Dietary L-arginine supplement alleviates hepatic heat stress and improves feed conversion ratio of Pekin ducks exposed to high environmental temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, W; Jiang, W; Wu, L Y

2014-12-01

The current intensive indoor production system of commercial Pekin ducks never allows adequate water for swimming or wetting. Therefore, heat stress is a key factor affecting health and growth of ducks in the hot regions and season. Experiment 1 was conducted to study whether heat stress was deleterious to certain organs of ducks. Forty-one-day-old mixed-sex Pekin ducks were randomly allocated to four electrically heated battery brooders comprised of 10 ducks each. Ducks were suddenly exposed to 37 °C ambient temperature for 3 h and then slaughtered, in one brooder at 21 days and in another brooder at 49 days of age. The results showed that body weight and weight of immune organs, particularly liver markedly decreased in acute heat stress ducks compared with the control. Experiment 2 was carried out to investigate the influences of dietary L-arginine (Arg) supplement on weight and compositions of certain lymphoid organs, and growth performance in Pekin ducks, under daily cyclic hot temperature environment. A total of 151-day-old mixed-sex Pekin ducks were randomly divided into one negative control and two treatment groups, fed experimental diets supplemented with 0, 5, and 10 g L-Arginine (L-Arg)/kg to the basal diet respectively. Ducks were exposed to cyclic high temperature simulating natural summer season. The results showed that the addition of L-Arg improves feed conversion ratio (FCR) during a period of 7-week trial, as well as increases hepatic weight relative to body weight at 21 days, while decreases the hepatic water content at 49 days of age. This study indicated that the liver was more sensitive to acute heat stress, and the hepatic relative weight and chemical composition could be regulated by dietary L-Arg supplementation in Pekin ducks being reared at high ambient temperature. These beneficial effects of Arg on liver might be a cause of improved FCR. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Growth Comparison of Israeli Carp (Cyprinus carpio) to Different Breeding Combination

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Ju-ae; Goo, In Bon; Kim, Jung Eun; Kim, Myung Hun; Kim, Do Hee; Im, Jae Hyun; Choi, Hye-Sung; Lee, Jeong-Ho

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate the improvement of growth in Israeli carp (Cyprinus carpio), and the cross experiment was carried out with two strains of Israeli carp. Four combinations of Israeli carp from Jeonbuk fisheries farm and Songpu mirror carp from Heilong Jiang, China (KK; Jeonbuk ♀ × Jeonbuk ♂, KC; Jeonbuk ♀ × China ♂, CC; China ♀ × China ♂ and CK; China ♀ × Jeonbuk ♂) were developed and reared. Body length, body weight and condition factor were determined at 20, 40, 60 and 170 days post-hatch (DPH). The results showed that there were differences in growth rate of the four groups. Body length of four groups were CK > CC > KC > KK and body weight were CC > CK > KC > KK at 170 DPH. The growth perfomance of four groups were statistically significant difference (P<0.05). During the rearing, CC group had longer length and higher weight at 170 DPH compared to other three groups and also condition factor was highest in the CC group, but there was no significant difference in a survival rate. These results indicated that the growth performance mainly depended upon brooder combination but survival rate could not significantly affect brooder. PMID:28144632

Reproductive biology of the deep brooding coral Seriatopora hystrix: Implications for shallow reef recovery

OpenAIRE

Prasetia, Rian; Sinniger, Frederic; Hashizume, Kaito; Harii, Saki

2017-01-01

Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs, between 30 and 150 m depth) are hypothesized to contribute to the recovery of degraded shallow reefs through sexually produced larvae (referred to as Deep Reef Refuge Hypothesis). In Okinawa, Japan, the brooder coral Seriatopora hystrix was reported to be locally extinct in a shallow reef while it was found abundant at a MCE nearby. In this context, S. hystrix represents a key model to test the Deep Reef Refuge Hypothesis and to understand the potential cont...

White spot syndrome virus epizootic in cultured Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone) in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, L; Lin, W-H; Wang, P-C; Tsai, M-A; Hsu, J-P; Chen, S-C

2013-12-01

White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) has caused significant losses in shrimp farms worldwide. Between 2004 and 2006, Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone) were collected from 220 farms in Taiwan to determine the prevalence and impact of WSSV infection on the shrimp farm industry. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis detected WSSV in shrimp from 26% of farms. Juvenile shrimp farms had the highest infection levels (38%; 19/50 farms) and brooder shrimp farms had the lowest (5%; one of 20 farms). The average extent of infection at each farm was as follows for WSSV-positive farms: post-larvae farms, 71%; juvenile farms, 61%; subadult farms, 62%; adult farms, 49%; and brooder farms, 40%. Characteristic white spots, hypertrophied nuclei and basophilic viral inclusion bodies were found in the epithelia of gills and tail fans, appendages, cephalothorax and hepatopancreas, and virions of WSSV were observed. Of shrimp that had WSSV lesions, 100% had lesions on the cephalothorax, 96% in gills and tail fans, 91% on appendages and 17% in the hepatopancreas. WSSV was also detected in copepoda and crustaceans from the shrimp farms. Sequence comparison using the pms146 gene fragment of WSSV showed that isolates from the farms had 99.7-100% nucleotide sequence identity with four strains in the GenBank database--China (AF332093), Taiwan (AF440570 and U50923) and Thailand (AF369029). This is the first broad study of WSSV infection in L. vannamei in Taiwan. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Karakteristik Dan Produktivitas Ayam Kedu Hitam

OpenAIRE

Nataamijaya, Achmad Gozali

2008-01-01

The Black Kedu fowl, of Kedu origin district of Temanggung Central Java was one of rare types Indonesian local fowl and considered as productive egg layer amongst local fowls. Therefore, they need to be characterized to better utilize their potential to breed commercial stocks.This study was conducted to find out more reliable data on the characteristics and productivity of the fowl. Two hundred and forty day old chicks were raised in 20 brooders sized 1.5 m x 1.2 m x 0.75 m and fed starter d...

Personality traits and types predict medical school stress: a six-year longitudinal and nationwide study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tyssen, Reidar; Dolatowski, Filip C; Røvik, Jan Ole; Thorkildsen, Ruth F; Ekeberg, Oivind; Hem, Erlend; Gude, Tore; Grønvold, Nina T; Vaglum, Per

2007-08-01

Personality types (combinations of traits) that take into account the interplay between traits give a more detailed picture of an individual's character than do single traits. This study examines whether both personality types and traits predict stress during medical school training. We surveyed Norwegian medical students (n = 421) 1 month after they began medical school (T1), at the mid-point of undergraduate Year 3 (T2), and at the end of undergraduate Year 6 (T3). A total of 236 medical students (56%) responded at all time-points. They were categorised according to Torgersen's personality typology by their combination of high and low scores on the 'Big Three' personality traits of extroversion, neuroticism and conscientiousness. We studied the effects of both personality types (spectator, insecure, sceptic, brooder, hedonist, impulsive, entrepreneur and complicated) and traits on stress during medical school. There was a higher level of stress among female students. The traits of neuroticism (P = 0.002) and conscientiousness (P = 0.03) were independent predictors of stress, whereas female gender was absorbed by neuroticism in the multivariate model. When controlled for age and gender, 'brooders' (low extroversion, high neuroticism, high conscientiousness) were at risk of experiencing more stress (P = 0.02), whereas 'hedonists' (high extroversion, low neuroticism, low conscientiousness) were more protected against stress (P = 0.001). This is the first study to show that a specific combination of personality traits can predict medical school stress. The combination of high neuroticism and high conscientiousness is considered to be particularly high risk.

Age-dependent QTL affecting body weight in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.

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D. LOUKOVITIS

2016-09-01

Full Text Available We examined 24 maternal half-sib families of gilthead seabream to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL associated with body weight at four time points during a production cycle. 57 brooders and 637 offspring were genotyped for 14 informative microsatellite markers, spanning linkage groups 1 and 21. The QTL detection method was based on half-sib interval mapping analysis through a linear regression approach. One QTL was found significant at all time points in linkage group 1, with its effect having different profile across time, and one QTL in linkage group 21 that seems to impact body weight at a later growth stage of the species. Current results verified previously published QTL for growth in the above linkage groups, using a different genetic background of seabream. These QTL can be considered as valuable candidates for use in marker-assisted selective breeding programs, aiming at high rates of genetic improvement for growth in S. aurata.

Differential larval settlement responses of Porites astreoides and Acropora palmata in the presence of the green alga Halimeda opuntia

Science.gov (United States)

Olsen, K.; Sneed, J. M.; Paul, V. J.

2016-06-01

Settlement is critical to maintaining coral cover on reefs, yet interspecific responses of coral planulae to common benthic macroalgae are not well characterized. Larval survival and settlement of two Caribbean reef-building corals, the broadcast-spawner Acropora palmata and the planulae-brooder Porites astreoides, were quantified following exposure to plastic algae controls and the green macroalga Halimeda opuntia. Survival and settlement rates were not significantly affected by the presence of H. opuntia in either species. However, ~10 % of P. astreoides larvae settled on the surface of the macroalga, whereas larvae of A. palmata did not. It is unlikely that corals that settle on macroalgae will survive post-settlement; therefore, H. opuntia may reduce the number of P. astreoides and other non-discriminatory larvae that survive to adulthood. Our results suggest that the presence of macroalgae on impacted reefs can have unexpected repercussions for coral recruitment and highlight discrepancies in settlement specificity between corals with distinct life history strategies.

Genetic mating systems and reproductive natural histories of fishes: lessons for ecology and evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Avise, John C; Jones, Adam G; Walker, DeEtte; DeWoody, J Andrew

2002-01-01

Fish species have diverse breeding behaviors that make them valuable for testing theories on genetic mating systems and reproductive tactics. Here we review genetic appraisals of paternity and maternity in wild fish populations. Behavioral phenomena quantified by genetic markers in various species include patterns of multiple mating by both sexes; frequent cuckoldry by males and rare cuckoldry by females in nest-tending species; additional routes to surrogate parentage via nest piracy and egg-thievery; egg mimicry by nest-tending males; brood parasitism by helper males in cooperative breeders; clutch mixing in oral brooders; kinship in schooling fry of broadcast spawners; sperm storage by dams in female-pregnant species; and sex-role reversal, polyandry, and strong sexual selection on females in some male-pregnant species. Additional phenomena addressed by genetic parentage analyses in fishes include clustered mutations, filial cannibalism, and local population size. All results are discussed in the context of relevant behavioral and evolutionary theory.

A new species of brooding Psolidae (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) from deep-sea off Argentina, Southwestern Atlantic Ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, Mariano I.; Penchaszadeh, Pablo E.

2017-12-01

This paper describes a new species of Psolus (Holothuroidea, Echinodermata), P. lawrencei sp. nov., (19 specimens) found in the deep sea (308-1398 m) in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean (SWAO) (around 38°S-54°W) with brooders (up to 3.15 mm) in the tentacles of females and a penis-like genital papilla on males. The presence of dorsal scales, the concave shape of the ossicles with a bridge, the distribution of podia on the dorsal side and the absence of large and conspicuous oral and anal valves are unique for this species. Furthermore, this is the first species of this genus found outside Antarctica that broods between its tentacles. The paper also reviews the reproductive, brooding development and morphological characteristics of P. lawrencei sp. nov. and compares them with those of several members of the family Psolidae. Finally, a possible connectivity between the deep-sea populations in the SWAO and in Antarctica is considered based on the appearance of a similar reproductive pattern in populations found in both areas, which suggests a past or present connection between these regions.

Effect of temperature on the effectiveness of artificial reproduction of dace [Cyprinidae (Leuciscus leuciscus (L.))] under laboratory and field conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Nowosad, Joanna; Targońska, Katarzyna; Chwaluczyk, Rafał; Kaszubowski, Rafał; Kucharczyk, Dariusz

2014-10-01

This study sought to determine the effect of water temperature on the effectiveness of artificial reproduction of dace brooders under laboratory and field conditions. Three temperatures were tested in the laboratory: 9.5, 12 and 14.5 °C (± 0.1 °C). The water temperature under field conditions was 11.0 ± 0.3 °C (Czarci Jar Fish Farm) and 13.2 ± 1.4 °C (Janowo Fish Farm). The study showed that artificial reproduction of dace is possible in all the temperature ranges under study and an embryo survival rate of over 87% can be achieved. Dace has also been found to be very sensitive to rapid temperature changes, even within the temperature ranges optimal for the species. Such changes have an adverse effect on the outcome of the reproduction process, such as a decrease in the percentage of reproducing females, a decrease in the pseudo-gonado-somatic index (PGSI) and a decrease in the embryo survival rate. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sexual reproduction in the Caribbean coral genus Isophyllia (Scleractinia: Mussidae

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Derek Soto

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The sexual pattern, reproductive mode, and timing of reproduction of Isophyllia sinuosa and Isophyllia rigida, two Caribbean Mussids, were assessed by histological analysis of specimens collected monthly during 2000–2001. Both species are simultaneous hermaphroditic brooders characterized by a single annual gametogenetic cycle. Spermatocytes and oocytes of different stages were found to develop within the same mesentery indicating sequential maturation for extended planulation. Oogenesis took place during May through April in I. sinuosa and from August through June in I. rigida. Oocytes began development 7–8 months prior to spermaries but both sexes matured simultaneously. Zooxanthellate planulae were observed in I. sinuosa during April and in I. rigida from June through September. Higher polyp and mesenterial fecundity were found in I. rigida compared to I. sinuosa. Larger oocyte sizes were found in I. sinuosa than in I. rigida, however larger planula sizes were found in I. rigida. Hermaphroditism is the exclusive sexual pattern within the Mussidae while brooding has been documented within the related genera Mussa, Scolymia and Mycetophyllia. This study represents the first description of the sexual characteristics of I. rigida and provides an updated description of I. sinuosa.

Growth performance, nutrient utilization, and feed efficiency in broilers fed Tithonia diversifolia leaf meal as substitute of conventional feed ingredients in Mizoram.

Science.gov (United States)

Buragohain, Rajat

2016-05-01

The study was for assessment of growth performance, nutrient utilization, and feed efficiency in broilers fed rations with varying levels of Tithonia diversifolia leaf meal (TDLM) as a substitute of conventional feed ingredients in Mizoram. A total of 180, 1-day-old broiler chicks were randomly divided into six homogeneous groups and fed rations incorporated with TDLM (TDLM at 0% [TDLM-0], 2% [TDLM-2], 4% [TDLM-4], 6% [TDLM-6], 8% [TDLM-8], and 10% [TDLM-10] level as substitute of conventional feed ingredients) for 6 weeks. The chicks were reared in battery brooders for the first 2 weeks, and thereafter, in well-ventilated deep litter house following standard management protocols. Feed and drinking water were provided ad libitum to all the groups throughout the experiment. The daily feed intake and weekly body weight gain were recorded, and a metabolic trial for 3 days was conducted at the end of the 6(th) week. Feed consumption decreased for inclusion of TDLM but without any significant differences, except during the 3(rd) week where it reduced significantly (pbroilers reared under deep litter system of management in Mizoram.

CHOICE FEEDING AND AMINO ACID REQUIREMENTS FOR BROILERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Indarsih

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The study was conducted as a completely randomized design, with a factorial arrangement to determine the response of commercial broilers to choice feeding and limiting amino acids on growth and carcass performance. A total of 432 male birds were weighed at one-d-old and randomly distributed to 48 wire-floored brooder cage each 1.0 m2. There were 2 sexes and 4 dietary treatments with 6 replicates each of 9 birds. Birds were given one of three dietary regimens with dietary change every 7 days. All groups were fed free choice of summit and dilution diets. The estimated dietary level of crude protein at day-old was 240 g/kg and the level at 42 d was either 120, 150 or 180 g/kg for females or 130, 160 and 190 g/kg for males. At 43 d of age, all birds from each dietary treatment were slaughtered for measurement of body composition. Results reveal that lysine requirement for maximum gain in this study was higher than NRC recommendation. The free choice-fed bird was significantly higher, in terms of growth and body composition than that obtained on the low dietary protein regimen.Keyword

To brood or not to brood: Are marine invertebrates that protect their offspring more resilient to ocean acidification?

Science.gov (United States)

Lucey, Noelle Marie; Lombardi, Chiara; Demarchi, Lucia; Schulze, Anja; Gambi, Maria Cristina; Calosi, Piero

2015-07-01

Anthropogenic atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is being absorbed by seawater resulting in increasingly acidic oceans, a process known as ocean acidification (OA). OA is thought to have largely deleterious effects on marine invertebrates, primarily impacting early life stages and consequently, their recruitment and species’ survival. Most research in this field has been limited to short-term, single-species and single-life stage studies, making it difficult to determine which taxa will be evolutionarily successful under OA conditions. We circumvent these limitations by relating the dominance and distribution of the known polychaete worm species living in a naturally acidic seawater vent system to their life history strategies. These data are coupled with breeding experiments, showing all dominant species in this natural system exhibit parental care. Our results provide evidence supporting the idea that long-term survival of marine species in acidic conditions is related to life history strategies where eggs are kept in protected maternal environments (brooders) or where larvae have no free swimming phases (direct developers). Our findings are the first to formally validate the hypothesis that species with life history strategies linked to parental care are more protected in an acidifying ocean compared to their relatives employing broadcast spawning and pelagic larval development.

Successful hatching from eggs carried by females and naturally removed from incubant males in Belostoma spp. water bugs (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae

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Ana Lía Estévez

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Within Belostomatinae water bug species (Heteroptera, Belostomatidae it has been hitherto believed that the completion of embryonic development is successful only if eggs are incubated on male hemelytra. Nevertheless, we found egg successful hatching from a back- brooding Belostoma elegans (Mayr and B. micantulum (Stål females, as well as from fertilized eggs kicked off from four back-brooder B. elegans males. One "encumbered" B. elongatum Montandon female was also recorded, but eggs did not hatch after she removed them. Rev. Biol. Trop. 54(2: 515-517. Epub 2006 Jun 01.Se considera que el desarrollo embrionario y la emergencia de las ninfas de las especies de Belostomatinae (Heteroptera, Belostomatidae se cumplen con éxito si los huevos son incubados sobre el espacio dorsal de machos adultos. No obstante, hemos registrado eclosiones exitosas a partir de dos hembras grávidas portando huevos sobre su dorso; una de ellas de la especie Belostoma elegans (Mayr, la otra de B. micantulum (Stål. Se registra la eclosión de huevos, previamente removidos del área de postura por los propios machos incubantes de B. elegans (N=4 y la presencia de una hembra de B. elongatum Montandon, portando huevos sobre sus hemiélitros, los cuales no eclosionaron después de haber sido removidos por la propia hembra.

"HER" LAND AND THE LAND OF THE "RAINBOW"

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Lovorka Gruić-Grmuša

1999-01-01

Full Text Available Two Feminist Utopias is an interpretation of two feminist utopias written in the interim of six decades. Novels Herland, from the beginning of the century, and Woman on the Edge of Time, published in the seventies differ not just because of the time in which they were written and accordingly in crucial feminist assumptions about the nature of women which have changed in the intervening years, but also because the two authors approached "women's issue" differently: one offered an Amazonian utopia in which there are no men, and the other created an egalitarian bisexual society. Charlotte Perkins Gilman depicts a female utopian society developed after eliminating men, where celibate culture of mothers reproduces by desire alone (parthenogenesis; while Marge Piercy proposes a world of men and women changed by biological and psychosocial transformations where sex antithesis have been canceled and both sexes have become mothers, where the mating, is artificial and the foetus developed in brooder tanks. Although diverse and unique, both novels consist of some basic characteristics of feminist utopias which their authors postulate: they criticize everyday life and believe that existing human societies are not the ineviteble products of biological forces but the result of human ideas, choices and behaviours, often brought about by the weaker, poorer and dissatisfied population; they oppose limiting female nature to a set of traditional attributes, giving their characters a full range of human characteristics, from strength, ability and ecological conscience to nurturance, comunal raising of children and co-operation, where the necessities of lire are guaranteed and the few luxuries are shared equally, where a , woman develops all their potentials.

Blind to morphology: Genetics identifies several widespread ecologically common species and few endemics among Indo-Pacific cauliflower corals (Pocillopora, Scleractinia)

KAUST Repository

Pinzón, Jorge H C

2013-04-05

Aim: Using high-resolution genetic markers on samples gathered from across their wide distributional range, we endeavoured to delimit species diversity in reef-building Pocillopora corals. They are common, ecologically important, and widespread throughout the Indo-Pacific, but their phenotypic plasticity in response to environmental conditions and their nearly featureless microskeletal structures confound taxonomic assignments and limit an understanding of their ecology and evolution. Location: Indo-Pacific, Red Sea, Arabian/Persian Gulf. Methods: Sequence analysis of nuclear ribosomal (internal transcribed spacer 2, ITS2) and mitochondrial (open reading frame) loci were combined with population genetic data (seven microsatellite loci) for Pocillopora samples collected throughout the Indo-Pacific, Red Sea and Arabian Gulf, in order to assess the evolutionary divergence, reproductive isolation, frequency of hybridization and geographical distributions of the genus. Results: Between five and eight genetically distinct lineages comparable to species were identified with minimal or no hybridization between them. Colony morphology was generally incongruent with genetics across the full range of sampling, and the total number of species is apparently consistent with lower estimates from competing morphologically based hypotheses (about seven or eight taxa). The most commonly occurring genetic lineages were widely distributed and exhibited high dispersal and gene flow, factors that have probably minimized allopatric speciation. Uniquely among scleractinian genera, this genus contains a monophyletic group of broadcast spawners that evolved recently from an ancestral brooder. Main conclusions: The delineation of species diversity guided by genetics fundamentally advances our understanding of Pocillopora geographical distributions, ecology and evolution. Because traditional diagnostic features of colony and branch morphology are proving to be of limited utility, the

Alternative agriculture as a substitute for environmental remediation. Production of poultry in radiologically contaminated areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peters, E.L.; Brisbin, I.L.; Kennamer, R.A. Jr.

1995-01-01

Exploiting the physiological and ecological characteristics of domesticated species has seldom been considered as a means of returning radiologically contaminated areas to safe agricultural production. However, the proper choice of cultivated and domesticated species, together with appropriate husbandry practices, may allow safe production of foods, fibre and energy. As an example, factors that could permit safe production of food products for human consumption from poultry raised in contaminated areas are considered. These factors include radionuclide transfer from the environment into poultry and methods for reducing radionuclide uptake and/or decontaminating chickens to yield acceptable food products. Studies of growth and feed intake rates of chickens under intensive management and free-ranging husbandries, 137 Cs uptake by chickens exposed to contaminated sediments, potential effects of husbandry on 137 Cs concentrations and 137 Cs elimination by chickens after removal of contaminated feed are described. Data from these and other studies are combined in simulation models of the 13 '7Cs kinetics of chickens. Chicken product 137 Cs concentrations ([ 137 Cs]s) decrease with increases in body mass, apparently as a result of decreasing mass specific intake rates. Husbandries that increase contaminant intake (e.g. free-ranging rearing conditions versus brooder house production) or access to contaminated soils (e.g. scattering feed directly onto contaminated solid versus the use of feeders) increase total body [ 137 Cs]s. However, model simulations indicate that it is possible to produce safe poultry products (especially eggs) at all but unrealistically high feed contamination levels. Even when dietary 137 Cs levels produce [ 137 Cs]s in poultry products that exceed acceptable limits, the high metabolism of poultry leads to a rapid decrease in [ 137 Cs]s once the chickens are placed on uncontaminated rations. This permits the use of contaminated feed or forage for

Early life history and spatiotemporal changes in distribution of the rediscovered Suwannee moccasinshell Medionidus walkeri (Bivalvia: Unionidae)

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Nathan A.; Mcleod, John; Holcomb, Jordan; Rowe, Matthew T.; Williams, James D.

2016-01-01

Accurate distribution data are critical to the development of conservation and management strategies for imperiled species, particularly for narrow endemics with life history traits that make them vulnerable to extinction. Medionidus walkeri is a rare freshwater mussel endemic to the Suwannee River Basin in southeastern North America. This species was rediscovered in 2012 after a 16-year hiatus between collections and is currently proposed for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Our study fills knowledge gaps regarding changes in distribution and early life history requirements of M. walkeri. Spatiotemporal changes in M. walkeri distribution were displayed using a conservation status assessment map incorporating metadata from 98 historical (1916–1999) and 401 recent (2000–2015) site surveys from museums and field notes representing records for 312 specimens. Recent surveys detected M. walkeri only in the middle Suwannee subbasin (n = 86, 22 locations) and lower Santa Fe subbasin (n = 2, 2 locations), and it appears the species may be extirpated from 67% of historically occupied 10-digit HUCs. In our laboratory experiments, M. walkeri successfully metamorphosed on Percina nigrofasciata (56.2% ± 8.9) and Etheostoma edwini (16.1% ± 7.9) but not on Trinectes maculatus, Lepomis marginatus, Notropis texanus, Noturus leptacanthus, Etheostoma fusiforme, or Gambusia holbrooki. We characterize M. walkeri as a lure-displaying host fish specialist and a long-term brooder (bradytictic), gravid from fall to early summer of the following year. The early life history and distribution data presented here provide the baseline framework for listing decisions and future efforts to conserve and recover the species.

Gender determination in the Paiche or Pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) using plasma vitellogenin, 17beta-estradiol, and 11-ketotestosterone levels.

Science.gov (United States)

Chu-Koo, F; Dugué, R; Alván Aguilar, M; Casanova Daza, A; Alcántara Bocanegra, F; Chávez Veintemilla, C; Duponchelle, F; Renno, J-F; Tello, Salvador; Nuñez, J

2009-03-01

Arapaima gigas is an air-breathing giant fish of Amazonian rivers. Given its great economic and cultural importance, the aquaculture development of this species represents an evident solution to face the decline of wild populations. In captivity, reproduction occurs generally in large earthen ponds where stocks of a few tens of brooders are maintained together at the beginning of the rainy season (December-March in the Peruvian Amazon). Fry production relies on the spontaneous formation of male and female pairs, which build a nest, delimit a territory and guard the offspring for at least 20 days from other congeners and predators. However, as sex determination of A. gigas is not possible by morphological criteria, it is very difficult to optimize reproduction conditions and fry production in each pond, which seriously hampers the culture of this species. This situation prompted us to develop sexing methodologies based on (1) the detection of female specific plasma Vitellogenin (Vtg) using an enzyme immuno assay (EIA), and (2) the determination of plasma 17beta-estradiol and 11-ketotestosterone levels for immature specimens. The Vtg purification was performed by electro-elution after polyacrilamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) from plasma of 17beta-estradiol treated A. gigas juveniles. Two different Vtg molecules were isolated, (Vtg(1) and Vtg(2)) with 184 and 112 kDa apparent molecular masses, respectively, and two antibodies were raised in rabbits for each Vtg molecule. Adult fish were 100% accurately sexed by Vtg EIA, while 100% of immature fish and 95% of adults were accurately sexed by 17beta-Estradiol and 11-Ketestosterone ratios. We also observed different color pattern development in male and female adult fish (6-year-olds) around the reproductive period.

Improvement of chick survival and zootechnical performance of the local hen in a village environment in Senegal

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G. Nahimana

2017-09-01

Full Text Available A one-year longitudinal survey was carried out in 45 poultry farms in Salemata Department (Senegal to assess two management methods of the mother-chick couple, with the aim to improve the productivity of family poultry farming. At hatching, the hens belonging to treatment A (HTA were partially reared in confinement (they were removed from the brooder pen after two weeks, whereas the chicks were kept there for up to four weeks of age. In contrast, hens in treatment B (HTB were kept free range. The results showed that the zootechnical performance of HTAs had improved. The duration of the reproductive cycle was reduced from 113.5 to 62.2 days. As a result, the number of breeding cycles increased from 3.4 to 5.6 per year and the annual egg production from 35.3 to 57.6. The rapid return of HTAs to egg laying did not affect the number of eggs laid per brood (10.3 compared to 10.2 and the hatching rate (82.4% compared to 79.5%. The weight growth of chicks from both hen types has been influenced by the breeding type, genotype and sex. The weight of crossbred chicks was higher than that of the local chick except at hatching. After the first month, the weight of male chicks (crossbred or local was still higher than that of female chicks. The average daily weight gain of HTA chicks has always been higher than that of HTB chicks and has been highest between the 13th and 24th week of age. Chick survival was improved by 41.2%, and the most frequent causes of mortality were predators (raptors, cats. This study showed that the farming type where hens and their chicks are semiconfined optimized poultry productivity.

Blind to morphology: Genetics identifies several widespread ecologically common species and few endemics among Indo-Pacific cauliflower corals (Pocillopora, Scleractinia)

KAUST Repository

Pinzó n, Jorge H C; Sampayo, Eugenia M.; Cox, Evelyn F.; Chauka, Leonard J.; Chen, Chaolun Allen; Voolstra, Christian R.; LaJeunesse, Todd C.

2013-01-01

Aim: Using high-resolution genetic markers on samples gathered from across their wide distributional range, we endeavoured to delimit species diversity in reef-building Pocillopora corals. They are common, ecologically important, and widespread throughout the Indo-Pacific, but their phenotypic plasticity in response to environmental conditions and their nearly featureless microskeletal structures confound taxonomic assignments and limit an understanding of their ecology and evolution. Location: Indo-Pacific, Red Sea, Arabian/Persian Gulf. Methods: Sequence analysis of nuclear ribosomal (internal transcribed spacer 2, ITS2) and mitochondrial (open reading frame) loci were combined with population genetic data (seven microsatellite loci) for Pocillopora samples collected throughout the Indo-Pacific, Red Sea and Arabian Gulf, in order to assess the evolutionary divergence, reproductive isolation, frequency of hybridization and geographical distributions of the genus. Results: Between five and eight genetically distinct lineages comparable to species were identified with minimal or no hybridization between them. Colony morphology was generally incongruent with genetics across the full range of sampling, and the total number of species is apparently consistent with lower estimates from competing morphologically based hypotheses (about seven or eight taxa). The most commonly occurring genetic lineages were widely distributed and exhibited high dispersal and gene flow, factors that have probably minimized allopatric speciation. Uniquely among scleractinian genera, this genus contains a monophyletic group of broadcast spawners that evolved recently from an ancestral brooder. Main conclusions: The delineation of species diversity guided by genetics fundamentally advances our understanding of Pocillopora geographical distributions, ecology and evolution. Because traditional diagnostic features of colony and branch morphology are proving to be of limited utility, the

Reproductive biology of the deep brooding coral Seriatopora hystrix: Implications for shallow reef recovery.

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Prasetia, Rian; Sinniger, Frederic; Hashizume, Kaito; Harii, Saki

2017-01-01

Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs, between 30 and 150 m depth) are hypothesized to contribute to the recovery of degraded shallow reefs through sexually produced larvae (referred to as Deep Reef Refuge Hypothesis). In Okinawa, Japan, the brooder coral Seriatopora hystrix was reported to be locally extinct in a shallow reef while it was found abundant at a MCE nearby. In this context, S. hystrix represents a key model to test the Deep Reef Refuge Hypothesis and to understand the potential contribution of mesophotic corals to shallow coral reef recovery. However, the reproductive biology of mesophotic S. hystrix and its potential to recolonize shallow reefs is currently unknown. This study reports for the first time, different temporal scales of reproductive periodicity and larval settlement of S. hystrix from an upper mesophotic reef (40 m depth) in Okinawa. We examined reproductive seasonality, lunar, and circadian periodicity (based on polyp dissection, histology, and ex situ planula release observations) and larval settlement rates in the laboratory. Mesophotic S. hystrix reproduced mainly in July and early August, with a small number of planulae being released at the end of May, June and August. Compared to shallow colonies in the same region, mesophotic S. hystrix has a 4-month shorter reproductive season, similar circadian periodicity, and smaller planula size. In addition, most of the planulae settled rapidly, limiting larval dispersal potential. The shorter reproductive season and smaller planula size may result from limited energy available for reproduction at deeper depths, while the similar circadian periodicity suggests that this reproductive aspect is not affected by environmental conditions differing with depth. Overall, contribution of mesophotic S. hystrix to shallow reef rapid recovery appears limited, although they may recruit to shallow reefs through a multistep process over a few generations or through random extreme mixing such as typhoons.

Large-scale coral recruitment patterns on Mona Island, Puerto Rico: evidence of a transitional community trajectory after massive coral bleaching and mortality

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Edwin A. Hernández-Delgado

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Coral reefs have largely declined across the northeastern Caribbean following the 2005 massive bleaching event. Climate change-related sea surface warming and coral disease outbreaks of a white plague-like syndrome and of yellow band disease (YBD have caused significant coral decline affecting massive reef building species (i.e., Orbicella annularis species complex which show no apparent signs of recovery through larval sexual recruitment. We addressed coral recruit densities across three spur and groove reef locations along the western shelf of remote Mona Island, Puerto Rico: Punta Capitán (PCA, Pasa de Las Carmelitas (PLC, and Las Carmelitas-South (LCS. Data were collected during November 2012 along 93 haphazard transects across three depth zones (<5m, 5-10m, 10-15m. A total of 32 coral species (9 octocorals, 1 hydrocoral, 22 scleractinians were documented among the recruit community. Communities had low densities and dominance by short-lived brooder species seven years after the 2005 event. Mean coral recruit density ranged from 1.2 to 10.5/m2 at PCA, 6.3 to 7.2/m² at LCS, 4.5 to 9.5/m² at PLC. Differences in coral recruit community structure can be attributed to slight variation in percent macroalgal cover and composition as study sites had nearly similar benthic spatial heterogeneity. Dominance by ephemeral coral species was widespread. Recovery of largely declining massive reef-building species such as the O. annularis species complex was limited or non-existent. The lack of recovery could be the combined result of several mechanisms involving climate change, YBD disease, macroalgae, fishing, urchins and Mona Island’s reefs limited connectivity to other reef systems. There is also for rehabilitation of fish trophic structure, with emphasis in recovering herbivore guilds and depleted populations of D. antillarum. Failing to recognize the importance of ecosystem-based management and resilience rehabilitation may deem remote coral reefs

Patterns and Drivers of Egg Pigment Intensity and Colour Diversity in the Ocean: A Meta-Analysis of Phylum Echinodermata.

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Montgomery, E M; Hamel, J-F; Mercier, A

Egg pigmentation is proposed to serve numerous ecological, physiological, and adaptive functions in egg-laying animals. Despite the predominance and taxonomic diversity of egg layers, syntheses reviewing the putative functions and drivers of egg pigmentation have been relatively narrow in scope, centring almost exclusively on birds. Nonvertebrate and aquatic species are essentially overlooked, yet many of them produce maternally provisioned eggs in strikingly varied colours, from pale yellow to bright red or green. We explore the ways in which these colour patterns correlate with behavioural, morphological, geographic and phylogenetic variables in extant classes of Echinodermata, a phylum that has close phylogenetic ties with chordates and representatives in nearly all marine environments. Results of multivariate analyses show that intensely pigmented eggs are characteristic of pelagic or external development whereas pale eggs are commonly brooded internally. Of the five egg colours catalogued, orange and yellow are the most common. Yellow eggs are a primitive character, associated with all types of development (predominant in internal brooders), whereas green eggs are always pelagic, occur in the most derived orders of each class and are restricted to the Indo-Pacific Ocean. Orange eggs are geographically ubiquitous and may represent a 'universal' egg pigment that functions well under a diversity of environmental conditions. Finally, green occurs chiefly in the classes Holothuroidea and Ophiuroidea, orange in Asteroidea, yellow in Echinoidea, and brown in Holothuroidea. By examining an unprecedented combination of egg colours/intensities and reproductive strategies, this phylum-wide study sheds new light on the role and drivers of egg pigmentation, drawing parallels with theories developed from the study of more derived vertebrate taxa. The primary use of pigments (of any colour) to protect externally developing eggs from oxidative damage and predation is

Effects of carbon dioxide on turkey poult performance and behavior.

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Cândido, M G L; Xiong, Y; Gates, R S; Tinôco, I F F; Koelkebeck, K W

2018-04-14

Appropriate ventilation of poultry facilities is critical for achieving optimum performance. Ventilation promotes good air exchange to remove harmful gases, excessive heat, moisture, and particulate matter. In a turkey brooder barn, carbon dioxide (CO2) may be present at higher levels during the winter due to reduced ventilation rates to maintain high temperatures. This higher CO2 may negatively affect turkey poult performance. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of subjecting tom turkey poults (commercial Large White Hybrid Converters) to different constant levels of atmospheric CO2 on their growth performance and behavior. In three consecutive replicate trials, a total of 552 poults were weighed post-hatch and randomly placed in 3 environmental control chambers, with 60 (Trial 1) and 62 (Trials 2 and 3) poults housed per chamber. They were reared with standard temperature and humidity levels for 3 wks. The poults were exposed to 3 different fixed CO2 concentrations of 2,000, 4,000, and 6,000 ppm throughout each trial. Following each trial (replicate), the CO2 treatments were switched and assigned to a different chamber in order to expose each treatment to each chamber. At the end of each trial, all poults were sent to a local turkey producer to finish growout. For each trial, individual body weight and group feed intake were measured, and mortality and behavioral movement were recorded. Wk 3 and cumulative body weight gain of poults housed at 2,000 ppm CO2 was greater (P < 0.05) than those exposed to 4,000 and 6,000 ppm CO2. Feed intake and feed conversion were unaffected by the different CO2 concentrations. No significant difference in poult mortality was found between treatments. In addition, no effect of CO2 treatments was evident in the incidence of spontaneous turkey cardiomyopathy for turkeys processed at 19 wk of age. Poults housed at the lower CO2 level (2,000 ppm) demonstrated reduced movement compared with those exposed to

Interspecific Variation in Coral Settlement and Fertilization Success in Response to Hydrogen Peroxide Exposure.

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Ross, C; Fogarty, N D; Ritson-Williams, R; Paul, V J

2017-12-01

Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) is involved in the regulation of numerous reproductive and morphogenic processes across an array of taxa. Extracellular H 2 O 2 can be widespread in oceanic waters, and elevated sea surface temperatures can cause increased levels of intracellular H 2 O 2 within cnidarian tissue, but it remains unclear how this compound affects early life-history processes in corals, such as fertilization, metamorphosis, and settlement. To evaluate the effects of H 2 O 2 on multiple stages of recruitment, experiments were conducted using Caribbean corals with various reproductive modes, including the brooders Porites astreoides and Favia fragum and the broadcast-spawning species Acropora palmata and Orbicella franksi. H 2 O 2 accelerated settlement in all brooding species tested. Concentrations of 1000 µmol l -1 H 2 O 2 caused close to 100% settlement in all larval age classes, regardless of exposure duration. As larvae aged, the required threshold of H 2 O 2 capable of inducing settlement decreased. In contrast, H 2 O 2 concentrations of 100 µmol l -1 or greater caused a significant reduction in metamorphosis and settlement in the larvae of spawners. Furthermore, fertilization of their gametes was inhibited in the presence of H 2 O 2 concentrations as low as 100 µmol l -1 . In Porites astreoides larvae, internal levels of H 2 O 2 reached a maximal value of 75 µmol l -1 following 48 h of incubation at 31 °C. This concentration was found to significantly alter settlement rates in both brooding coral species and likely induced a cellular cascade in the settlement signaling pathway. The results of this study suggest that temperature stress influences H 2 O 2 production, which in turn impacts coral settlement. While it is unlikely that the current levels of externally derived concentrations of oceanic H 2 O 2 are affecting coral larvae, internal concentrations (produced under heat stress) have the capacity to impact recruitment under a changing climate.

Effect of varying dietary concentrations of lysine on growth performance of the Pearl Grey guinea fowl.

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Bhogoju, S; Nahashon, S N; Donkor, J; Kimathi, B; Johnson, D; Khwatenge, C; Bowden-Taylor, T

2017-05-01

Lysine is the second limiting essential amino acid in poultry nutrition after methionine. Understanding the lysine requirement of poultry is necessary in guiding formulation of least cost diets that effectively meet the nutritional needs of individual birds. The lysine requirement of the Pearl Grey guinea fowl (PGGF) is not known. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the appropriate lysine levels required for optimal growth attributes of the PGGF. In a 12-week study, 512 one-day-old Pearl Grey guinea keets were weighed individually and randomly assigned to electrically heated battery brooders. Each battery contained 12 compartments housing 15 birds each. Eight diets fed to the experimental birds consisted of corn-soybean meal and contained 0.80 to 1.22 digestible lysine in 0.06% increments. Feed and water were provided at free choice and the diets were replicated twice. Experimental diets contained 3,100 Kcal metabolizable energy (ME)/kg diet and 23% crude protein (CP), 3,150 ME Kcal ME/kg diet and 21% CP, and 3,100 ME/kg and 17% CP, at zero to 4, 5 to 10, and 11 to 12 weeks of age (WOA), respectively. Birds were provided water ad libitum and a 23:1 and 8:16-hr (light:dark) regimen at zero to 8 and 9 to 12 WOA, respectively. Birds were weighed weekly, and body weight gain, feed consumption, and feed conversions were determined. Data were analyzed using the General Linear Model (GLM) procedures of SAS (2002) with dietary lysine as treatment effect. Females responded better to diets containing 1.04 and 0.8% lysine from hatch to 4 and 5 to 12 WOA, respectively. Males responded better to diets containing 1.10 and 0.8% lysine at hatch to 4 WOA and 5 to 12 WOA, respectively. Therefore, we recommend that PGGF females and males be fed diets containing 1.04 and 1.10%, respectively, at hatch to 4 WOA and 0.80% lysine at 5 to 12 WOA. The diets should be supplied in phases. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Phytase supplementation improved growth performance and bone characteristics in broilers fed varying levels of dietary calcium.

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Powell, S; Bidner, T D; Southern, L L

2011-03-01

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary Ca level on the efficacy of phytase. A total of 288 male Ross × Ross 708 broilers with initial and final BW of 37 and 705 g, respectively, were used in brooder batteries from 0 to 21 d posthatch. Each treatment had 8 replications with 6 broilers/replicate pen. All diets were corn-soybean meal based and formulated to contain 1.26% total Lys. The treatments were positive control with 0.45% nonphytate P and 1% Ca and a negative control with 0.20% nonphytate P with 0.67, 1.00, or 1.33% Ca fed with or without 500 phytase units of Optiphos (Escherichia coli-derived phytase; JBS United Inc., Sheridan, IN). Increasing Ca from 0.67 to 1.33% linearly decreased (P ≤ 0.003) ADG, ADFI, bone breaking strength, bone weight, tibia ash weight, and percentage tibia ash; however, quadratic effects were found for ADFI, G:F, percentage tibia ash, and mortality (P ≤ 0.09). Phytase supplementation increased (P ash weight, and percentage tibia ash and decreased (P = 0.054) mortality. The increase in ADG, ADFI, bone weight, ash weight, and percentage tibia ash (P ≤ 0.026) and decrease in mortality (phytase × Ca linear; P = 0.058) from phytase supplementation was greater in broilers fed the higher levels of Ca. Calcium utilization was linearly decreased (P < 0.002) with increasing Ca. Phosphorus digestibility and utilization were increased with increasing levels of Ca (P ≤ 0.002); however, P utilization decreased at 1% Ca and increased at 1.33% (quadratic; P < 0.070). Phytase supplementation increased Ca utilization (P < 0.024), P digestibility (P < 0.001), and P utilization (P < 0.029). However, the increase in P digestibility (phytase × Ca; P < 0.021) was greater at the lower levels of Ca whereas P utilization (phytase × Ca; P < 0.001) was greater at 1.33% Ca with phytase supplementation. The results of this research indicate that dietary Ca level, within the ranges used in this experiment, does not negatively

Aspectos reproductivos del acocil Cambarellus (Cambarellus montezumae (Crustacea: Decápoda: Cambaridae en condiciones controladas Breeding aspects of the crayfish Cambarellus (Cambarellus montezumae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Cambaridae under controlled conditions

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José Luis Arredondo-Figueroa

2011-03-01

Full Text Available El acocil Cambarellus (C. montezumae es una especie endémica cuya distribución está restringida a algunos cuerpos de agua lacustre. Se presentan los resultados sobre aspectos reproductivos de esta especie en condiciones controladas, con el objetivo de determinar la factibilidad de la producción de huevos y juveniles y su potencial aplicación a programas de rescate, repoblación y cultivo. Se realizaron 2 ensayos experimentales, el primero en 4 estanques exteriores de 800 litros conectados a sistemas cerrados de recirculación (SCR y el segundo en recipientes de plástico en laboratorio (RPL, de 2 litros. Para el primer ensayo, se manejaron 219 reproductores durante 335 días, obteniendo 136 hembras ovígeras. Cada hembra produjo en promedio 45 ± 23 huevos por puesta. El 83.7% de los huevos eclosionaron, obteniéndose un total de 3 162 juveniles. En los RPL se manejó una población F1 obtenida a partir de los reproductores del SCR en una relación 1 hembra: 2 machos, con 10 repeticiones. La producción de huevo fue variable con un promedio de 34 por hembra. Los indicadores de desempeño mostraron diferencias significativas (P ≤ 0.05 entre sexos con respecto a 6 de ellos. Los resultados indican la factibilidad para su cultivo y producción de huevos y juveniles.Cambarellus (C. montezumae is an endemic crayfish from Mexico, which actual distribution is restricted to few lacustrine bodies of water. Here we present results on the reproduction of this species under controlled conditions with the aim to determine the feasibility of the production of eggs and juveniles, as an strategy for their rescue, re-population and culture. Two experimental assays were conducted, the first one, in 4 outdoor 800-L tanks recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS and the second, in 2-L plastic containers under laboratory conditions (PCL. For the first assay, 219 brooders were used during 335 days , obtaining 136 ovigerous females. Each female produced an average

Dietas para frangos de corte contendo quirera de arroz Performance of broiler feed with broken rice in diets

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Berilo de Souza Brum Júnior

2007-10-01

Full Text Available O experimento foi realizado para avaliar o uso da quirera de arroz na dieta de frangos de corte. Foram utilizados 240 pintos machos, alojados em galpão, contendo 12 boxes de 2m² de área. Cada box continha comedouro tubular, bebedouro pendular e campânula nos 21 dias iniciais. As aves foram distribuídas em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com três tratamentos e quatro repetições, as quais receberam dietas contendo 0, 20 e 40% de inclusão de quirera de arroz. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de regressão e à análise de variância e, quando houve diferença, aplicou-se o teste de Tukey. O ganho de peso, o consumo de ração e a conversão alimentar de 1-21, 1-35 e 1-42 dias (P>0,05 não foram afetados pela substituição do milho por quirera de arroz. A umidade de cama, o índice de eficiência produtivo, o rendimento de carcaça quente, de fígado, coração, coxa, sobre-coxa e peito não apresentaram diferença (P>0,05. No entanto, os rendimentos de moela, bem como a pigmentação da canela e do bico, diminuíram linearmente com o aumento do nível de quirera de arroz na dieta. Conclui-se que a quirera de arroz pode ser incluída nas dieta, substituindo o milho, para frangos de corte.An experiment was carried to evaluate the performance of broilers fed with diferent levels of broken rice. The experiment was conducted with 240 males broilers chicks, Cobb 500, were distributed in floor pens of 2m² each, with one tubular feeder, one pendular drinker, an electrical brooder and on the top of rice hulls. An entirely randomized experimental design was used, with 3 treatments and 4 replicates with 20 birds each, which received, diets containing 0, 20 and 40% of broken rice. Data were submitted to Analisis of regression. Weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion to the1- 21, 1- 35 and 1-42 days of age, litter humidity, carcass, liver, breast, thigh and drumstick yield did not present significant difference. The gizzard and the

Implications of coral harvest and transplantation on reefs in northwestern Dominica

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Andrew W Bruckner

2010-10-01

Full Text Available In June, 2002, the government of Dominica requested assistance in evaluating the coral culture and transplantation activities being undertaken by Oceanographic Institute of Dominica (OID, a coral farm culturing both western Atlantic and Indo-Pacific corals for restoration and commercial sales. We assessed the culture facilities of OID, the condition of reefs, potential impacts of coral collection and benefits of coral transplantation. Coral reefs (9 reefs, 3-20m depth were characterized by 35 species of scleractinian corals and a live coral cover of 8-35%. Early colonizing, brooders such as Porites astreoides (14.8% of all corals, P. porites (14.8%, Meandrina meandrites (14.7% and Agaricia agaricites (9.1% were the most abundant corals, but colonies were mostly small (mean=25cm diameter. Montastraea annularis (complex was the other dominant taxa (20.8% of all corals and colonies were larger (mean=70cm. Corals (pooled species were missing an average of 20% of their tissue, with a mean of 1.4% recent mortality. Coral diseases affected 6.4% of all colonies, with the highest prevalence at Cabrits West (11.0%, Douglas Bay (12.2% and Coconut Outer reef (20.7%. White plague and yellow band disease were causing the greatest loss of tissue, especially among M. annularis (complex, with localized impacts from corallivores, overgrowth by macroalgae, storm damage and sedimentation. While the reefs appeared to be undergoing substantial decline, restoration efforts by OID were unlikely to promote recovery. No Pacific species were identified at OID restoration sites, yet species chosen for transplantation with highest survival included short-lived brooders (Agaricia and Porites that were abundant in restoration sites, as well as non-reef builders (Palythoa and Erythropodium that monopolize substrates and overgrow corals. The species of highest value for restoration (massive broadcast spawners showed low survivorship and unrestored populations of these species

Resurrecting a subgenus to genus: molecular phylogeny of Euphyllia and Fimbriaphyllia (order Scleractinia; family Euphyllidae; clade V

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Katrina S. Luzon

2017-12-01

dichotomy better. Species in a genus are distinguished by combining polyp morphology and colony form. The cluster of E. glabrescens of the Euphyllia group is a hermaphroditic brooder with long, tubular tentacles with knob-like tips, and a phaceloid colony structure. The Fimbriaphyllia group, with F. paraancora, F. paradivisa, F. ancora, F. divisa, and F. yaeyamaensis, are gonochoric broadcast spawners with short polyps, mixed types of tentacle shapes, and a phaceloid or flabello-meandroid skeleton. Soft-tissue morphology of G. fascicularis and Ctenella chagius were found to be consistent with the dichotomy. Conclusions The paraphyly of the original members of the previous subgenera justify recognizing Fimbriaphyllia as a genus. The integrated approach demonstrates that combining polyp features, reproductive traits, and skeletal morphology is of high systematic value not just to Euphyllia and Fimbriaphyllia but also to clade V; thus, laying the groundwork for resolving the phylogeny of clade V.

Effect of dietary nucleotide supplementation on performance and development of the gastrointestinal tract of broilers.

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Jung, B; Batal, A B

2012-01-01

1. Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of dietary nucleotide supplementation on broiler performance, and physical and morphological development of the gastrointestinal tract. 2. Experiment 1: A total of 180 one-d-old male chicks were placed in battery brooders in 3 × 6 replicate pens containing 10 chicks each. Chicks were randomly assigned to one of the three dietary treatments; a maize-soyabean meal based diet supplemented with 0, 0·25, and 0·50% Torula yeast RNA (as a source of nucleotides) from 0 to 16 d of age. 3. Experiment 2: A total of 1344 one-d-old male chicks were placed in floor pens and reared on recycled wood shavings (two flocks) under a high stocking density (0·068 m(2)/bird). Chicks were randomly assigned to one of the 4 dietary treatments (0, 0·25% Torula yeast RNA, 2% and 6% Nupro®) for the starter period (0 to 14 d of age) with 6 replicate pens containing 56 chicks each. All the birds were fed on the same common grower diet with no supplementation of nucleotides from 15 to 32 d of age. 4. Experiment 1: Supplementing the diets with up to 0·50% Torula yeast RNA did not affect broiler performance, or relative intestinal tract weight and length of broilers at any periods measured. 5. Experiment 2: From 0 to 14 d of age, broilers fed on the diets supplemented with 0·25% Torula yeast RNA and 2 and 6% Nupro® were significantly heavier and had improved feed conversion (feed:gain) ratios as compared with the birds fed on the control diet. Supplementing the starter diet only with 2% Nupro® supplementation significantly improved body weight (BW) gain as compared with the control diet over the entire experiment (0 to 32 d of age). Broilers fed on the diets supplemented with 2 and 6% Nupro® from 0 to 14 d of age had better feed conversion (feed:gain) ratios over the entire experiment (0 to 32 d of age) as compared with the birds fed on the control diet, even though the birds were only fed on the diets

Desempenho produtivo e bioeconômico de frangos de corte criados em diferentes sistemas de aquecimento Productive and bioeconomical performance of broiler chicks grown under different heating systems

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Paulo Giovanni de Abreu

2000-02-01

plate with plastic sheet cover, and brooder heating gas. Heating was maintained up to the 21st days of age, beginning with the temperature of 35ºC in the first week with a reducing of 3ºC by each week. Live weight, weight gain, feed intake, feed:gain ratio and mortality were evaluated. The electric energy and gas expenditures were recorded during all bird heating period in order to compare the different heating systems cost. The heat electric system with mortar structure plate and plastic sheet cover was the most indicated, by promoting good thermal conditions and higher gross margin at the end of the growing period.

Asociación del color de la concha de reproductores de Argopecten purpuratus (Lamarck, 1819 con la supervivencia, crecimiento y desarrollo larval de sus progenies Association between shell color of breeds (Lamarck, 1819 and the survival, growth and larval development of their progenies

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Ricardo M García

2012-07-01

most frequent shell colors. Knowing that Argopecten purpuratus shell color variation is under genetic control, in this work we test the hypothesis that loci that control shell color variation also affect larvae's growth rate, survival and/or development rate. Survival, growth and development rates were estimated in larvae produced in different crosses between brooders of A. purpuratus having low frequency shell colors (white or orange and "normal" (brown color. Results showed no significant differences in growth rates between larvae produced by crosses that involved brown shell parents, or orange by white parents. However, progenies of self fertilized orange and white parents showed significant differences in growth among them, and a lower growth rate than the remaining crosses. Results suggest that genes that control shell color variation in juvenile and adult A. purpuratus could affect the growth rates of their larvae, but not the development rate or survival.

Acondicionamiento de reproductores, desove y cultivo larval de Graus nigra (Philippi, 1887 (Kyphosidae: Girellinae Broodstock conditioning, spawning and larval culture of Graus nigra (Philippi, 1887 (Kyphosidae: Girellinae

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Avelino Muñoz

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Se describen resultados sobre acondicionamiento reproductivo, desove y cultivo larval de Graus nigra ("vieja negra", "mulata". Peces adultos silvestres se recolectaron y se utilizaron como reproductores, los que al final del período de acondicionamiento alcanzaron el estado de maduración gonadal y desovaron en forma natural y espontánea. Los huevos fueron recolectados y después de 36 h de incubación eclosionaron, con una tasa de eclosión promedio de 60%. Las larvas recién eclosionadas midieron 2,9 ± 0,23 mm y alcanzaron el día 50 post-eclosión (PE una longitud total de 12,6 ± 0,37 mm. La sobrevivencia larval posterior a la eclosión fue entre 50,9 y 79,1% y al día 30 PE fue de 12,1%. El cultivo larval se desarrolló en estanques con suministro de agua de mar filtrada y esterilizada. Después de la reabsorción del saco vitelino se produjo el desarrollo del tracto digestivo y las larvas se alimentaron con dieta viva enriquecida con emulsión de ácidos grasos altamente insaturados. A los 35 días de cultivo se ofreció alimento artificial a las larvas cuyo tamano fue aumentando progresivamente a medida que progresó su desarrollo ontogénico. Se describe la evolución anatómica de las larvas y las relaciones morfométricas que representan su desarrollo; se caracteriza el patrón de crecimiento de las larvas hasta los 50 días post-eclosión y se discuten aspectos relacionados con la sobrevivencia larval y la introducción de mejoras para optimizar la producción de larvas y juveniles.In this study results related to reproductive conditioning, spawning and larval culture of Graus nigra ("vieja negra", "mulata" are given. Wild adult fishes were collected and used as brooders which at the end of the conditioning period reached gonadal maturation state and spawned naturally and spontaneously. Eggs were collected and after 36 hours of incubation they hatched at average rate of 60%. The hatched larvae measured 2.9 ± 0.23 mm and at day 50