genus Cardicola despite the marked morphological differences. Thus, this aporocotylid is named Cardicola opisthorchis n. sp. and the generic diagnosis is emended in this paper. In addition, 100% identity among the ITS2 sequences from the present species, Cardicola sp. from T. orientalis in Mexico and Cardicola sp. from the northern bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus (Linnaeus) in Spain suggests that C. opisthorchis n. sp. has a broad geographical distribution and that it infects both the Pacific and northern bluefin tuna.     

Moving with the beat: heart rate and visceral temperature of free-swimming and feeding bluefin tuna

Owing to the inherent difficulties of studying bluefin tuna, nothing is known of the cardiovascular function of free-swimming fish. Here, we surgically implanted newly designed data loggers into the visceral cavity of juvenile southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) to measure changes in the heart rate (fH) and visceral temperature (TV) during a two-week feeding regime in sea pens at Port Lincoln, Australia. Fish ranged in body mass from 10 to 21 kg, and water temperature remained at 18-19 degrees C. Pre-feeding fH typically ranged from 20 to 50 beats min(-1). Each feeding bout (meal sizes 2-7% of tuna body mass) was characterized by increased levels of activity and fH (up to 130 beats min(-1)), and a decrease in TV from approximately 20 to 18 degrees C as cold sardines were consumed. The feeding bout was promptly followed by a rapid increase in TV, which signified the beginning of the heat increment of feeding (HIF). The time interval between meal consumption and the completion of HIF ranged from 10 to 24 hours and was strongly correlated with ration size. Although fH generally decreased after its peak during the feeding bout, it remained elevated during the digestive period and returned to routine levels on a similar, but slightly earlier, temporal scale to TV. These data imply a large contribution of fH to the increase in circulatory oxygen transport that is required for digestion. Furthermore, these data oppose the contention that maximum fH is exceptional in bluefin tuna compared with other fishes, and so it is likely that enhanced cardiac stroke volume and blood oxygen carrying capacity are the principal factors allowing superior rates of circulatory oxygen transport in tuna.     

Is There a Global Market for Tuna? Policy Implications for Tropical Tuna Fisheries

Regional ex-vessel markets for cannery-grade skipjack tuna throughout the globe are spatially integrated by price, but such markets for yellowfin tuna are spatially independent. The Americas exert primary price leadership in ex-vessel skipjack markets, but Bangkok and American Samoa also exert price leadership, and Ivory Coast, Japan, and Spain are largely price followers. Regional ex-vessel markets for skipjack and yellowfin are not integrated by prices. While price effects of this nature are simply evidence of a pecuniary externality, and thereby do not necessarily affect the overall size of global net benefits, in practice such price effects affect distribution among players—who wins and who loses—and in this manner, the eventual formation of, and compliance with, different management policies.     

DIEL PATTERNS IN AGGREGATIONS OF PELAGIC DOLPHINS AND TUNAS IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC

Data collected by scientific technicians aboard tuna purse seiners in the eastern Pacific Ocean since the early 1970s have allowed us to study the biology and herd dynamics of pelagic dolphins. A pattern of increasing group size in the morning and subsequent decline in the late afternoon or night was evident for spotted, spinner, and common dolphins, as well as for large yellowfin tuna that associate with dolphins. Diel patterns were also apparent in the formation of mixed-species herds of spotted and spinner dolphins and tuna-dolphin aggregations. Different patterns, however, were displayed by bottlenose dolphins and by yellowfin and skipjack tunas that did not associate with dolphins. It appears that these diel patterns are produced by an interaction of predation pressure and prey distribution.     

我国热带金枪鱼围网人工集鱼装置特征及随附鱼群行为

金枪鱼围网渔船使用人工集鱼装置(FADs)可以增加对金枪鱼随附鱼群的捕捞能力,而大规模投放FADs引起的生态问题在数十年间引起了国际社会的广泛关注。因此,开发高效集鱼能力并降低生态影响的FADs是金枪鱼围网渔业面临的挑战。由于缺乏大量试验研究,目前对FADs和捕捞物种之间相互关系的理解极其有限。本研究通过对从事金枪鱼围网捕捞生产的船长进行问卷调查,从渔民经验的角度总结了FADs的投放现状、结构设计、捕捞和生态特性,以及随附鱼群的行为特征等,并基于一致性指数(IoC)对调查内容的认知差异进行量化。结果表明: 我国金枪鱼围网船单船每年平均投放的FADs数量为(102±37),丢失数量为(72±15)。FADs的集鱼效果优于天然流木,水下悬挂结构是吸引金枪鱼的主要原因,且悬挂吸引物(如漂带)有助于诱集金枪鱼集群。FADs投放后金枪鱼的首次出现时间平均约32 d,此后的1个月内集群量趋于稳定;海龟或鲨鱼被FADs网状结构缠绕的情况偶有发生。被调查者对“生物附着对集群效果的影响”和“优化FADs隐蔽性的意愿”两个问题的反馈具有较高的一致性(IoC均为0.73),对“筏体结构类型对集群效果影响”的反馈答案分歧较大(IoC=0.34)。当前FADs的设计存在低隐蔽性和导致非目标鱼种高脆弱性的弊端。研究结果可为开发生态效应和捕捞效益兼具的生态友好型FADs提供科学依据。     

Ultrastructure of the sarcoplasmic reticulum in cardiac myocytes from Pacific bluefin tuna

Pacific bluefin tuna are active teleost fish with a large capacity for heat conservation and endothermy. They have a high metabolism, and hence the myocardium must be capable of sustaining elevated levels of cardiac output over a wide range of temperatures. To examine the way that the myocardial cells of bluefin tuna respond to their unique cardiac physiology, we have studied the ultrastructure of the internal membrane system and mitochondria of atrial and ventricular myocytes by light and electron microscopy. Our results reveal that cardiomyocytes of juvenile bluefin tuna posses a relatively high content of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), together with a large volume of mitochondria within the two (compact and spongy) ventricular compartments and in the atrial myocardium. The mitochondrial structure and distribution in bluefin tuna myocardium follow specific metabolic zonation resulting in a higher volume and lower cristae density in the compact ventricular layer than in atrium and spongy layer. The presence of junctional SR profiles and an extensive network of free SR within cells may ensure a rapid delivery of Ca(2+) to the myofibrils. This, in conjunction with transarcolemmal Ca(2+) entry, might contribute to a faster excitation-contraction-relaxation cycle and thus enhance cardiac performance, cardiac output, and the maintenance of excitability at low temperatures. We propose that the mitochondrial configuration together with the developed SR ultrastructure of bluefin tunas myocardium are important evolutionary steps for the maintenance of high heart rates and endothermy in this teleost fish.