Juvenile growth of Acipenser ruthenus and 4 different sturgeon hybrids

Juvenile growth of A. ruthenus and four different sturgeon hybrids ( Huso huso x A. ruthenus, A. baerii x A. ruthenus, A. gueldenstaedtii x A. ruthenus, A. gueldenstaedtii x H. huso ) was studied for 71 days applying two feeding regimes, offering a fry diet (3.5 % daily rate) for 26 days for the hybrids and 41 days for A. ruthenus and a fattening diet (3 % daily rate) for 45 days and 30 days respectively. Significant growth differences occured at the end of experiment: The hybrid A. gueldenstaedtii x H. huso showed the highest, A. ruthenus the lowest growth.     

Dispermic androgenesis in sturgeons with the help of cryopreserved sperm: production of androgenetic hybrids between Siberian and Russian sturgeons

Dispermic androgenesis was used to produce, for the first time, an androgenetic progeny of the Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) and the androgenetic nuclear cytoplasmic hybrids (Siberian sturgeon, A. baerii x Russian sturgeon, A. gueldenstaedtii) using cryopreserved sperm. Microsatellite DNA analysis confirmed exclusively paternal inheritance in the androgenetic progeny of Siberian sturgeon. Heterozygotes for certain microsatellite loci were detected among the androgenetic hybrids, thereby confirming a dispermic nature of androgenesis. According to the data of comparative morphological analysis, the obtained androgenetic hybrid, by the age of 15 months old, was completely identical to the paternal species. Both a female and a male were detected in the androgenetic sturgeon progenies, which is of interest for producing bisexual progenies via androgenesis. The data of this study confirm the feasibility of dispermic androgenesis using cryopreserved sperm to preserve and recover the gene pools of endangered sturgeon species.     

Chromosomal mapping of 18S-28S and 5S rRNA genes by two-colour fluorescent in situ hybridization in six sturgeon species.

The number and distribution of the 18S-28S and 5S rRNA (rDNA) gene sequences were examined on mitotic chromosomes of six sturgeon species by two-colour in situ hybridization. Four of the six species, Huso huso, Acipenser stellatus, Acipenser sturio, and Acipenser ruthenus, with about 120 chromosomes, showed from six to eight 18S-28S rDNA signals, while 5S rDNA signals were on only one chromosome pair. The two species with 250-270 chromosomes, Acipenser baerii and Acipenser transmontanus, showed from 10 to 12 18S-28S sites and two chromosome pairs bearing 5S rDNA signals. In all examined species, the rather intense 5S rDNA signals apparently overlapped those of 18S-28S rDNA. These data support the diploid-tetraploid relationships between the two chromosome groups of sturgeons. The close association between the two rDNA families in species belonging to an ancestral fish order, such as Acipenseriformes, supports the hypothesis that the association represents a primitive condition.     

Endangered migratory sturgeons of the lower Danube River and its delta

Historically, five acipenserid species migrated from the Black Sea into the Danube River: beluga Huso huso, Russian sturgeon Acipenser gueldenstaedtii, stellate sturgeon A. stellatus, ship sturgeon A. nudiventris, and perhaps European Atlantic sturgeon A. sturio. The freshwater sterlet A. ruthenus thrived in the Danube and its tributaries. Presently, only three anadromous species occur in the Romanian part of the Danube, Huso huso, A. gueldenstaedtii, and A. stellatus, while A. ruthenus lives in the Danube and its tributaries. Extreme depletion in the number of sturgeons was caused by many, primarily anthropogenic, factors which affected the Danube and the Black Sea shelf during recent last decades. Measures necessary for saving anadromous sturgeon species in the lower Danube are recommended.     

Metallothionein levels in sperm of various fish species

In the present paper we determined low molecular heavy metal binding protein called metallothionein (MT) in fish spermatozoa sampled from four fish species ( Acipenser baerii, Acipenser ruthenus, Perca fluviatilis and Sander lucioperca ). The spermatozoa samples were analyzed with differential pulse voltammetry DPV (Brdicka reaction). The average content of MT in the fish sperm was 0.64 ± 0.55 μ m . The highest content of MT was determined in spermatozoa of S. lucioperca (0.96 ± 0.86 μ m ), followed by P. fluviatilis (0.88 ± 0.11 μ m ), A. ruthenus (0.57 ± 0.60 μ m ) and A. baerii (0.43 ± 0.25 μ m ). The differences in the content of MT was probably related to the differences in age and perhaps to the health status based on the environmental conditions in which the tested specimens developed while also other still unknown factors may have been involved.     

Sturgeon production trials in the waste-heat effluents of a pulp and paper plant in Archangelsk, Russia

Sturgeons were cultured at the Solombalsky cellulose and paper plant (CPP) in Arkhangelsk over a 3 year period. The warm-water effluents of the biological treatment unit were utilized to rear the Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) and its hybrids with the sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus). Another culture trial included the Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstädtii) and its hybrids with the beluga (Huso huso). The most profitable culture (in terms of growth rates) was with the Siberian sturgeon and its hybrids with the sterlet. After the second year of culture, Siberian sturgeon and its hybrid averaged about 2.3 kg in wet weight while Russian sturgeons gained less (1.5 kg). One- and two-year old sturgeons grown at the Solombalsky CPP met practically all requirements needed for a successful culture.     

4种鲟鱼养殖亲鱼群体遗传多样性分析

近年鲟鱼人工繁殖技术促进了鲟鱼养殖业的发展,但在选育初期未对后备亲鱼进行遗传背景分析,为了抑制种质资源退化和防止近交衰退,繁育场需要对现有后备亲鱼进行遗传背景分析.本文利用线粒体控制区(D-loop)部分序列对4种养殖鲟鱼后备亲鱼群体(共120个样本)的遗传多样性进行了分析.研究发现不同种鲟鱼D-loop部分序列长度不...     

Molecular identification and the features of genetic diversity in interspecific hybrids of Amur sturgeon ( Acipenser schrenckii × A. baerii, A. baerii × A. schrenckii, A. schrenckii × A. ruthenus , and A. ruthenus × A. schrenckii ) based on variability of multilocus RAPD markers

The method of polymerase chain reaction with random primers (RAPD PCR) was used to identify the progeny of the crosses between three sturgeon species, Amur sturgeon (Acipenser schrenckii Brandt, 1869), Siberian sturgeon (A. baerii Brandt, 1869), and sterlet (A. ruthenus Linnaeus, 1758). Using ten primers, genetic variation in 70 yearlings, produced in seven individual crosses: Acipenser schrenckii × A. schrenckii, A. baerii × A. baerii, A. ruthenus × A. ruthenus, A. schrenckii × A. baerii, A. baerii × A. schrenckii, A. schrenckii × A. ruthenus, and A. ruthenus × A. schrenckii was described and evaluated. It was demonstrated that the samples composed of hybrids from individual crosses were more variable than the samples of parental species. On the other hand, pooled samples of hybrids from two cross directions were genetically less variable than the pooled samples of their parents. The three main features of the hybrid RAPD profiles identified included: (1) preservation of marker DNA fragments of both parents in one genome; (2) presence of specific DNA fragments, absent from both parents; and (3) dependence of the frequency of some DNA fragments from the cross direction. Multidimensional scaling clearly distinguishes in the space of three coordinates the individuals of original species and the hybrid progeny with differentiation in the groups of direct and backcross hybrids. Analysis of relationships (UPGMA and NJ) pointed to substantial differentiation between the species, as well as between the species and hybrid progeny. Close genetic relationships between direct and backcross hybrids were demonstrated. Multilocus RAPD markers in association with statistical methods are considered to be the useful tool for discrimination of interspecific hybrids of sturgeon. Possible reasons for the differences in the hybrid RAPD profiles are discussed. Original Russian Text ? K.V. Rozhkovan, G.N. Chelomina, E.I. Rachek, 2008, published in Genetika, 2008, Vol. 44, No. 11, pp. 1453–1460.     

Analysis of creatine kinase variation in some members of the family Acipenseridae

Creatine kinase (E.C. 2.7.3.2) was examined in stellate sturgeon Acipenser stellatus Pallas, Russian sturgeon A. gueldenstaedtii Brandt, European sterlet A. ruthenus L., Siberian sterlet A. ruthenus marsiglii Brandt, and great sturgeon (beluga) Huso huso L., using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Two loci for creatine kinase were identified: CK-A* in white skeletal muscle and CK-C* in stomach wall muscle. Most species proved to be monomorphic at the CK-A* locus, showing the same phenotype represented by a single band. Heterogeneity and polymorphism in creatine kinase, determined by the CK-A* locus, were found only in Russian sturgeon. Based on the results of densitometric analysis of band staining intensity, we have advanced a hypothesis that synthesis of subunits of the CK-A* product in this species was controlled by eight genes. However, the genotype frequencies in the sample were significantly different from those theoretically expected upon free and independent gene recombination. The results of this study support the hypothesis on the absence of heterodimeric creatine kinase molecules in the skeletal muscle of Russian sturgeon. Locus CK-C* in sterlet was revealed as a single, intensely stained, rapidly migrating fraction, whereas in Russian sturgeon, the enzyme activity in this zone was very weak. No creatine kinase was found in liver, kidneys, spleen, heart, and intestine mucous tunic.     

Mitochondrial DNA sequences of six sturgeon species and phylogenetic relationships within Acipenseridae

Studies on mitochondrial DNA variability amongst six sturgeon species reared in Italian aquaculture plants are reported. Restriction analysis by Rsal of mitochondrial cytochrome b and D-loop fragments amplified by PCR permitted identification of interspecific variations that would be suitable as markers for species diagnosis. Data obtained by partial sequencing of the cytochrome b gene, analyzed through maximum parsimony, neighbour joining, and UPGMA distance methods, revealed species clusters that support previous morpho-meristic and geographical data for sturgeon classification into sub-genera. According to our cluster analysis, the genera Acipenser and Huso are monophyletic. Moreover, these and previous cytogenetic data suggest that three 120-chromosome species (H. huso, H. dauricus and A. ruthenus) are at the base of sturgeon differentiation, which occurred through two different events of polyploidization.     

Morphology and systematic significance of sclerolepidia in the weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea)

The Russian sturgeon, Acipenser gueldenstaedtii, is closely related to three other sturgeon species (A persicus, A. naccarii and A baerii), with populations in the Caspian Sea containing a cryptic lineage with an A. baerii‐like mtDNA profile. Using morphological evidence (morphometrics, meristics) and additional genetic analysis (cytochrome b gene and control region sequencing), cryptic lineages within the Russian sturgeon and their relation to other closely related species of sturgeons are further examined. These data indicate that three genetic forms exist within what is presently known as A. gueldenstaedtii. These forms include the pure A. gueldenstaedtii and A. baerii‐like individuals plus a third rare genetic form whose mtDNA is similar to the mtDNA of the Adriatic sturgeon, A. naccarii. Morphological comparison of the three forms and the Yenisei River A baerii indicates that although the three forms of A. gueldenstaedtii are not different from one another, all three significantly differ from the Yenisei River A. baerii. Competing explanations, including translocation and centre of origin hypotheses are considered. The three geneticforms of A. gueldenstaedtii likely colonized different geographic areas during different geological periods, and subsequently evolved in these regions independently into the species currently recognized as A. gueldenstaedtii, A. naccarii and A. baerii.     

Past and current status of sturgeons in the upper and middle Danube River

Of the six species of sturgeons native to the Danube basin, five occurred in the upper and middle Danube. Among anadromous sturgeons were the large winter races of beluga, Huso huso, Russian sturgeon, Acipenser gueldenstaedtii, and stellate sturgeon, A. stellatus, which ascended the middle, and sometimes also the upper Danube, to spawn. Due to overfishing, followed by severe habitat alteration including damming and pollution, these anadromous sturgeons are critically endangered or extirpated from the upper and middle Danube. Acipenser gueldenstaedtii and A. nudiventris are represented only as resident non-migratory races with very small populations. The most abundant and widely distributed species is the sterlet, A. ruthenus, although it is presently limited to the middle Danube. Its population increased in some sections of the middle Danube during the past 15 years, presumably because of improving water quality, but this species remains at risk because of continuing habitat degradation.     

Historic and recent records of native and exotic sturgeon species in Estonia

Over 20 catches of Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser sturio have been recorded in Estonia in the 20th century. Spawning apparently took place in the watershed of the Gulf of Riga prior to the 1970s. A mature female (total length 290 cm, total mass 136 kg, age more than 40 years) containing 28 kg of roe, was caught on May 24, 1996, near Muhu Island in the Western Estonian archipelago.
Since the 1960's exotic species such as the Siberian and Russian sturgeons, and the bester, have been introduced into Estonia for stocking into natural waters and for aquaculture. Current protective measures are insufficient to guarantee the survival of the last specimens of A. sturio if they are caught by fishermen.     

A review of the past and present status of anadromous fish species in the Netherlands: is restocking the Rhine feasible?

The paper reviews the past, present and future of eight anadromous fish species inhabiting the Lower Rhine (The Netherlands), viz. -sturgeon (Acipenser sturio), whitefish and houting (Coregonus lavaretus, C. oxyrinchus), smelt (Osmerus eperlanus), allis and twaite shad (Alosa alosa, A. fallax), sea trout (Salmo trutta) and salmon (Salmo salar). All species are under threat or became extinct (e.g. sturgeon, allis shad). It is not possible to single out a specific factor for the decline or disappearance. A combination of factors is responsible, as the degradation of the spawning and nursery areas, river correction for shipping, building of sluices and hydropower dams, extraction of sand and gravel and river pollution. The likelihood that a species will return via natural recovery, or restocking is assessed. The return of the sturgeon is unlikely. Present observations of sturgeon can be attributed to releases of unwanted sturgeon hybrids. A natural stock of coregonids in Dutch waters seems not feasible any more due to irreversible habitat degradation. Present day catches originate from German releases. The anadromous smelt, heavily reduced in numbers, still inhabits some of our waters, the non-migratory smelt is still very common. The allis shad is extinct and unlikely to recover. The species never spawned in the Dutch part of the Rhine. Twaite shad, declining in numbers, are still observed in the lower reaches of Rhine and Meuse. Sea trout is presumably still present in the same varying numbers as before. Spawning in our waters has not been documented. The salmon, once fished in large numbers, is now the subject of restocking programmes in Germany. Observations of individuals can partly be attributed to these programmes but also to straying salmon. Restocking programmes should be considerably improved before noticeable success is to be met.     

Species structure, contemporary distribution and status of the Siberian surgeon Acipenser baerii

A detailed analysis of the historical and contemporary range of the Siberian sturgeon, Acipenser baerii, shows that the contemporary status of its populations and forms can be described as threatened or endangered. Recently, the abundance of the nominal subspecies, A. b. baerii, which inhabits mainly the Ob River basin, decreased sharply. Due to construction of hydroelectric dams, up to 40% of the spawning grounds became inaccessible for migrating sturgeon of this subspecies. The Lake Baikal subspecies, A. baerii baicalensis, is extremely rare and was included in the Russian Federation Red Data Book in 1983. The abundance of the east Siberian subspecies, A. baerii stenorrhynchus, inhabiting the basins of the east Siberia rivers, has also significantly decreased during the last few years. Its range in the Yenisey and Lena River basins is gradually being reduced. Gametogenesis is anomalous in a high number of females from all populations of this subspecies (in the Kolyma and Indigirka river stocks 80–100% of females were anomalous in 1987–1989). These anomalies seem to be caused by high levels of water pollution.     

Green Sturgeon Distribution in the Pacific Ocean Estimated from Modeled Oceanographic Features and Migration Behavior

The green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris), which is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean from Baja California to the Bering Sea, tends to be highly migratory, moving long distances among estuaries, spawning rivers, and distant coastal regions. Factors that determine the oceanic distribution of green sturgeon are unclear, but broad-scale physical conditions interacting with migration behavior may play an important role. We estimated the distribution of green sturgeon by modeling species-environment relationships using oceanographic and migration behavior covariates with maximum entropy modeling (MaxEnt) of species geographic distributions. The primary concentration of green sturgeon was estimated from approximately 41–51.5° N latitude in the coastal waters of Washington, Oregon, and Vancouver Island and in the vicinity of San Francisco and Monterey Bays from 36–37° N latitude. Unsuitably cold water temperatures in the far north and energetic efficiencies associated with prevailing water currents may provide the best explanation for the range-wide marine distribution of green sturgeon. Independent trawl records, fisheries observer records, and tagging studies corroborated our findings. However, our model also delineated patchily distributed habitat south of Monterey Bay, though there are few records of green sturgeon from this region. Green sturgeon are likely influenced by countervailing pressures governing their dispersal. They are behaviorally directed to revisit natal freshwater spawning rivers and persistent overwintering grounds in coastal marine habitats, yet they are likely physiologically bounded by abiotic and biotic environmental features. Impacts of human activities on green sturgeon or their habitat in coastal waters, such as bottom-disturbing trawl fisheries, may be minimized through marine spatial planning that makes use of high-quality species distribution information.     

5种鲟鱼免疫球蛋白重链恒定区序列研究

为了探讨几种鲟鱼免疫球蛋白(IgM)所包含的信息与其亲缘和进化之间的关系, 分别对俄罗斯鲟(Acipenser. gueldenstaedtii)、小体鲟(A. ruthenus)、施氏鲟(A. schrenckii)、中华鲟(A. sinensis)和欧鳇(Huso huso)的IgM重链(IgH)恒定区进行了研究。采用RT-PCR的方法对IgH核酸序列进行了克隆, 通过软件获得了相应的IgH氨基酸序列。在分别对这5种鲟鱼免疫球蛋白重链恒定区4个区(CH1～CH4)进行研究后发现, 其CH4区氨基酸序列相似性最高。通过对CH4区序列氨基酸变异期望值(Kaa), 物种分化时间(T)及物种间系统进化树(Phylogenetic Tree)等参数的分析, 将克隆的5种鲟鱼IgH恒定区序列与已发表的西伯利亚鲟同源序列比对(源于NCBI序列)后发现: 西伯利亚鲟与俄罗斯鲟、施氏鲟与欧鳇、小体鲟各构成一个分支, 并与中华鲟相对。实验结果从体液免疫系统的演化这个角度, 反映了被研究的鲟鱼物种间的分类地位、地理分布及进化关系之间的联系。     

Immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region of five Acipenseridae: cDNA sequence and evolutionary relationship

The immunoglobulin M (IgM) heavy chain constant region genes of Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii), Sterlte sturgeon (Acipenser ruthenus), Amur sturgeon (Acipenser schrenckii), Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis) and Great sturgeon (Huso huso) were cloned and analyzed with molecular biology and bioinformatics methods. We cloned IGH nucleic acid sequences by RT-PCR using the specific primer, then determined the characteristics and functions of the amino acid sequences. The gene contains four constant region domain-encoding exons (CH1-4), of which CH4 sub-regions were the most conserved in IgM heavy chain constant region domain and had the highest identity within all the experimental species. According to the analysis of the phylogenetic tree, the variation expectation value (K(aa)), and species differentiation time (T) in the CH4 sub-region, we found that Chinese sturgeon and the other five sturgeon form one whole bifurcation of the tree, while, among the five left, Amur sturgeon and Huso sturgeon, Russian sturgeon and Siberian sturgeon (data from GenBank), Sterlte itself forms three other bifurcations. This result can clearly explain the relations of taxonomic status, geographical distribution and evolution among the species studied.     

三种鲟科鱼类和两种鲑科鱼类卵黄免疫球蛋白性质的比较

从施氏鲟(Acipenser schrencki)、小体鲟(Acipenser ruthenus)、西伯利亚鲟(Acipenser baeri)、哲罗鲑(Hucho taimen)和金鳟(Oncorhynchus mykiss)五种鱼类卵黄中分离、纯化Ig,并对其分子结构进行了初步研究。结果表明:五种鱼类卵中Ig的分子量分别为施氏鲟524kD、小体鲟468kD、西伯利亚鲟475kD、哲罗鲑为490kD,金鳟498kD,其Ig重链的相对分子量相同,约为97kD。轻链的相对分子量各不相同,施氏鲟为27kD,小体鲟28.5kD,西伯利亚鲟30kD,哲罗鲑28.5kD和金鳟16kD。其中西伯利亚鲟、施氏鲟和小体鲟Ig等电点约为5.85,哲罗鲑和金鳟的Ig等电点约为6.55,其蛋白质结构上具有一定的相似性,且均为糖蛋白     

Effects of dietary vitamin C on tissue ascorbate and collagen status in sturgeon hybrids (Acipenser ruthenus L. x Acipenser baeri Brandt)

The aim of this study was to determine the vitamin C status of various tissues, and collagen concentration in cartilage, of a sterlet ( Acipenser ruthenus L.) x Siberian sturgeon ( Acipenser baerii Brandt) hybrid fed different dietary vitamin C rations. Growth, vitamin C status and collagen concentration were measured in groups fed diets supplemented with 150, 300, 600 mg.kg^-1 ascorbate-2-polyphosphate (APP); 100, 200, 400 mg.kg^-1 ascorbate-2-monophosphate (AMP), 1000 mg.kg^-1 L-ascorbic acid (AA) and with an almost ascorbate free diet (Total AA > 5 mg.kg^-1), as a control.
No significant differences in growth were observed, and no external symptoms of scurvy developed in the vitamin C-free group. No reduction in total vitamin C concentration was revealed in the tissues examined, as compared with initial concentrations. Ascorbate-2-phosphate esters were only found in kidney or hepatopancreas of fish fed with these vitamin C derivatives. Significantly (p<0.05) lower contents of collagen were observed in the control group after 8 weeks feeding. No significant differences were found among the groups after 16 weeks although the collagen concentration in the cartilage was slightly lower in the control group without vitamin C supplementation.