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Megacolax gen. nov. (Copepoda, Cyclopoida, Bomolochidae) is established to accommodate Naricolax insolitus Ho & Lin, 2003, and next Megacolax insolitus (Ho & Lin, 2003) emended is redescribed based on specimens of both sexes recovered from the nasal cavity of the original host, Pampus argenteus (Euphrasen, 1788) (Pisces, Stromateidae) in Japan. The male is described for the first time for the species.

Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 belongs to the zinc-dependent endopeptidase family, which is associated with important inflammatory processes and plays an important role in cell metabolism, embryonic development, and wound repair. The present study was performed using Pampus argenteus individuals fed with different feeds. The full-length cDNA of the MMP-9 gene was 2783 bp and encoded 681 amino acids. The amino acid sequence analysis of Pampus argenteus MMP-9 showed that it contained a highly conserved fibronectin type II domain and heme domain, and it was evolutionarily closely related to the MMP-9 of Seriola dumerili. Real-time PCR, western blotting, and enzyme activity assay were used to analyze the expression of MMP-9 in P. argenteus under different feeding conditions, in various tissues, and on different feeding days. The results showed that the expression of MMP-9 in group A (fed with jellyfish for the first 20 days) and B’ group (fed with jellyfish for subsequent 15 days) was significantly higher than that in other groups (P < 0.05) and the expression in the kidney was significantly higher than that in other tissues (P < 0.05). The expression increased gradually with the increase in feeding time. The results suggest that MMP-9 expression is induced in P. argenteus fed with jellyfish and plays a very important role in the immune response of the body.

The silver pomfret (Pampus argenteus) is one of the most commercially important marine fish species in the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean. However, detailed information on the reproductive biology of silver pomfret is limited for the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh. To understand their reproductive biology, especially the gonadal developmental cycle and spawning season, a total of 373 individuals were collected monthly from February 2016 to January 2018 and examined. The total length (TL) and weight (TW) of P. argenteus ranged from 18.82–35.73 cm and 89.26–617.60 g, respectively. The highest gonadosomatic index (GSI) values were observed from April–June with a second (smaller) peak in October. The highest oocyte diameter was observed in May (630.50 ± 96.70 μm), when the fish reached full maturity, and the lowest was observed in July (35.10 ± 7.12 μm), when new eggs began their development for the next spawning season. The maximum number of eggs in the ovary were found in the yolk granule stage in May with a number of post-ovulatory follicles, which indicated that the ovaries developed to a peak leading up to the spawning season. A number of spermatids were also seen in males in April–June along with females. From these detailed observations, it may be concluded that P. argenteus shows two spawning peaks, in May–June and October. This observation will be helpful for the artificial breeding, sustainable management and conservation of this species in the study area.

For many fish stocks, such as Pampus argenteus and Setipinna taty in China, size composition data are more accessible than catch data. Varied results can arise when different length-based stock assessment models are applied to these data, and fishery managers often need to reconcile conflicting estimates of population status. Superensemble modeling, a relatively recent innovation in fish stock assessments commonly used in other fields, may provide an effective solution to resolving uncertainties among the results from multiple length-based models. To verify potential for this approach to improve estimates of population status, we applied ensemble modeling to fit simulated data of P. argenteus and S. taty in the Bohai and Yellow Seas using predictions from a length-based integrated mixed effects (LIME) and length-based spawning potential ratio (LB-SPR) models as covariables in a superensemble model developed in this study. All simulation modeling of P. argenteus and S. taty in the Bohai and Yellow Seas was conducted using the operating model in the R package LIME. Initially, the LIME and LB-SPR performances were tested separately under three scenarios of fishing mortality and recruitment variability (“equilibrium scenario,” “endogenous scenario,” and “one-way base scenario”). Then, estimates of spawning potential ratio (SPR) were combined with the superensemble models (a linear model, a support vector machines, a random forest and a boosted regression tree). We trained our superensemble models with 80% of the simulated data and tested them with the remaining 20%. Our results showed that superensemble modeling substantially improved the estimates of SPR, with support vector machines performing the best at estimating population status: precision improved by 12.7% for S. taty and 8% for P. argenteus on average (namely, median absolute proportional error decreased by 0.127 and 0.08 on average) compared to the individual models. This finding has important implications for fisheries management in the context of species for which catch data are unavailable. Applying the size composition survey data, the results from support vector machines superensemble model suggested that neither S. taty nor P. argenteus in the Bohai Sea in 2019 are overfished, but the stock status of P. argenteus warrants vigilant monitoring.

Amyloodinium ocellatum (AO) infection in silver pomfret (Pampus argenteus) causes extensive mortality. Insufficient information exists on the molecular immune response of silver pomfret to AO infestation, so herein we simulated the process of silver pomfret being infected by AO. Translucent trophosomes were observed on the gills of AO-infected fish. Transcriptome profiling was performed to investigate the effects of AO infection on the gill, kidney complex and spleen. Overall, 404,412,298 clean reads were obtained, assembling into 96,341 unigenes, which were annotated against public databases. In total, 2730 differentially expressed genes were detected, and few energy- and immune-related genes were further assessed using RT-qPCR. Moreover, activities of three immune-related (SOD, AKP and ACP) and three energy-related (PKM, LDH and GCK) enzymes were determined. AO infection activated the immune system and increased interleukin-1 beta and immunoglobulin M heavy chain levels. Besides, the PPAR signalling pathway was highly enriched, which played a role in improving immunity and maintaining homeostasis. AO infection also caused dyspnoea, leading to extensive lactic acid accumulation, potentially contributing towards a strong immune response in the host. Our data improved our understanding regarding the immune response mechanisms through which fish coped with parasitic infections and may help prevent high fish mortality in aquaculture.

A cell line (PaF) derived from the fin tissue of silver pomfret (Pampus argenteus) was established and characterized in this study. The cell line has been subcultured for more than 50 times in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) containing 15% foetal bovine serum (FBS) since the initial primary culture. PaF cells grew well at temperatures from 24°C to 28°C in DMEM supplemented with 15% FBS. Partial amplification and sequence analysis of the cytochrome B gene indicated that PaF originated from silver pomfret. Cytogenetic analysis demonstrated that the modal chromosome number was 48. A significant cytopathic effect was observed in PaF cells during viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) infection, and the VHSV replication was confirmed by qRT-PCR and viral titre assays. In contrast, PaF cells were resistant to red-spotted grouper nervous necrosis virus infection. Moreover, PaF cells could respond to VHSV and lipopolysaccharide treatments, as indicated by the expression of immune-related genes, TLR5 and TLR9. In conclusion, the establishment of PaF cell line will provide an appropriate in vitro tool for the study of mechanisms of pathogen-silver pomfret interaction.

Pomfret, which are widely distributed throughout the western Pacific and Indian Oceans, are economically important fish species. As their similar external morphological characteristics can inhibit proper species identification, numerous errors exist in the morphological characterization and DNA barcoding data of pomfret. In this study, we extensively sampled pomfret from the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Using the sampled specimens, in combination with morphological assessments, DNA barcoding, and corrected sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene in GenBank, we attempted to resolve the classification issues surrounding this group. We identified seven valid species in the genus Pampus, of which all seven are distributed in the western Pacific and three are distributed in the Indian Ocean. Pampus argenteus, Pampus cinereus, and Pampus sp. were identified as three valid species with relatively close genetic distances and sharing a common ancestor. Significant variation between Pampus chinensis specimens from the Arabian Sea and the northwestern Pacific suggest a possible species complex. Finally, we provide an identification key to facilitate the identification of pomfret based on the major diagnostic morphological characteristics of six Pampus species collected along the western Pacific coast. On the basis of the reports on the new record of “Pampus argenteus,” we found that the Lessepsian migration of pomfret was likely, with species from the Indian and Pacific Oceans spreading through the Mediterranean Sea into the waters of the eastern Atlantic. Further study is required to clarify the validity of the newly recorded “Pampus argenteus.”

Formaldehyde can effectively control ectoparasites in silver pomfret (Pampus argenteus). However, there is limited information on the effects of formaldehyde treatment at a molecular level in fishes. In the present study, transcriptome profiling was conducted to investigate the effects of formaldehyde treatment (80 mg/L, bath for 1 h every day for three consecutive days) on the liver and kidney tissues of silver pomfret. A total of 617959982 clean reads were obtained and assembled into 265760 unigenes with an N50 length of 1507 bp, and the assembled unigenes were all annotated by alignment with public databases. A total of 2204 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in the liver and kidney tissues, and they included 7 detoxification- related genes and 9 immune-related genes, such as CYP450, GST, MHC I & II, and CCR. In addition, 1440 DEGs were mapped to terms in the GO database, and 1064 DEGs were mapped to the KEGG database. The expression of 4 detoxification-related genes and 6 immune-related genes in three days formaldehyde treatment were analyzed using RT-qPCR, and the antioxidant enzyme levels were also determined. The results indicate differential expression of detoxification- and immune-related genes during the three days formaldehyde treatment. Our data could provide a reference for the treatment of parasites to avoid high mortality and help in understanding the molecular activity in fishes after formaldehyde exposure.

The present investigation was aimed at elucidating the importance of freshness and quality for the consumer and its relationship to sensory and non-sensory properties of fish caught by single-day and multi-day gillnet fishing off Satpati Coast, Palghar District, Maharashtra, India. Selected species of marine fishes viz., Pampus argenteus, Ilisha filigera, Osteogeneiosus militaris, Thryssa mystax and Sardinella gibbosa from single-day and multi-day gillnet fishing trips were collected and assessed based on freshness score, microbiological and biochemical parameters. The average values of sensory score, total plate count (TPC) and pH for fish samples from single-day fishing were 25 to 26; 1.9×104 cfu g-1 to 7.3×104 cfu g-1 and 6.8 respectively, whereas for multi-day fishing, it was 12 to 17; 7.1×104 cfu g-1 to 1.8×105 cfu g-1 and 7.07 respectively. Significant difference (p

Toll like receptor (TLR) 5 and 9 are important members of the TLR family that play key roles in innate immunity in all vertebrates. In this study, paTLR5 and paTLR9 were identified in silver pomfret (Pampus argenteus), a marine teleost of great economic value. Open reading frames (ORFs) of paTLR5 and paTLR9 are 2646 and 3225 bp, encoding polypeptides of 881 and 1074 amino acids, respectively. Sequence analysis revealed several conserved characteristic features, including signal peptides, leucine-rich repeat (LRR) motifs, and a Toll/interleukin-I receptor (TIR) domain. Sequence, phylogenetic and synteny analysis revealed high sequence identity with counterparts in other teleosts, confirming their correct nomenclature and conservation during evolution. Quantitative real-time PCR revealed that the that both TLRs were ubiquitously expressed in all investigated tissues, most abundantly in liver, kidney, spleen, intestine and gill, but lower in muscle and skin. In vitro immunostimulation experiments revealed that Aeromonas hydrophila lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and Vibrio anguillarum flagellin induced higher levels of paTLR9 and paTLR5 mRNA expression in isolated fish intestinal epithelial cells (FIECs) than Lactobacillus plantarum lipoteichoic acid (LTA), but all increased the secretion of IL-6 and TNF-α and induced cell apoptosis and necrosis. Together, these results indicate that paTLR5 and paTLR9 may function in the response to bacterial pathogens. Our findings enhance our understanding of the function of TLRs in the innate immune system of silver pomfret and other teleosts.

In the summer of 2015, a disease outbreak occurred in the Silver pomfret (Pampus argenteus) that reared in indoor tanks of one farm in Eastern China. The primary external sign of affected fish was hemorrhages in fins. In the present study, Gram-negative rods were found in internal organs of diseased fish, and bacterial isolates obtained were identified as Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae based on phenotypic and genetic analysis. Pathogenicity of one representative P. damselae subsp. damselae isolate was confirmed with experimental infections using healthy silver pomfret. This bacterial isolate also exhibited high cytotoxicity to against a marine finfish kidney cell line. In summary, P. damselae subsp. damselae was the causative agent of the disease outbreak of 2015 in aquacultured sliver pomfret.

This study investigated the physical (L*, a*, b*, texture profile analyses, pH), chemical (TVB-N, K value and TBA), microbiological, amino acid content, and flavor effects that Gingko biloba leaf extract (GBLE) had on silver pomfret (Pampus argenteus) stored at 4 ± 1 °C in ice for 18 days. Fresh pomfret samples were obtained directly from the local fish market and transported to the laboratory with ice immediately. After being gutted, washed, filleted and trimmed in a water-ice mixture, samples were treated with different concentrations of GBLE (0.0 mg/mL, 2.5 mg/mL, 5.0 mg/mL, 10.0 mg/mL) and packaged in Polyethylene bag, then stored in a refrigerator at 4 ± 1 °C with ice. The results show that the shelf-life of untreated (0.0 mg/mL) pomfret samples was 8–9 days compared to 14–15 days for the GBLE1 (2.5 mg/mL) treated group. The assessment results showed that different concentrations of GBLE had variable effects on preserving the texture parameters of acceptability limit, inhibit lipid oxidation, protein degradation, and microorganism growth. 2.5 mg/mL of GBLE was the best for the preservation of pomfret during storage in ice. Therefore, there is potential use for GBLE as a preservative to extend the shelf-life of pomfret during chilled storage in ice.

Dietary studies of fish can enhance our understanding of predator-prey interactions and provide important insights into complex marine food webs. In this study, we performed dietary analyses of three commercially important fish species in South China: Acanthopagrus latus, Pampus argenteus, and Scomberomorus commerson. Two distinct fragments of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (mtCOI) gene, a small (130 bp) and large (300 bp) amplicon, were amplified from the DNA extracted from the gut contents in the presence of blocking primers designed to inhibit the amplification of predator-specific DNA. The amplicons from each predator species were tagged with a unique indexing bar code and sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Our results showed that the three fish species consumed a wide variety of prey, including jellyfish, copepods, crustaceans, and fish. Seasonal variations in prey composition and species-selective predation were observed. Our approach of combining next-generation sequencing with blocking primers greatly enhanced the speed and resolution of the dietary analyses in marine fishes and could provide novel insights into marine ecosystems.

Investigations were carried out for evaluating the design and selectivity of Pampus argenteus gillnets used along the Satpati coast. Satpati, an important marine fish landing centre of Maharashtra, India has the maximum Silver pomfret, P. argenteus landing by mechanized gillnetters. Among the maritime states, maximum landing of pomfret was recorded from Gujarat and Maharashtra in the northwest coast. They are highly relished table fishes in domestic and export markets and command high unit value. In India, the species is available in all the coastal states. Gillnet selectivity plays an important role in fish resource management and helps in maintaining sustainability of the stock. The gillnetters used for pomfret fishing in Satpati carried only one net per vessel and the total fleet length ranged from 10620 m to 11400 m. Gillnets are operated as column and bottom drift and depth of operation ranged from 35 m to 50 m. Gillnets made of Polyamide (PA) monofilament of diameter 0.23 mm to 0.28 mm and mesh size that ranged from 110 mm to 130 mm are commonly used. They are rigged with hanging coefficient between 0.42 and 0.51. Hung length varied from 114 m to 143 m and hung depth from 7.66 m to 9.50 m. The estimated optimum length of small mesh and large mesh was 131.40 mm and 155.29 mm respectively. Findings of the present study indicate a drastic decline in the length at first maturity of Silver pomfret to 199 mm fork length and the optimum mesh size estimated is 166 mm. Selectivity in terms of mesh size selectivity in accordance with the size at first maturity and size at first capture helps to eliminate juveniles from the gear. The knowledge of size selectivity of fishing gear types is crucial to fisheries management in order to achieve sustainable yield.

Salinity is a major ecological factor in the marine environment, and extremely important for the survival, development, and growth of fish. In this study, gill transcriptomes were examined by high-throughput sequencing at three different salinities (12 ppt as low salinity, 22 ppt as control salinity, and 32 ppt as high salinity) in an importantly economical fish silvery pomfret. A total of 187 genes were differentially expressed, including 111 up-regulated and 76 down-regulated transcripts in low-salinity treatment group and 107 genes differentially expressed, including 74 up-regulated and 33 down-regulated transcripts in high-salinity treatment group compared with the control group, respectively. Some pathways including NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, Toll-like receptor pathway, cardiac muscle contraction, and vascular smooth muscle contraction were significantly enriched. qPCR analysis further confirmed that mRNA expression levels of immune (HSP90A, IL-1β, TNFα, TLR2, IP-10, MIG, CCL19, and IL-11) and ion transport–related genes (WNK2, NPY2R, CFTR, and SLC4A2) significantly changed under salinity stress. Low salinity stress caused more intensive expression changes of immune-related genes than high salinity. These results imply that salinity stress may affect immune function in addition to regulating osmotic pressure in silvery pomfret.

Studies on organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and heavy metals (HMs) from tidal creeks are scarce. Sixteen OCPs and seven HMs were measured in the surface water, zooplankton, two fishes (Harpadon nehereus and Pampus argenteus), and one shrimp (Penaeus indicus) collected from three tidal creeks of the Indian Sundarban. The surface water was polluted by hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (ΣHCH: 525–1581 ng l−1), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane congeners (ΣDDT: 188–377 ng l−1), endosulfan congeners (ΣEND: 687–1474 ng l−1), and other OCPs (512–1334 ng l−1). However, the mean HM concentrations in the surface water were

Silver pomfret [Pampus argenteus (Euphrasen, 1788)] is a perciform fish that is widely distributed in coastal regions of the Indo-West Pacific, and is a favourite food species in China. A serious disease occurred in silver pomfret at a marine fish farm in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, East China, in the summer of 2018, causing high fish mortality. Infected fish showed darkened skin, imbalanced swimming or irregular breathing, and abdominal distention with reddish ascites. When dissected, fish were found to have an enlarged spleen and pale liver. No major parasites were found during microscopic examinations of the scales, fins, and mucus of diseased pomfret. However, the spleen, kidney, liver, and gills of diseased pomfret tested positive for red sea bream iridovirus (RSIV) using primers from the OIE (Oficina International de Epizootias). Typical swollen cells were observed in the spleen of RSIV-positive pomfret during histopathological analysis, with iridovirus-like particles from 131 to 178 nm in size observed under transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Degenerated erythrocytes were observed, with decreased sizes and number of cells seen in blood smears after Wright-Giemsa staining, while the number of monocytes, thrombocytes, and lymphocytes in the blood increased compared with those in normal pomfret. The major capsid protein (MCP) and adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) genes of the iridovirus found in silver pomfret were subjected to phylogenetic analyses. In the MCP phylogenetic tree, the iridovirus isolated from pomfret was clustered in subgroup 1 of the RSIV type of Megalocytivirus, with 99.80, 99.78, 99.71, and 94.49% homology with large yellow croaker iridovirus (LYCIV)-15 (Zhejiang strain), LYCIV (Fujian strain), RSIV, and infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV), respectively, and in the ATPase tree it had 100, 100, and 97% homology with LYCIV, RSIV, and ISKNV, respectively. The genetic distance of the iridovirus from silver pomfret was 0.002 from LYCIV-15 (Zhejiang), 0.002 from LYCIV (Fujian), and 0.003 from both RSIV (Japan) and marble goby iridovirus (MGIV) (Taiwan), while the distance of LYCIV (Fujian) was 0.001 from both RSIV (Japan) and MGIV (Taiwan) and 0.003 from LYCIV-15 (Zhejiang), meaning that the silver pomfret iridovirus and LYCIV (Fujian) belong to different iridovirus branches. It could be concluded that the iridovirus isolated from silver pomfret (silver pomfret iridovirus, or SPIV) is a potentially severe pathogen of silver pomfret, and a new member of subgroup 1 of the RSIV type of the Megalocytivirus genus.

Summary Two bycatch reduction devices (BRDs): a juvenile and trash fish excluder device (JTED) and a square-mesh panel (SMP), were tested in the Persian Gulf shrimp fishery from a small-scale shrimp trawler in October–November 2012. Each device was alternatively tested by using a small-mesh cover net to retain individuals that escaped the BRDs. Three valuable fish species—tigertooth croaker (Otolithes ruber), silver pomfret (Pampus argenteus) and silver sillago (Sillago sihama)—were selected for detailed analyses. Average escapement rates by number for commercial species in the trawl nets with either JTED or SMP were calculated as 24% and 33%, respectively. There were significant differences in escapement rates for Otolithes ruber and Sillago sihama between JTED and SMP (p

In fish, growth and development are mainly regulated by growth hormone/insulin-like growth factors. Common aquaculture practices subject fish to stress. To investigate the effects of acute stress on growth-related genes in cultured fish, the expression of growth hormone receptors (ghr1 and ghr2), insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (igfbp1, igfbp4, and igfbp5), preprosomatostatin I and II (ppss1and ppss2), somatostatin receptors (sstr2 and sstr5), myostatin (mstn1 and mstn2), and glucocorticoid receptors (gr1 and gr2) were examined in Pampus argenteus subjected to handling stress. Plasma growth hormone levels increased significantly and peaked at 12 h and then decreased significantly at 24 h after treatment (P

Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is a major constituent of the cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria. The structure and immunomodulation of LTA vary greatly between different species. LTA from Lactobacillus plantarum has been shown to exert anti-pathogenic effects. Vibrio anguillarum is a major causative agent of vibriosis, one of the most prevalent fish diseases. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of L. plantarum LTA on V. anguillarum growth, adhesion, and induced inflammation and apoptosis in intestinal epithelial cells of silvery pomfret (Pampus argenteus). Our results showed that L. plantarum LTA was unable to inhibit V. anguillarum growth; however, it significantly inhibited adhesion of V. anguillarum. It also showed significant inhibitory effects on EHEC-induced inflammation and apoptosis by modulating the expression of NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa B), IκB (inhibitor of NF-κB), Bcl2 (B-cell leukemia/lymphoma-2), BAX (Bcl-2-associated X protein), IL-8 (interleukin 8) and TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-α), and via inhibition of caspase-9 and caspase-3 activation. These data extend our understanding of the beneficial effects of L. plantarum LTA, which is related to the inhibition of V. anguillarum, and suggest that L. plantarum LTA has potential as a new therapeutic agent against V. anguillarum-caused vibriosis in fish.

Summary This study investigated the effects of elevated dietary levels of vitamin E (α-tocopherol) on growth performance, proximate composition and fatty acid profiles of juvenile silver pomfret, Pampus argenteus. Three semi-purified experimental diets were formulated to contain 49% protein and 16% lipid. High docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) tuna oil was added to the diets to supplement DHA. A graded level of vitamin E (0-, 50-, and 100 mg kg−1) was added to experimental diets 1 to 3, respectively. Analyzed vit. E levels were 155.2, 195.3 and 236.4 mg kg−1 in diets 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The experiment was conducted for 12 weeks with juvenile silver pomfret (29.6 ± 7.6 g) using a flow-through system consisting of nine 1-m3 tanks. Each treatment had three replicates and fish were stocked at the rate of 20 m−3. Growth performance and feed utilization parameters of fish fed diets 2 and 3 were significantly (P 0.05). Although whole body protein levels were not influenced by the dietary vit. E levels, whole body lipid in fish fed diet 2 was significantly higher than in fish fed the other diets. The whole body vit. E levels in fish fed diet 2 (22.6 mg kg−1) and diet 3 (24.1 mg kg−1) were significantly (P

The status of Kuwait’s fisheries landings and relative abundance for major species was reviewed using research data from Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research and landing data from the Kuwait’s Central Statistical Bureau. Landing data showed significant decreases for major commercial species such as zobaidy (Pampus argenteus), suboor (Tenualosa ilisha), hamoor (Epinephelus coioides), newaiby (Otolithes ruber) and hamra (Lutjanus malabaricus) while abundance data for the shrimp Penaeus semisulcatus showed significant reduction in the recent years mainly because of overfishing. The catch-rate data showed continuous decline for major species such as zobaidy, newaiby and hamoor, which indicate that stock abundances of these species are low. The reduction in stock abundance in context with changes in habitat quality, particularly the effects of reduced discharge of the Shatt Al-Arab, is discussed.

The present study was conducted to determine microbial quality have been measured in gills and gut tissues in three imported fishes samples obtained from trawl fishing boats in Al-Faw city, Basrah, Iraq. In this study, tissues samples were collected from 80 fish samples of three fresh marine fish species: silver pomfret Pampus argenteus (Euphrasen, 1788); Oriental Sole Brachirus orientalis (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) and Yellowfin seabream, Acanthopagrus latus (Houttuyn,. 1782) were collected from trawl fishing boats of Al-Faw city during period from January 2017 to April 2017. Samples of three marine fish’s species were examined for the fecal coliforms. Level of fecal coliforms was higher on tissues samples of Pampus argenteus were total number of fecal coliform identified were in 18 samples (22.50%) and in Brachirus orientalis fecal coliforms bacteria species were found in 11 samples (13.75%), while the lowest level of fecal coliforms was found in tissues samples of Acanthopagrus latus 4 (5%). To find out pathogenic bacteria culturing technique was used followed by staining for identification of bacterial species. In this study determination of coliforms especially Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella sp., three fecal coliforms Bacteria species were found (E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and Salmonella sp.) in tissues of three fish species samples in this study, E. coli was mostly present specie and it was identified in 16 tissues samples of P. argenteus (20.00%) followed by tissues samples of B. orientalis in 14 samples (17.50%), while were found in 10 tissues samples of A. latus (12.50%).

We investigated the effects of dietary n − 3 LC-PUFAs on plasma vitellogenin (Vtg), sex steroids levels and ovarian steroidogenesis during vitellogenesis in female silver pomfret ( Pampus argenteus ) broodstock. Broodstock were fed four iso-nitrogenous, iso-energetic, and iso-lipidic experimental diets for 185 d: FO (100% fish oil), FSO (70% fish oil and 30% soybean oil), SFO (30% fish oil and 70% soybean oil), and SO (100% soybean oil) with n − 3 LC-PUFA levels of 5.18, 4.01, 3.02, and 2.22%, respectively. The results revealed that plasma FSH levels increased at vitellogenesis ( P P P P Cyp19α1α and erα expression levels significantly increased at vitellogenesis and post-vitellogenesis ( P Cyp19α1α and erα expression levels decreased in SO at vitellogenesis. In conclusion, dietary n − 3 LC-PUFAs affect ovarian steroidogenesis in silver pomfret by altering plasma FSH and LH levels and ovarian Cyp19α1α gene expression levels during vitellogenesis. High dietary n − 3 LC-PUFAs promote ovarian development in silver pomfret, by increasing E2 secretion and Vtg synthesis.

Two bycatch reduction devices (BRDs); a Nordmore grid and a Nafted in combination with fisheye, were tested in the Persian Gulf shrimp fishery from an industrial shrimp trawler. Double rig trawls were used, one of them as an experimental net and the other as the control net. Three species of valuable fish— Scomberomorus commerson , Otolithes ruber , and Pampus argenteus were selected for selectivity analysis. For each of the three commercial fish studied, less individuals smaller than the minimum landing size (MLS) were retained in the experimental codends of both BRDs. The average exclusion rate of individuals smaller than MLS was calculated to be 47% and 32% for Nafted plus fisheye and Nordmore grid respectively. A two-sample Kolmogorov–Smirnov test detected a significant difference ( P 0.05 ) in the length frequency of S. commerson , O. ruber and P. argenteus caught in the control and experimental codend of both BRDs. For S. commerson , O. ruber and P. argenteus fish length at 50% retention (L50) and selection range (SR) differs little between Nordmore grid and Nafted plus fisheye. Selectivity curves of both BRDs for three commercial fish indicated that the recorded L50 values were smaller than MLS values. The results have shown that Nordmore grid and Nafted in combination with fisheye have a reductional effect on bycatch of the juveniles of commercial fish species. This study has shown that by using BRDs in the Persian Gulf shrimp fishery decreased fishing impacts on bycatch species, helps to maintain ecological biodiversity and resilience of these demersal communities.

Jellyfish are sometimes considered as valueless because of their supposed low nutritive content. Here, we conducted feeding experiments on silver pomfret juveniles to evaluate the dietary value of jellyfish. Six treatments, including a starvation treatment (S) and five feeding treatments, with Aurelia aurita (AA), Rhopilema esculentum (RE), artificial diet (AD), both A. aurita and artificial diet (A&A), and both R. esculentum and artificial diet (R&A), were carried out to compare fish survival rates and growth performance. Fish with S treatment showed a 48% mortality rate and reduced body weight, whereas fish with AA and RE treatments showed no death and much increased body weight. Fish with A&A and R&A treatments exhibited a much faster growth than that with AD treatment. Further, the effects of diet on biochemical composition of silver pomfrets were explored. Monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), seven different fatty acids, and six different essential amino acids (EAAs) were showed to be good indicators to assess silver pomfrets’ response to their prey. Our experiment indicated that the jellyfish, A. aurita and R. esculentum, can provide energy for silver pomfrets’ metabolism and growth, and as supplemental food are suitable for rearing silver pomfret juveniles.

Length–weight relationships were estimated for four marine species, namely Pomadasys kaakan (Cuvier, 1829), Pampus argenteus (Euphrasen, 1788), Scomberoides commersonnianus Lacepede, 1801 and Euthynnus affinis (Cantor, 1849) in the Gulf of Oman (Konarak, Iran). During nine cruises, samples were collected at 20‐miles distance from shoreline by 3 panel drift gill‐nets with 120 mm mesh size, 8–9 m height and 0.5 hanging ratio in autumn and winter 2016.

The embryonic,larval and juvenile development of the offspring obtained from cultured silver pomfret (Pampus argenteus) was observed,which contributed to the study of larvae rearing and breeding biology of pomfret.The eggs of silver pomfret were telolecithal,and had only one oil globule.The diameter of egg and oil globule were (1.417 ± 0.063) mm and (0.575 ± 0.031) mm,respectively.The hatching time was about 36 h after fertilization when the first larva was hatched at (20.0 ± 0.5) ℃,salinity 24 ± 1 and pH 8.0 8.5.Juvenile stage occurred 60 d after hatching (DAH) at 19.0 24.0 ℃,salinity 23 ± 1,pH 8.0 8.5 and 2 000 3 000 lx.There were 4 consecutive periods:pre-larval,post-larval,juvenile and young stages,during the development of silver pomfret.The morphological feature of pre-larval was the utilization of yolk sac.The post-larval was known as the occurrence of some organs such as esophageal sac,esophagus,stomach,pyloric caeca and liver.And the external character of post-larval was as follows:there were visible star-shaped melanin and golden spots in the two sides of fish body.And the primordium of dorsal and ventral fins was also occurred in the post-larval stage.In the juvenile stage,the digestive organs had been further developed.At 13DAH,the body length and height were (5.586 ±0.479) mm and (1.068±0.087) mm;the tail end of dorsal chord curved upward slightly,and then the hypural occurred.In the beginning,the end of hypural and body axis inclined to one another.At 35 DAH,hypural was perpendicular to the body axis.At 45 DAH,the body height increased significantly,and total body length and body height were (25.560±3.870) mm and (11.157±1.266) mm,respectively.In the young stage,pectoral fin had a sharp-pointed front end;caudal fin grew fast and formed forked;all fish scales had been formed.At 60 DAH,the body length and height were (41.000±3.300) mm and (19.750 ±1.620) mm,respectively.And there was no difference in the morphological feature between young fish and adult fish.In addition,the paper makes an analysis of the division of larvae and juvenile stages,difference in the embryo,larvae and juvenile developments between main species of pomfret,and key stages of death during artificial breeding of silver pomfret.

Summary This study investigated the effect of high-dose vitamin C supplementation on growth, tissue ascorbic acid concentrations and physiological response to transportation stress in juvenile silver pomfret, Pampus argenteus (initial average weight 6.2 ± 0.2 g). Three practical diets were formulated to contain 100 (control), 450 and 800 mg ascorbic acid/kg diet, respectively, supplied as l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate. Each diet was fed to triplicate groups of fish in circular tanks (3 m o, 1.5 m depth) (60 fish/tank) for 9 weeks. Growth did not change significantly with dietary vitamin C levels, although an improvement tendency with an increase in vitamin C supplementation was observed. Ascorbic acid concentrations in the liver and muscle of fish fed diets containing graded levels of vitamin C were positively correlated with dietary levels of this vitamin. Tissue ascorbic acid concentrations significantly increased with increasing vitamin C supplementation. After 9 weeks, the fish were subjected to transportation stress for 4 h to determine the influence of high vitamin C supplementation on the physiological response to this stressor. Serum cortisol, glucose and lactate levels significantly increased in stressed fish. Serum cortisol and glucose concentrations after stress were significantly higher in fish fed the control diet (7.91 μg L−1 and 0.80 mm, respectively) than in the other groups. However, there were no significant differences in serum cortisol and glucose levels after stress between the 450 and 800 mg kg−1 diets. No significant change could be found in serum lactate levels after stress among the different treatments. In conclusion, the dietary administration of high doses of vitamin C could reduce stress in silver pomfret and increase the survival of fish under stress conditions.

Summary The silver pomfret (Pampus argenteus) is a commercially important species native to the Indo-western Pacific area. In the present study, the genetic structure of five P. argenteus populations from the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and South China Sea were investigated using sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. All populations showed high levels of haplotype diversity (h) and low levels of nucleotide diversity (π). Phylogenetic trees indicated that the haplotypes could be divided into three clusters, indicating the geographic distribution of the five populations. Analysis of molecular variance (amova) indicated the intra-region variation among these populations to be highly significant. The average pairwise differences and Fst values among the three regions were also found to be significant. These results suggest that P. argenteus in these regions has strong geographic genetic structure. The present results provide new information for the genetic assessment, fishery management, and conservation of this species.

The proximate and fatty acid composition of cultured and wild silver pomfret (Pampus argenteus), grouper (Epinephelus coioides), blue fin sea bream (Sparidentex hasta), and yellow fin sea bream (Acanthopagrus latus) were evaluated. Wild sea breams had significantly higher muscle protein than cultured conspecifics, but no differences were observed among other species. Cultured silver pomfret and yellow fin sea bream had significantly (P < 0.05) higher muscle lipid than cultured conspecifics, while the opposite was true for grouper and blue fin sea bream. Saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and monosaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) in all fishes, whether farmed or wild, palmitic (C16:0), and oleic (C18:1 n−9) acids were the principal SFA and MUFA, respectively. Wild silver pomfret, grouper, and both the cultured sea breams contained significantly (P < 0.01) higher n−3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which were dominated by higher docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content. All the cultured fish contained significantly hi...

Hatchery-produced silver pomfret ( Pampus argenteus ) in the Mariculture and Fisheries Department's fish culture facilities suffered infection due to Streptococcosis during the summer months of 2007. The fish larvae showed anorexia, thinning, gradual darkening and morbidity. The rearing tank water and the supply water were found to harbor Streptococcus agalactiae . The blood and body fluid smears revealed the presence of Gram positive Cocco-bacilli with characteristic aggregated distribution. The bacterium was recovered from the brain of moribund fish. Cumulative mortalities increased with a raise in the seawater temperature from 25 to 29 °C reaching over 50% by 24 dph. Light and transmission electron microscopy also showed the presence of the bacterium in the granular layer of the brain. The bacterium measured 2.6 × 1.8 μm (l × w). The TEM sections of the fish brain showed typical capsular bacterium and heavily melanized skin epithelium. The API-strep (Biomeurex, Germany) and the biochemical properties of the isolate also confirmed the identity. The isolate was further tested positive through PCR for its identity revealing a species specific amplicon of 220 bp. Samples of brain of moribund larvae at 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 dph showed positive amplicon for the presence of S. agalactiae .

This study investigated the effects of varying dietary levels of decosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on growth performance, proximate composition and whole body fatty acid profiles of juvenile silver pomfret, Pampus argenteus. Triplicate groups of fish (30.55 ± 0.08 g) were fed diets containing 5.2%, 9.31% and 13.38% DHA (% of total fatty acids) or 0.85%, 1.52% and 2.18% DHA on dry diet weight for diets 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Survival was not affected by dietary DHA levels. The growth performance and feed utilization parameters of fish fed diets 2 and 3 were significantly (P 0.05). Whole body lipid and fatty acid profiles were influenced by dietary DHA levels. Significantly higher n-3 fatty acids particularly DHA, DHA:EPA(eicosapentaenoic acid) ratios and n-3:n-6 ratios were observed in fish fed diets 2 and 3 compared to those fed diet 1. Better growth performance and higher whole body DHA:EPA (2.31, 2.29) ratios and n-3:n-6 ratios (2.17, 2.12) observed in fish fed diets 2 and 3, respectively, suggests that silver pomfret juveniles have a higher requirement for n-3 fatty acids, notably DHA for optimum growth and survival.

Summary Whole body and egg essential amino acid (EAA) composition of silver pomfret, Pampus argenteus, was determined to estimate their dietary requirements using A/E ratios as an indicator. Ten adult fish (sex ratio 1 : 1) were sampled each month from Kuwaiti waters for a 1-year period (November 2007 to October 2008). There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between the whole body amino acid (AA) composition of males and females except for glutamic acid and serine. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) between the contents of leucine, methionine, phenylalanine and threonine in whole body and eggs. However, arginine, isoleucine and valine contents in eggs were significantly higher than those of whole body, while lysine and histidine in whole body was significantly higher than that of eggs. Among non-essential AAs, cystine, tyrosine, alanine, and serine content in eggs were significantly (P

Summary Proximate and fatty acid composition of wild silver pomfrets, Pampus argenteus, were studied in Kuwait waters for a period of 1 year (November 2007–October 2008) to see whether there were any seasonal compositional differences between males and females. Ten adults (five males, five females) were sampled each month during (i) Pre-spawning (March–May), (ii) Spawning (June–August), (iii) Post-spawning (September–November), and (iv) Winter (December–February). Both sexes had significantly (P 0.05) in total saturated fatty acids (SFA), PUFA, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) or n-3/n-6 ratios between respective males and females in different seasons. Livers in males had significantly (P

A feeding trial was conducted in a flow-through system in 1 m3 tanks using seawater to determine the optimum dietary protein requirement of juvenile silver pomfret, Pampus argenteus (Euphrasen). Fish were stocked a density of 12 juveniles per tank. Five semi-purified iso-energetic diets were formulated with fish meal to contain graded levels of 35, 40, 45, 50, and 55% crude protein. Each diet was fed to triplicate groups of fish to apparent satiation twice daily. The growth of fish fed 50% protein diet was not significantly different (P > 0.05) from that of fish fed 45 or 55% diet, but significantly higher than that of fish fed 35 or 40% diet. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) ranged between 1.7 and 2.5%, and 35% protein diet had significantly higher FCR than those of 45, 50 and 55% diets. Protein efficiency ratio of fish fed 55% protein diet was significantly lower than rest of the diets. Fish fed 50% dietary protein showed significantly best apparent net protein utilization. There were no significant differences between the survivals of fish which ranged between 80.6 and 88.9%. Based on the polynomial regression analysis of %weight gain, the optimal dietary protein level for silver pomfret was estimated to be 49%.

Trophic interactions in commercially exploited demersal finfishes in the southeastern Arabian Sea of India were studied to understand trophic organization with emphasis on ontogenic diet shifts within the marine food web. In total, the contents of 4716 stomachs were examined from which 78 prey items were identified. Crustaceans and fishes were the major prey groups to most of the fishes. Based on cluster analysis of predator feeding similarities and ontogenic diet shift within each predator, four major trophic guilds and many sub-guilds were identified. The first guild ‘detritus feeders’ included all size groups of Cynoglossus macrostomus , Pampus argenteus , Leiognathus bindus and Priacanthus hamrur . Guild two, named ‘Shrimp feeders’, was the largest guild identified and included all size groups of Rhynchobatus djiddensis and Nemipterus mesoprion , medium and large Nemipterus japonicus , P. hamrur and Grammoplites suppositus , small and medium Otolithes cuvieri and small Lactarius lactarius . Guild three, named ‘crab and squilla feeders’, consisted of few predators. The fourth trophic guild, ‘piscivores’, was mainly made up of larger size groups of all predators and all size groups of Pseudorhombus arsius and Carcharhinus limbatus . The mean diet breadth and mean trophic level showed strong correlation with ontogenic diet shift. The mean trophic level varied from 2.2 ± 0.1 in large L. bindus to 4.6 ± 0.2 in large Epinephelus diacanthus and the diet breadth from 1.4 ± 0.3 in medium P. argenteus to 8.3 ± 0.2 in medium N. japonicus . Overall, the present study showed that predators in the ecosystem have a strong feeding preference for the sergestid shrimp Acetes indicus , penaeid shrimps, epibenthic crabs and detritus.

The summer fishing moratorium system practiced annually by the Chinese government aims to protect fishery resources and restore the marine ecosystem in the East China Sea. To evalu- ate the effects of the moratorium on the fish community, temporal changes in the structure and func- tion of the fish community in the northern East China Sea were examined based on data from bottom trawl surveys from 2000 to 2007. The results revealed that the fish community has undergone a direc- tional change, in terms of relative biomass composition, following the implementation of the morato- rium, with increasing trends in Pseudosciaena polyactis and Lophius litulon and decreasing trends in Pampus argenteus and Acropoma japonicum. However, the changes in species composition have not resulted in the expected positive changes in the functioning of the fish community. The fish commu- nity in the study area was still moderately or heavily disturbed, based on abundance-biomass com- parison analysis. Moreover, no positive trends were observed in the indicators related to the stability and functioning of the fish community (e.g. the biodiversity and the slope and intercept of the size spectrum). Therefore, the summer moratorium system does not clearly fulfill restorative expectations for the fish community. To protect the health of this ecosystem, a comprehensive set of further fishery restrictions must be imposed in the area.

The present study was carried out using juveniles of silver pomfret, Pampus argenteus, produced in the hatchery by stripping eggs from spawners collected from the wild during 2004 and 2005 culture period. The experiments carried out during 2004 investigated the efficiency of using salmon feed mixed with cyclopeeze, salmon feed mixed with shrimp meat, salmon feed alone, and shrimp meat alone in the diet using 1 m3 capacity round fiberglass tanks in three replicates for each treatment with flow-through seawater. The results showed that inclusion of shrimp meat in the diet either with salmon feed or alone give significantly high (P

Sub-adults of silver pomfret ( Pampus argenteus ), produced and reared in the mariculture experimentation facilities of Mariculture and Fisheries Department of Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), suffered 55–70% mortalities due to scuticociliatosis by Uronema sp . The parasitic infestation was noticed during April–May 2005. Affected fish showed varying levels of tissue damage including severe epidermal and dermal necrotic lesions. The disease occurred with the raise in water temperature from 20 to 22 °C during April. Loss of scales, appearance of bleached spots that coalesced to form brownish patches, haemorrhagic and severe dermal necrotic lesions were the major clinico-pathological manifestations. The parasite was found abundantly in the blood, peritoneal fluid and the cerebrospinal fluid, the skin and the gill wet mounts. Extensive fouling, necrotic degeneration of the gill epithelium and deep dermal necrosis resulted in mortality of the infected fish. The parasite was noticed in the lumen of the collecting ducts of the kidney and the alimentary canal. The parasite was also seen distributed extensively in the entire brain causing widespread nerve necrosis. Earliest separation of the clinically normal fish from the affected fish resulted in significantly higher survival. The investigations are of significant importance in view of the mariculture potentials of the fish especially after the success of captive spawning and larval rearing achieved by the KISR.

Summary Silver pomfret, Pampus argenteus, were collected by fishing with drift gillnets on one spawning ground in Kuwait waters during 1998–2000. Fish size frequency, sex ratio, maturation cycle, spawning frequency, fecundity and egg weight were assessed. The length–weight relationship differed between sexes whereby females were significantly bigger than males. Spawning started in mid-May and continued until early October. During this time the water temperature ranged from 26.0 to 32.8°C, salinity was ≅ 39.0‰ and water depth ranged between 5 and 12 m. Large females spawned earlier than young spawners and the overall percentage of males during the spawning period was 70.3%. Spawning occurred after 13.00 h, with peak spawning between 15.00 and 18.00 hours during outgoing tide. Mean daily spawning frequency amounted to 63.2%. Spawning activity was found to be associated with the lunar cycle and spawnings were concentrated during the first and third quarters of the moon period, indicating a semilunar reproduction cycle. It was concluded that a female would spawn at least six times during the season. No change was observed in relative fecundity during the peak spawning season (June–August). Average relative batch fecundity was 176.3 eggs g−1 somatic weight (SW), corresponding to a relative total fecundity of 1058 eggs g−1 SW, which is 1.5 times higher than estimates obtained from counting the standing stock of oocytes. Bigger fish produced heavier eggs and the egg weight decreased as the spawning season progressed. Based on gonadal cycles, oocyte size frequency distribution and total fecundity, we concluded that silver pomfret is a multiple batch spawner with indeterminate fecundity.

Fishery survey data often contain zero values. This paper uses a gamma-based generalized linear model for non-zero values and a Bernoulli-based model for the proportion of non-zero catches. Yearly variation in catch rates is then estimated by integrating the estimates from both models. The results for the Kuwait driftnet fishery show that the catch rate of silver pomfret (Pampus argenteus) decreased from 115 kg per 1000 m clearances in 1984 to about 10 kg per 1000 m clearances in 1999, but its alternative target species, hilsa shad (Tenualosa ilisha), exhibited no clear pattern with great fluctuation over time. The proportion of non-zero catches for silver pomfret decreased with time during the study period. In contrast, the proportion for hilsa shad increased, indicating fishermen shifted their targeting from silver pomfret to hilsa shad with the decreasing catch rate of silver pomfret. Other effect factors like month, boat type and landing port were also included in the models, and their effects on catch rates were estimated and tested.