Sound production in the cichlid Tilapia mossambica Peters

Aquarium-bred adult and juvenile Tilapia mossambica Peters can produce sounds ofvarying frequency, duration and intensity. However, minor environmental disturbancesmay cause the fish to fall silent for long periods. The sounds produced by excited feedingfishes are different from those produced by territorial males and from those emitted by fryswimming in school formation. The frequency of the sounds recorded varied from about1–16 kHz; no data are available on frequencies lower than 1 kHz. The sound producingmechanism consists of a single ventral and two dorsal pharyngeals located in the buccalcavity and provided with numerous small teeth. These teeth have a specially modifieddistal surface area which is already evident in younger fish. Young Tilapia , including3-week old fry, are able to emit sounds as soon as a sufficient number of teeth havedeveloped in the pharyngeal region.     

Toxicity of Santander Bay Sediments to the Euryhaline Freshwater Oligochaete Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri

The freshwater euryhaline oligochaete Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri was selected for use in bioassays with polluted sediment from Santander Bay. It is easy to culture; is tolerant of low to moderate, up to 15‰, salinity; and is common in oligohaline conditions in European and North American estuaries. Worms were collected from an estuarine population and kept in unpolluted sediment for between 2 and 4 weeks, under laboratory conditions, at 7–8.5‰ salinity and 22.5 °C. Sediment from different sites in Santander Bay were sieved through 250 μm mesh and adjusted to a salinity of approx. 7‰ prior to the bioassays, either by adding sea water or dechlorinated tap water to the overlying water. High levels of ammonia in some sediment, which may confound results in ecotoxicity bioassays, were reduced by oxidation of the sediments in shallow trays. Sediment bioassays were performed with sexually mature Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri worms in 250-ml beakers, with a 1:3 ratio of sediment:water and 4 worms per baker. Endpoints in the 14-day bioassay were % mortality, adult final biomass, % adults that have shown resorption of the clitellum, number of cocoons, and burrowing behaviour. It was possible to rank the sites according to their toxicity using both mortality rates and sublethal effects. The control site had the following values for the endpoints: 5% mortality, ( ) 2.40 ± 1.52 cocoons per beaker and 1.271 ± 0.470 mg dw adult final biomass. The most toxic sediment resulted in 65% mortality, resorption of the clitellum in 67% of the adults, no production of cocoons and a low final biomass ( =0.681 ± 0.489 mg dw per adult). A second site had high mortality (60%) and no reproduction, although resorption of the clitellum did not occur in surviving animals. The remaining sites showed similar mortality (35–42%), and at only one of them was low reproduction observed (0.8 ± 0.447 cocoons per beaker). Behavioural effects, measured as length of galleries in a fixed area of the test-vessel at the end of the bioassay, were significant compared with control at only one site. Multivariate analysis showed the mortality gradient to be the strongest, with a second unassociated gradient representing clitellum resorption. The mortality gradient was associated with Cu and Zn concentration, and PAH and Pb possibly with resorption.     

Effects of Hypophysectomy and Prolactin Replacement on Eel Kidney Structure During Adaptation to Sea Water

After 20 to 50 days in sea water (SW), regressive changes of the kidney occur at the same rate in intact and hypophysectomized eels (Anguilla anguilla). In SW, ovine prolactin (oPRL) increases plasma electrolytes and restores a fresh water (FW) kidney structure; cell height and nuclear area increase in main segments of the nephron: first (P1) and second proximal (P2), distal (D) and initial collecting (C) tubules. A differentiation of new tubules also occurs. This effect is less intense after hypophysectomy and greater in FW. A dose of 10 μg/g body weight/day for 10 days in SW produces some harmful renal effects, barely detected at 6 μg/g/day. The kidney plays a minor role in osmotic adjustment in SW when PRL secretion is reduced (intact eels) or suppressed (hypophysectomized); PRL treatment reverses effects of SW adaptation. An inhibition of gill sodium extrusion may explain the high blood sodium level; however, kidney histological changes suggest a renal participation, perhaps through reduced water permeability as in Platichthys.     

Ascorbic Acid Biosynthesis and Brackish Water Acclimation in the Euryhaline Freshwater White-Rimmed Stingray,Himantura signifer

L-gulono-γ-lactone oxidase (Gulo) catalyzes the last step of ascorbic acid biosynthesis, which occurs in the kidney of elasmobranchs. This study aimed to clone and sequence gulonolactone oxidase (gulo) from the kidney of the euryhaline freshwater stingray, Himantura signifer, and to determine the effects of acclimation from freshwater to brackish water (salinity 20) on its renal gulo mRNA expression and Gulo activity. We also examined the effects of brackish water acclimation on concentrations of ascorbate, dehydroascorbate and ascorbate + dehydroascorbate in the kidney, brain and gill. The complete cDNA coding sequence of gulo from the kidney of H. signifer contained 1323 bp coding for 440 amino acids. The expression of gulo was kidney-specific, and renal gulo expression decreased significantly by 67% and 50% in fish acclimated to brackish water for 1 day and 6 days, respectively. There was also a significant decrease in renal Gulo activity after 6 days of acclimation to brackish water. Hence, brackish water acclimation led to a decrease in the ascorbic acid synthetic capacity in the kidney of H. signifer. However, there were significant increases in concentrations of ascorbate and ascorbate + dehydroascorbate in the gills (after 1 or 6 days), and a significant increase in the concentration of ascorbate and a significant decrease in the concentration of dehydroascorbate in the brain (after 1 day) of fish acclimated to brackish water. Taken together, our results indicate that H. signifer might experience greater salinity-induced oxidative stress in freshwater than in brackish water, possibly related to its short history of freshwater invasion. These results also suggest for the first time a possible relationship between the successful invasion of the freshwater environment by some euryhaline marine elasmobranchs and the ability of these elasmobranchs to increase the capacity of ascorbic acid synthesis in response to hyposalinity stress.     

Bile Pigments in the Bile of Freshwater Fish,Rainbow Trout,Tilapia, and Pejerrey

Bile pigments in the bile of the rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri, tilapia, Tilapia nilotica, and pejerrey, Odonthetes bonariensis, were analyzed by HPLC and TLC.

Major bile pigments of rainbow trout and pejerrey were bilirubin glucuronides and ditauro-bilirubin, respectively. Ditaurobilirubin was not detected in rainbow trout and bilirubin glucuronides were scarcely found in pejerrey. Biliverdin seemed to be the sole bile pigment in tilapia, but it was a minor component in the other fish. These results are in accord with the previous reports in which the diversity of bile pigment composition was demonstrated in some fish.     

Sensitivity of brain cholinesterase to cypermethrin toxicity in freshwater teleost Tilapia mossambica

Cypermethrin at sublethal concentrations induced significant changes in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and acetylcholine (ACh) content in the brain tissue of both juvenile and adult-fish. Maximum inhibition of AChE activity is noticed at 6h and 12h after exposure to cypermethrin in juvenile and adult fish respectively. In contrast, the ACh levels registered an elevation in both the cases. During subsequent periods the rate of recovery in AChE activity and ACh content is variable in both the groups.     

Development of colour patterns in relation to behaviour in Tilapia mossambica (Peters)

The development of chromatophores and the formation of colour patterns in Tilapia mossambica are described. A number of colour patterns are associated with certain aspects of behaviour. Four different melanophore systems are involved in the colour pattern formation. There appear to be 14 patterns which, in various combinations, produce a series of colour patterns. Each of these may convey a different message to different species of Tilapia .     

The effect of temperature on the ability of Tilapia mossambica Peters to enter deep water

The ability of adult Tilapia mossambica Peters to enter deep water was determined at 15, 22 and 30°C. At 30°C adults compensate to about 20m depth but at 15°C to only 7 m. Compensation is more rapid at high than at low temperatures. T. mossambica haemoglobin has a marked Root effect which is the same at 22 and 30°C. The oxygen affinity of the haemoglobin is higher at 15°C than at 30°C. There was no measurable difference in the rate of passive oxygen diffusion across the swimbladder wall in the temperature range 15–30°C. It is concluded that the ability to enter deeper water at higher temperatures is related to decreased oxygen affinity of the haemoglobin and higher rates of oxygen secretion and blood circulation.     

Formation of the Micropyle in Tilapia mossambica Peters and Stigmatogobius javanicus (Blkr.)

The formation of the micropyle in Tilapia mossambica and Stigmatogobius javanicus, two fresh water teleosts is described. In T. mossambica the micropyle is formed by a single modified follicular cell, while in S. javanicus it is formed by a cellular mass derived from the follicle.     

Changes in Adrenergic Innervation to Chromatophores During Prolonged Background Adaptation in the Medaka,Oryzias latipes

The pattern of adrenergic innervation to scale chromatophores of the wild-type medaka, Oryzias latipes, was examined by autoradiography with ³H-norepinephrine and found for the first time to be changed reversibly during prolonged background adaptation. In scales of the medaka, which was adapted to a black background for 10-15 days, a great number of melanophores and dense networks of varicose fibers were observed: many fibers built up a radial plexus around each melanophore. However, the dense distribution of varicose fibers disappeared with a decrease in the number of melanophores during long-term adaptation to a white background. As to the changes in the innervation pattern to amelanotic melanophores of the medaka, orange-red variety, a similar result was obtained. Although the increase in the number of leucophores was observed in the medaka adapted to a white background, no exact plexuses of labeled fibers were confirmed around leucophores. From these results, it is concluded that the density of chromatic nerve fibers changes in parallel with the variation of the number of melanophores during prolonged background adaptation.     

Cell Walls of Tobacco Cells and Changes in Composition Associated with Reduced Growth upon Adaptation to Water and Saline Stress

The relative mass of the cell walls of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) cells adapted to grow in medium containing 30% polyethylene glycol 8000 or 428 millimolar NaCl was reduced to about 50% of that of the walls of unadapted cells. Cellulose synthesis was inhibited substantially in adapted cells. The proportions of total pectin in walls of unadapted and adapted cells were about the same, but substantial amount of uronic acid-rich material from walls of cells adapted to either NaCl or polyethylene glycol was more easily extracted with cold sodium ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid solutions (NM Iraki et al. [1989] Plant Physiol. 91: 39-47). We examined the linkage composition of the pectic and hemicellulosic polysaccharides to ascertain chemical factors that may explain this difference in physical behavior. Adaptation to stress resulted in the formation of a loosely bound shell of polygalacturonic acid and rhamnogalacturonan. Pectins extracted from walls of adapted cells by either cold sodium ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid or hot ammonium oxalate were particularly enriched in rhamnose. Compared to pectins of unadapted cells, rhamnosyl units of the rhamnogalacturonans of adapted cells were more highly substituted with polymers containing arabinose and galactose, but the side groups were of greatly reduced molecular size. Possible functional roles of these modifications in cell wall metabolism related to adaptation to osmotic stress are discussed.     

Changes in Cell Wall Polysaccharides During Fruit Ripening

Received 20 June 2000/ Accepted in revised form 20 July 2000     

Gill Phospholipids of Mitochondria in Euryhaline Crustaceans as Related to Changes in Environmental Salinity

The distribution of different phospholipids and their variation in fatty acids composition were studied in mitochondrial fractions isolated from anterior and posterior gills of the two euryhaline crabs, Enocheir sinensis and Carcinus maenas, as a function of the environmental salinity. No matter what the salinity, the three more posterior located gills of E. sinensis were shown to contain more unsaturated phospholipids (PE, DPG) and more eicosapentaanoic acids (20:5ω 3) than the three more anterior ones. This was particularly significant when crabs were acclimatized to fresh water. The lipid content of the anterior and posterior gills of the seashore crab C. maenas, on the contrary, showed no significant differences. These results are discussed by taking into consideration the different osmo- and ion-regulation capabilities of the two euryhaline crabs studied and it is proposed that a possible viscotropic regulation might check the activity of membrane-bound enzymes among which the (Na⁺ + K⁺)-ATPase related to the Na⁺-active transport processes involved in maintaining Na⁺ balance.     

Changes in Cell Length During Action Potentials in Chara

Changes in cell length during excitation in Chara were recordedsimultaneously with extracellular action potentials. Cells stimulatedin artificial pond water (APW) gave a diphasic change in celllength ; that is, a transient shortening followed by a delayedextension. When a cell was stimulated 1–3 min after aprevious shortening, the extension phase was not evident, andthe amplitude of the shortening was always larger than the previousone. Cells stimulated in moist air gave shortenings with muchlarger amplitudes and much greater durations compared with thosein APW. From such marked differences in both amplitude and durationbetween the two types of shortening it is suggested that theshortening might be caused mainly by an osmotic water movementduring excitation. Net water loss during a single action potentialwas calculated from the cell shortening to be 1.076 nl cm^–2per impulse or 59800 pmol cm^–2 per impulse, which couldbe caused by a local enhancement of ionic concentration justoutside the plasmalemma of about 0.74 mN.     

Respiratory quotient and ammonia quotient in Tilapia mossambica (Peters) with special reference to hypoxia and recovery

At oxygen concentrations below air saturation, R.Q. and A.Q. values of Tilapia mossambica increase with decrease in ambient oxygen at 30 and 35°C, indicating an increase in anaerobic metabolism and protein utilization. The recovery metabolism indicates that T. mossambica accumulates an oxygen debt at 30°C, which was not obvious at 35°C. The post-hypoxic oxygen consumption at 30°C is quite pronounced and the fish repays almost wholly the oxygen debt accumulated. At 30°C, R.Q. and A.Q. reach prehypoxic level immediately after exposure to high oxygenated water. In contrast to this, during recovery the first high R.Q. which is higher than unity and subsequent low R.Qs., almost as low as 0.5, suggest respectively that, anaerobic energy utilization persists and carbon dioxide is retained. The differences in the recovery metabolism of T. mossambica at the two temperatures may be due to changes in metabolism and pathways due to temperature. The recovery metabolism of T. mossambica suggests that energy derived anaerobically could proceed through other pathways than the conventional glycolytic way. The decrease in random activity during the hypoxic phase at 30 and 35°C may have a special significance for survival.From a thesis (M.P.M.) approved for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Madurai University, Madurai, India.From a thesis (M.P.M.) approved for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Madurai University, Madurai, India.     

Environmental and Socioeconomic Constraints to the Development of Freshwater Fish Aquaculture in China

In this article, we provide an overview, on freshwater fish aquaculture in P.R. China, with special emphasis on pond fish culture. We describe the history, ecology (trophic structure and species reared), and technological aspects (including inputs/outputs, yields, labor productivity, and fossil energy use) of freshwater fish production and analyze its role in relation to the socioeconomic context. We discuss the prospects for intensification of production. In China, freshwater fish aquaculture has always been closely linked to cultivation of crops and animal husbandry, that is, feed inputs are in the form of agricultural wastes. The close integration with the farming system at large results in an efficient use of nutrients, low environmental loading, and little dependence on fossil energy inputs. About 7 to 9 different fish species, mainly herbivores, are kept in the same pond and efforts are made to maintain as much as possible the natural mechanisms of matter regulation and energy flows within the pond ecosystem. However, ecological compatibility is paid for by relatively low productivity, both per hectare of waterbody and per hour of labor input. If the throughput of freshwater fish production per unit of area and labor are to be dramatically increased, the equilibrium of the traditional integrated system will be difficult to maintain.