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Philasterides dicentrarchi is a ciliate that causes high mortalities in cultured turbot, Psetta maxima (L.). This pathogen displays high phagocytic activity and after entering the body it multiplies and feeds on host cells and tissue components. In previous studies, we found that complement, activated through the classical pathway, is a potent killer of P. dicentrarchi. Here, we compared the killing activity of turbot leucocytes and humoral factors against two virulent isolates of P. dicentrarchi, in order to determine the importance of leucocytes in the defence against this pathogen. Components of P. dicentrarchi (ciliary and membrane) stimulated turbot leucocytes, and increased the respiratory burst, degranulation and the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. We tested the susceptibility of ciliates to reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, by incubating them with different oxidative systems (H(2)O(2), Fe/ascorbate, which induces lipid peroxidation, an O(2)(-) donor (XOD/HX), an NO donor (SNAP) and an ONOO(-) donor (SIN-1)), for 24h. Both isolates were susceptible to high concentrations of H(2)O(2,) Fe/ascorbate, XOD/HX, and SIN-1 but were resistant to incubation with SNAP. Leucocytes became strongly activated when they were in contact with or were phagocytosed by the ciliate. Incubation of P. dicentrarchi with a combination of fresh serum and specific antibodies killed most of the ciliates, but the addition of leucocytes to ciliate cultures did not increase the toxicity to the ciliates. On the contrary, the number of ciliates increased when leucocytes were added to the culture because the ciliates fed on them. Despite being activated, leucocytes did not produce sufficiently high concentrations of toxic substances to kill the parasite. The most virulent isolate was that which induced greatest activation of leucocytes but was least susceptible to complement. We concluded that humoral factors such as complement (activated through the classical pathway) are critical for fish defence against P. dicentrarchi and that cellular responses appear to play a minor role, if any, in defence against this ciliate.

Several anthropogenic factors, including contamination by oil spills, constitute a threat to coral reef health. Current methodologies to remediate polluted marine environments are based on the use of chemical dispersants; however, these can be toxic to the coral holobiont. In this study, a probiotic bacterial consortium was produced from the coral Mussismilia harttii and was trained to degrade water-soluble oil fractions (WSFs). Additionally, we assessed the effect of WSFs on the health of M. harttii in tanks and evaluated the bacterial consortium as a bioremediation agent. The consortium was responsible for the highly efficient degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons and it minimised the effects of WSFs on coral health, as indicated by raised photosynthetic efficiencies. Moreover, the impact of WSFs on the coral microbiome was diminished by the introduced bacterial consortium. Following introduction, the bacterial consortium thus had a dual function, i.e promoting oil WSF degradation and improving coral health with its probiotic features.

The ammonia (NH 3 ) and nitrate (NO 3 − ) threshold concentrations in rearing water of juvenile pikeperch ( Sander lucioperca ) were assessed. Pikeperch with an initial mean (SD) weight of 17.7 (4.2) g were exposed to 0.9 (control), 3.6, 5.2, 7.1, 11.2 and 18.9 μM NH 3 in the water for 42 days. Plasma NH 4 + concentrations stayed at control levels (~ 650 μM) up to 11.2 μM NH 3 in the water. At the highest water NH 3 concentration tested, plasma NH 4 + had more than doubled to 1400 μM. Based on the specific growth rate, the EC 10 value for NH 3 was 5.7 μM. When pikeperch (initial mean (SD) weight of 27.0 (4.9) g) were exposed to 0.1 (control), 1.5, 2.3, 3.7, 6.1, 10.2, 15.8 and 25.6 mM NO 3 − for 42 days, mean (SD) plasma NO 3 − concentrations increased linearly from 88 (47) to 5993 (899) μM at the highest ambient NO 3 − level. Feed intake, specific growth rate and feed conversion ratio were not affected. Neither NH 3 nor NO 3 − exposure significantly affected haematocrit, plasma concentrations of cortisol, glucose, lactate, osmolality, gill morphology or branchial Na + /K + -ATPase activity in pikeperch. For juvenile pikeperch we advise not to exceed a water NH 3 concentration of 3.4 μM (0.05 mg NH 3 –N/L), the lower limit of the 95% confidence interval of the EC 10 value for SGR, to ensure proper physiology and growth. For NO 3 − we advise not to exceed 25 mM (350 mg NO 3 − –N/L). This criterion is based on the highest NO 3 − concentration tested (25.6 mM). As no negative effects were detected at the highest concentration tested, the actual NO 3 − threshold probably exceeds 25.6 mM.

The effects of the dietary administration of two bacterial probiotic strains (Ppd11 and Pdp13) from the Alteromonadaceae family for 60 days, were assessed by measuring growth and feed efficiency, activities of leucine aminopeptidase and alkaline phosphatase and structural changes in the intestine of juvenile Senegalese sole. In addition, the profile of intestinal microbiota was studied by Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis. Growth and nutrient utilization were significantly higher in fish receiving probiotics than in those fed the control diet. No differences were observed in proximal composition between treatments, though higher lipid muscle content was measured in fish receiving Pdp13. Those fish also exhibited higher activities of AP when compared to Ppd11 and control groups. The profile of intestinal microbiota clearly separated those fish receiving probiotics from those of the control group. Microscopical examination revealed accumulation of lipid droplets in the enterocytes of fish receiving the control diet, but not in those fed on probiotics. Interactions between those structural changes and growth performance are discussed

In this paper, we estimate levels of inbreeding with parental relatedness and contribution inferred from microsatellites in groups of Common sole that reproduce by natural mating. We present results on spawning patterns during one entire reproductive season of wild Common sole, Solea solea, kept in two broodstock groups (28 animals in broodstock A; 20 animals in broodstock B) under semi-natural conditions. Batches of eggs were collected daily and incubated separately. First, we performed a parentage analysis on parents and samples of 24 newly hatched larvae from all batches, using 10 polymorphic microsatellite markers. As expected, contribution of parents to offspring was highly skewed. In both broodstocks, five or less parental pairs produced more than half of the total progeny. Natural spawning and unequal contributions of parents to offspring resulted in significant deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibria. Furthermore, few alleles were lost and levels of heterozygosity in offspring population increased. Next, we calculated relatedness between parents that mated successfully based on estimates of molecular similarity. Mean coefficients of coancestry in offspring were determined using parental relatedness and contributions. Levels of coancestry in progeny were substantially high. These results show that due to different parental contributions, natural mating in groups can result in significant inbreeding in future generations despite of limited loss of alleles and high levels of heterozygosity in first generation progeny. This shows that using loss of alleles and levels of heterozygosity alone can be misleading for estimation of genetic diversity.

International audience; Dover sole (Solea solea, Linneaus 1758) were raised from first feeding on brine shrimp (Artemia sp.) with different contents and compositions of the essential fatty acids (EFA) arachidonic acid (ARA, 20:4n - 6); eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n - 3), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n - 3), and their metabolic rate and tolerance to hypoxia measured prior to and following metamorphosis and settlement. Four dietary Artemia preparations were compared: (1) un-enriched; (2) enriched with a commercial EFA mixture (Easy DHA SELCO Emulsion); (3) enriched with a marine fish oil combination (VEVODAR and Incromega DHA) to provide a high ratio of ARA to DHA, and (4) enriched with these fish oils to provide a low ratio of ARA to DHA. Sole fed un-enriched Artemia were significantly less tolerant to hypoxia than the other dietary groups. Larvae from this group had significantly higher routine metabolic rate (RMR) in normoxia, and significantly higher O-2 partial pressure (PO2) thresholds in progressive hypoxia for their regulation of RMR (P-crit) and for the onset of agitation, respiratory distress and loss of equilibrium. Metamorphosis was associated with an overall decline in RMR and increase in P-crit, but juveniles fed on un-enriched Artemia still exhibited higher P-crit and agitation thresholds than the other groups. Sole fed un-enriched Artemia had significantly lower contents of EFA in their tissues, both before and after settlement. Thus, enriching live feeds with EFA has significant effects on the respiratory physiology of sole early life stages and improves their in vivo tolerance to hypoxia. We found no evidence, however, for any effect of the ratio of ARA to DHA.

In order to investigate the impact of blood residues on the end quality of exsanguinated and unbled farmed turbot (Scophthalmus maximus), meat quality was evaluated using mechanical, sensory, and computer imaging techniques. The results show that exsanguination is important for improving the visual appearance, and the blood residue could be quantified using a computer imaging system. After 6 d of storage, mechanical analysis using puncture test or shear force showed no difference between exsanguinated and unbled fish. The trained taste panel was unable to detect any differences between exsanguinated and unbled fish after 6 and 14 d of storage. We conclude that over a 2-wk period the blood residue in turbot meat does not affect texture or sensory quality, but does affect the visual appearance.