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The Tbx family is first known through the study of their functions in the body and limbs, and its members Tbx4 and Tbx5 genes are important factors in determining the characteristics of the appendages. Pampus argenteus is one of the important economical marine fishes widely distributed in offshore areas. Therefore, it is necessary to study the role of Tbx family genes in the deletion of pelvic fin in P. argenteus. In this study, we cloned Tbx4 and Tbx5 cDNA sequence of P. argenteus (GenBank: MH709128 and MH712458). The Western blot and real time PCR were used to detect the expressions of Tbx4 and Tbx5 in different developmental stages and tissues of P. argenteus. In addition, whole-mount in-situ hybridization was used to study the localization of Tbx4 and Tbx5 genes in different developmental stages of P. argenteus. Results show that the translation of Tbx4 mRNA was inhibited during the critical period of pelvic fin development. Among different tissues, Tbx4 protein levels were the lowest in the abdominal epithelium, and even lower than that in the pectoral fin, suggesting that the protein expression was also inhibited in the abdominal epithelium of adult P. argenteus. Therefore, the results indicated that upstream genes regulation led to the key stage-specific and low expression of Tbx4 during pelvic fin development and in the abdominal epithelium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bilateral asymmetry is presumed to reveal the developmental variability of the fish in polluted aquatic environments. In these habitats, high-level asymmetry develops, and these fish expend more energy to balance their growth than fish that are not under an impact. A total of 121 specimens of Pampus argenteus were collected from Khor Abdulla located in the northwest part of the Arabian Gulf. The asymmetry of two otolith parameters of the marine fish species Pampus argenteus, length and width, was calculated. The results demonstrated that the level of asymmetry was highest for otolith width. The level of asymmetry in both otolith parameters was lowest in fish length ranging between 70-100 mm and the highest in fish ranging between 281-310 mm.

The stromateid fish Pinichthys shirvanensis sp. nov. (Perciformes, Stromateoidei), the latest species of the Oligocene–Miocene genus Pinichthys Bannikov, 1985, is described from the Tarkhanian (lowermost Middle Miocene) of the northwestern Caucasus (Krasnodar Region, Pshekha River) based on complete and incomplete skeletons. The new species differs from P. pulcher Bannikov, 1988 and P. fractus Bannikov, 1985 in having fewer soft rays in the anal fin and spines in the dorsal fin, a wider hypural diastema, and a greater number of abdominal vertebrae. Tricuspid teeth in the oral jaws, which are characteristic of Stromateidae, are documented in Pinichthys for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese pomfret Pampus chinensis (Euphrasen, 1788) (Stromateidae) observed with deformity from fish landings at the Jegathapattinam fishing harbour along Palk Bay coast of Tamil Nadu. The abnormality owing to fractional dorsal fin may call as 'saddleback syndrome' and this may be due to any kind of physical injury during early stages or to a higher chance of predation and in due course, the wound healed and the individual survive even with extreme deformed condition. Such a deformity for this species of Pomfret has never been documented from Indian waters and this could be the first record in Pampus chinensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of different processing methods (Frying cooking, brining and boiling) on the proximate composition of fish species (Pampus argenteus) were investigated. The objective of this work is to know the best processing methods, the effect of processing on nutritional values of fish products. The result of the proximate composition of the fish species showed that the highest protein content (38.17%) was in P. argenteus processed with the frying process. The result of moisture content indicated that boiled samples were consistently the least (25.20%) while for fried sample had the highest moisture percentage. The lipid was reduced to the least value of 9.94% in the brined fish. In cooking, the important factors for consideration are moisture, lipids, and protein, though low moisture would ensure a fish product with extended shelf life. To have a longer shelf life, high protein is desirable, a low lipid is equally desirable as to reduce oxidation and rancidity in the samples which causes off-flavor and bad taste in fish products. In conclusion, all the processing methods are good and could extend the shelf life of the products with an exception of boiling method; they could keep the fish fillet free from spoilage and microorganisms attack for some period. This study showed that the proximate values obtained could be of help in choosing fish based on nutritional values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pampus argenteus is a broadly exploited pelagic fish species, commonly misidentified as Pampus echinogaster. Genetic variation and population structure in Pampus argenteus was studied based on seven microsatellite loci. The observed high average allele number, heterozygosity values, and polymorphism information content of P. argenteus suggested high genetic diversity. No population genetic differentiation was detected based on the results of pairwise Fst, three-dimensional factorial correspondence analysis (3D-FCA) and STRUCTURE analysis, which implied continuous gene flow. Wilcoxon signed rank tests did not indicate significant heterozygosity excess, and recent genetic bottleneck events were not detected. Coupled with previous mitochondrial DNA results, the findings presented here indicate that high gene flow characterizes the current phylogeographic pattern of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seafood is amongst the most internationally traded food commodities worldwide and it is one of the food groups most likely to be subject to fraud. A number of studies have been conducted where samples from retail-, restaurant- and food service outlets have been tested for species substitution. These studies have mostly focused on specific species, particular types of outlets or confined to some geographical location. The study presented in this paper is the first large-scale attempt to study the rate of fish mislabeling in mass caterer (HoReCa) sector across Europe. A total of 283 samples were collected in 180 mass caterer outlets in 23 European countries. DNA barcoding revealed that 26% of the samples were mislabeled and that 31% of the outlets sold mislabeled seafood. The highest mislabeling rate was observed in Spain, Iceland, Finland and Germany, where close to 50% of the outlets sampled offered mislabeled seafood. Conversely, there was no mislabeling detected in Sweden, Switzerland and Slovakia. The species with the highest mislabeling rates were dusky grouper, butterfish, pike perch, sole, bluefin tuna and yellowfin tuna. In the case of other important fish species in Europe such as hake, cod, haddock and swordfish, mislabeling rates ranged between 14 and 33%. The results of the study show that the majority of the mislabelings are with cheaper fish, such as the presence of Pangasius commonly substituting other species, being labeled as more expensive ones, suggesting economic motivation for mislabelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The growth hormone (GH) is a pluripotent hormone produced by the pituitary in vertebrates. It plays important roles in the growth, development, and metabolism of vertebrates.We cloned GH cDNA sequence of Pampus argenteus (GenBank: KT257176). Multi‐sequence analysis revealed P. argenteus GH cDNA contained four conservative cysteine residues positions (Cys69, Cys177, Cys194, and Cys202) and shared more than 51.5% identity with homologues from other reported bony fish GHs, except that of Lepisosteus osseus. We used semi‐quantitative RT‐PCR and quantitative real‐time PCR to detect GH expression in 10 tissues and GH expression levels in the pituitary at six different growth stages, and also detected GH content in serum at different growth stages. qPCR showed that GH mRNA was detected in the liver, muscle, kidney, intestine, pituitary, olfactory bulb, stomach, heart, gill, and ovary. The highest level of P. argenteus GH mRNA was observed in the pituitary (P < 0.01, n = 3). At different growth stages, P. argenteus GH expression first increased, decreased, and increased again. GH gene expression levels and the variations of serum GH levels of P. argenteus were consistent with the growth rate and associated with the sexual maturity. In addition, in situ hybridization was used to locate the GH expression in pituitary. In situ hybridization showed that the GH‐positive cells were round, oval, or irregular and often gathered into groups or presented branches along the nerve fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jellyfish-fish interactions have long been reported, most of these related to medusae as ichthyoplankton predators. Conversely, associations are much less documented, most involving scyphozoan jellyfishes in comparison to cubozoans. We report for the first time the association between the cubozoan Tamoya haplonema and stromateid fish, along with a review of all published cubomedusae-fish interactions. Four individuals of Peprilus cf. crenulatus, were observed swimming around the tentacles and subumbrellar cavity of an individual of T. haplonema during a SCUBA dive on the southern coast of Brazil. This behavior has been noted before, in which fish roam around the tentacles, avoiding them, and may move inside the subumbrellar cavity if threatened. In the review of cubomedusae-fish interactions, over 20 reports involve predation on fish whilst only 6 involve associations, which is much less than the over 80 associations described for scyphomedusae. This emphasizes the scarcity of reports on associations compared to predation, as well as of interactions of fishes with cubozoans if compared to scyphozoans. This could be due to host preference or even the large spatial and temporal variability in the occurrence of the former. Furthermore, even though there are no indications of species-specific interactions, reports of associations with cubozoans only involve fish species from the families Carangidae and Stromateidae, which produce pelagic young that have the highest potential for these associations. Future studies may address the possibility of size relationships in jellyfish-fish associations, as well as potential host preferences by the fish consorts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In this study, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of Pampus cinereus (Bloch, 1795). This mitochondrial genome, consisting of 16,540 base pairs (bp), contains 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNAs, 22 transfer RNAs, and two mainly noncoding regions (control region and origin of light-strand replication) as those found in other vertebrates. Control region with 846 bp in length, is located between tRNAPro and tRNAPhe. The overall base composition of the heavy strand shows 27.4% of T, 27.5% of C, 30.0% of A, and 15.2% of G, with a slight A + T rich bias (57.4%). The complete mitochondrial genome data will provide useful genetic markers for the studies on the molecular identification, population genetics, phylogenetic analysis and conservation genetics.

We studied the effects of dietary n-3 LC- PUFAs on the activities and mRNA expression levels of tissue lipoprotein lipase ( LPL) and fatty acid synthase ( FAS) during vitellogenesis and ovarian fatty acid composition in female silver pomfret broodstock. Broodstock were fed one of four experimental diets for 185 days: FO (100% fish oil), FSO (70% fish oil + 30% soybean oil), SFO (30% fish oil + 70% soybean oil) or SO (100% soybean oil). The results revealed that hepatic LPL and FAS and ovarian FAS activities and mRNA expression levels significantly increased at vitellogenesis and postvitellogenesis relative to previtellogenesis, with no significant differences between these two stages, except for hepatic LPL mRNA expression. Dietary n-3 LC- PUFAs decreased tissue FAS and increased LPL activities and mRNA expression levels. The ovarian concentrations of 20:4n-6 ( ARA), 20:5n-3 ( EPA), 22:6n-3 ( DHA) and n-3 LC- PUFAs were directly influenced by n-3 LC- PUFA levels. Total n-3 LC- PUFA concentrations in SO were 57% lower than those in FO, while 18:2n-6 concentrations in SO were 4.7 × higher than those in FO. These results revealed that high dietary n-3 LC- PUFAs levels significantly affected tissue lipid metabolism in female silver pomfret broodstock during vitellogenesis by upregulating LPL and downregulating FAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial distribution of butterfish (Peprilus triacanthus) in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean was investigated using a suite of spatial indicators based on Northeast Fisheries Science Center spring and fall bottom trawl survey data, 1982-2013. In the spring, ages 2 and 3 were found farther northeast and deeper than age 1 butterfish, while in the fall, age 3 butterfish were found farther northeast and deeper than ages 0 and 1. There was no significant northward movement of butterfish in spring or fall over the course of either time-series. However, there was a significant increase in the area occupied by ages 1-3 in the spring that was correlated with surface temperature. This illustrates that responses to climate change may be manifested as range expansions, rather than poleward movement of the centre of gravity (i.e. bivariate weighted mean location of the population). Two changes were observed over the course of the fall time series, both for ages 1 and 2: increased spatial dispersion; and a decrease in depth. The former result would have been masked, while the latter would have been erroneously generalized to all age classes, if an age-specific analysis had not been done. This study demonstrates the importance of an age-based and seasonal analysis. It is also shown how a spatial distribution analyses can inform stock assessments by providing insights into diverging survey indices and availability to surveys in general. Similarly, spatial distribution analyses can be used to verify the spatial equilibrium assumption for the calculation of biological reference points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two essential metal contaminations were studied in a total of sixty silver pomfret Pampus argenteus samples. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the levels of Zn and Cu in the muscle tissues of the commercial species P. argenteus in the fishing harbour of Karachi, the most important in Pakistan, and to correlate the concentration of metals with respect to fish size. Moreover, this study sought to establish the potential risk to humans from consumption of fish samples contaminated with these heavy metals. Zn concentrations in the silver pomfret were higher than Cu. The ranges of Zn and Cu concentrations were found to be from 2 to 12 and 1 to 6 mg/kg dry wt., respectively. The differences in both Zn and Cu concentrations between seasons were statistically significant. These results can be used to provide baseline information for risk assessment associated with their consumption, as the Estimated Daily Intake (EDI) for the fish tissues and Zn and Cu levels were below the daily dietary allowance recommended by international standards. Therefore, it may be concluded that these metals should not pose any health threat to the consumers resulting from the consumption of the fish. The relationship between Zn and Cu levels and fish size (both length and weight) of the fish were minimal, indicating that metal concentration in fish tissues was independent of lengths and weights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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) higher than in fish fed diet 1, but the parameters in diets 2 and 3 did not differ 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 < 0.05) higher than in those fed diet 1 (18.2 mg kg−1). Whole body total saturated fatty acids were significantly lower, and DHA levels higher in fish fed diets 2 and 3 than those fed diet 1. The results of the present study suggest that increasing dietary supplementation of vit. E in high lipid diets enhances the growth performance of fish and that a dietary level of 196 mg kg−1 vit. E is suitable for the growth of silver pomfret. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver pomfret, Pampus argenteus, is a fish species from coastal waters. Despite its high commercial value, this edible fish has not been sequenced. Hence, its genetic and genomic studies have been limited. We report the first draft genome sequence of the silver pomfret obtained using a Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology. We assembled 38.7 Gb of nucleotides into scaffolds of 350 Mb with N50 of about 1.5 kb, using high quality paired end reads. These scaffolds represent 63.7% of the estimated silver pomfret genome length. The newly sequenced and assembled genome has 11.06% repetitive DNA regions, and this percentage is comparable to that of the tilapia genome. The genome analysis predicted 16 322 genes. About 91% of these genes showed homology with known proteins. Many gene clusters were annotated to protein and fatty-acid metabolism pathways that may be important in the context of the meat texture and immune system developmental processes. The reference genome can pave the way for the identification of many other genomic features that could improve breeding and population-management strategies, and it can also help characterize the genetic diversity of P. argenteus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver pomfret fish (Stromateidae) is a family of Perciformes order. One species of this family is Pampus argenteus known as silver pomfret and lives in different parts of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. Therefore, the genetic relationship between its populations is so important. In this study, eight samples of Pampus argenteus were collected from four locations involved: Emam Khomeyni, Bushehr and Bandar Abbas in Persian Gulf and Chabahar in Gulf of Oman. Cytochrome b gene and D-loop region of mitochondrial DNA on these samples are analyzed. These genes are carried out using PCR with specific mtDNA primers and sequenced. Then, the evolutionary history was inferred by using the maximum-likelihood method. Evolutionary analyses were conducted in MEGA7. According to the phylogenetic trees, with translocations in Persian Gulf to Gulf of Oman, similarity decreases slowly. Chabahar1 sample in phylogenetic tree of cytochrome b is phylogenetically near China Sea samples. The reason may be migration from ocean to gulf throughout the centuries and Chabahar is in Gulf of Oman and locationally near the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. In D-loop region, results are similar to cytochrome b excepting one sample (Emam Khomeyni1). D-Loop in samples shows modification more than cytochrome b for the reason absence of protein product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accumulations of Cd, Ni, Pb, and Cr were measured in muscle, gill, kidney, and liver of Platycephalus indicus and Pampus argenteus. Our results indicated that all metals were found to be the highest in tissues in P. indicus (benthic species). Except Ni in P. indicus, concentrations of metals and bioaccumulation factor were in the following sequence: liver > kidney > gill > muscle. The data revealed that there is a significant negative correlation between concentrations of metals and size and age factors. The Ni and Cr levels in the muscles were higher than the maximum acceptable limit recommended by WHO and FEPA. Similarly, the concentration of Pb measured in P. indicus muscle exceeded the FAO standard limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Population genetic structure and historical demography of Pampus argenteus in three areas (the South China Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal) of the Indo-West Pacific were evaluated using mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequences. The net Tumura and Nei genetic distance among the three regions ranged from 0.023 to 0.034. The fixation index analysis showed that significant genetic divergence occurred among the populations from different geographical regions. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) reveals that intra-region variation among the populations was highly significant. The average pairwise differences and φ ST values (0.885–0.939) among the three regions were significant. The populations have high haplotype diversity (Hd, 0.736–0.947) and low nucleotide diversity (π, 0.141–0.586%). The results suggest that P. argenteus has strong geographic genetic structures. In addition, mismatch distribution analyses and tests of neutral evolution imply that a late Pleistocene population expansion may have happened in all populations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary The dramatic decline in annual yield of the Japanese butterfish, Psenopsis anomala, in southwestern Taiwan over the past decade suggests that this stock might have been overexploited. However, its fishery biology and stock status is poorly understood. This study therefore provides the first information on P. anomala reproductive biology based on 983 specimens collected by small trawlers in southwestern Taiwan waters between February 1999 and February 2000. The sex ratio, 0.44 (431/983), differed significantly from 0.5 and females predominated in fork length above 180 mm. The relationships between body weight (BW) and fork length (FL) were estimated as BW = 1.62 × 10−4 × FL2.637 ( r2 = 0.74; n = 430, P < 0.01) for females and BW = 1.28 × 10−4 × FL2.671 ( r2 = 0.82; n = 552, P < 0.01) for males. Oocytes were mature at 0.5 mm in diameter or larger, and transparent eggs were found at diameters of 0.85 mm. Mean fecundity was estimated at 171 900 ± 61 700 and fecundity ( F) was found to increase exponentially with gonad weight (GW) F = 5.4967GW0.511 (n = 132, r2 = 0.74). Mean batch fecundity was estimated to be 83 400 ± 44 600, and relative fecundity from 377 to 2588 (mean 1040) per gram body weight. Logistic curves describing the relationship between proportion of maturity (Pr) at each length interval and fork length were estimated as Pr = 1/(1 + e11.4194−0.0749FL) ( r2 = 0.99, n = 351) for females and Pr = 1/(1 + e11.5113−0.0732FL) ( r2 = 0.99, n = 258) for males. Size at 50% maturity was estimated as 15.7 and 15.3 cm FL for females and males, respectively. A multi-spawning pattern was observed in the Japanese butterfish whereby it spawns throughout the year with a peak from February to July. A seasonal closure from April to July (spawning season for most fish species) can provide better breeding opportunities for adults and is believed to be a good fishery management measure for this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: 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 24dph. Light and transmission electron microscopy also showed the presence of the bacterium in the granular layer of the brain. The bacterium measured 2.6×1.8μm (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 220bp. Samples of brain of moribund larvae at 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35dph showed positive amplicon for the presence of S. agalactiae. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The sexual ontogeny of butterfish Odax pullus was examined in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand through histological analysis of gonad material, size and age information and seasonal patterns of sexual maturation. The patterns of gonad development and schedules of male recruitment were established and sexual ontogeny of O. pullus was diagnosed as monandric protogyny, with all males developing from mature females after female-to-male sex reversal. All individuals underwent an immature female phase before maturing as functional females at 228·7-264·8 mm fork length ( L) and at 1·1-1·5 years of age, and there was no evidence of a juvenile bisexual phase. Degenerating mature oogenic elements were found in the gonad lumen of individuals with developing spermatogenic tissue, providing histological evidence for functional protogyny. Sex change was estimated to occur at 359-379 mm L and 2-3 years of age. The diagnosis of monandric protogyny for O. pullus coincided with the pattern of sexual ontogeny seen in the majority of labrids, particularly those of the same clade (tribe Hypsigenyini) and contrasted with that seen in a number of other temperate labrids. This study suggests that the protogynous mode of sexual development in O. pullus is likely to be lineage-specific, i.e. associated with the phylogeny of labrid sexual development, and is not constrained by environmental effects on the evolution of sex change in temperate regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies on the mitochondrial genome have suggested that the duplications of tRNA and tandem repeats in the control region are important changes that are related to species diversity. This paper reports the study of mitogenomes from five Pampus (Perciformes, Stromateidae) species with very similar morphology. A duplicated tRNA gene in the tRNA-IQM region is present in Pampus sp. and P. punctatissimus. In the conserved sequence blocks of the control region, a duplicated CSB3 and promoter are found in Pampus sp. but are absent in P. minor. Moreover, a duplicated TAS is found in P. punctatissimus and P. chinensis. Based on the complete mitogenome sequence of Pampus sp., the first sequence reported from Stromateidae and the longest (17,694 bp) among the Perciformes mitogenomes, we conducted phylogenetic analysis to show that Stromateoidei and Scombroidei are more closely related to each other than to other Perciformes suborders. However, we reject the reciprocal monophyly of these two suborders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on the diet of the blue shark Prionace glauca in the eastern South Pacific, off central and northern Chile, during 2005 and 2006. It was found that the shark's diet was dominated by teleost fishes and cephalopods. Diverse teleost fishes were shown to be the most important prey during the seasonal feeding of the blue shark. It is indicated that the blue shark is a predator with a wide trophic spectrum in the eastern south Pacific Ocean. Other important prey for the blue shark are mentioned, including the jumbo squid Dosidicus gigas, the butterfish Cubiceps pauciradiatus, and the longnose lancetfish Alepisaurus ferox.

Abstract  Concerning the nomenclature, most problems arise from the great confusion due to the morphological similarities in Pampus. Twenty-five individuals in Pampus were sampled from different localities about 2,000 km apart along the coast of China covering the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and the South China Sea. The sequences of cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and 16S rRNA (16S) genes of the mitogenomes were determined. Combined with the morphological characteristics, five Pampus species, P. minor, P. punctatissimus, P. chinensis, P. cinereus and Pampus sp., were identified. The genetic distance of intraspecies ranged from 0.000 to 0.004, while it varied from 0.012 to 0.133 for interspecies based on the 16S sequences. For COI sequence data analysis, the genetic distance of intraspecies ranged from 0.000 to 0.005, while it varied from 0.057 to 0.162 for interspecies. Phylogenetic trees showed that all Pampus fishes reciprocally constituted a monophyletic group with strong support. The sister-group relationships between P. minor and Pampus sp. and between P. chinensis and P. punctatissimus were revealed respectively. In the current GenBank data, P. minor is considered P. cinereus or P. argenteus by mistake. For the lack of a P. echinogaster specimen, we cannot decide on the name of Pampus sp. as P. argenteus or P. echinogaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we sequenced and annotated the complete mitochondrial genome ofPampus argenteus(Perciformes: Stromateidae). The mitogenome is 17,098 bp in length, which contains 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, 23 tRNA genes and 2 non-coding regions: origin of light-strand replication (OL) and control region (D-loop). The overall nucleotide base composition ofP. argenteusmtDNA is A 30.35%, C 25.55%, G 15.28% and T 28.82%, with an A + T content of 59.17%. Except forND6gene and eight tRNA genes, all other mitochondrial genes were encoded on the heavy strand. The mitochondrial genome ofP. argenteusmay be helpful to the studies on conservation genetics and stock evaluation ofP. argenteusresource, as well as molecular phylogeny and species identification of Stromateidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study of the diversity, taxonomy, and ecology of endophytic Xylariaceae (Ascomycota) was carried out. In this study, we obtained isolates of Xylariaceae from healthy, attached leaves and teleomorphic stromata on decayed plant materials in a permanent plot at Khao Yai National Park (Thailand). In addition, strains deposited beforehand were selected in which both endophytic strains isolated from living plant tissues and saprobic strains from fruit bodies were included. Consequently, 405 strains of Xylariaceae (273 endophytic and 132 saprobic strains, including identified strains) were studied to reveal the diversity and taxonomy of endophytes and the relationships between those endophytes and saprobic Xylariaceae in Thailand that have been recorded according to fruit-body formation on decayed plant materials. Analysis of 28S rDNA D1/D2 sequences revealed 21 xylariaceous species inhabiting tropical foliage at the site, and several species that are already known as saprobes appear to be among those isolated from living leaves. Furthermore, several clades that consisted of only endophytic strains were found, and some of these have no known matches in public DNA sequence banks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ossifying fibromyxoid tumor (OFMT) is an uncommon soft tissue neoplasm characterized by a combination of myxoid and/or fibrous stroma with areas of ossification. Although most authors postulate a neuroectodermal origin for this peculiar tumor, there is no agreement in the literature regarding its histogenesis. In this article, we present the immunohistochemical findings of a case of a 39-year-old white male with an OFMT of the soft tissue in the mandibular region. The tumor was positive to S-100 protein, glial fibrillary acidic protein, CD99, CD56 and negative to smooth muscle actin, cytokeratins AE1/AE3, epithelial membrane antigen, and CD68. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case reported to be positive to CD56 and CD99. Immunoreactivity to these two antibodies, together with reactivity for S-100 protein and glial fibrillary acidic protein, suggests that OFMT is of a neuroectodermal origin. In our opinion, in the absence of reactivity to at least one neuroectodermal marker one should seriously question a diagnosis of OFMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Allegations of growth overfishing of the already depleted snapper (Pagrus auratus) stock in Denham Sound, Shark Bay, Western Australia, due to prawn trawling, and concerns for by-catch species generally, led to the investigation of size-related catchability and cod-end selectivity of juvenile snapper and western butterfish (Pentapodus vitta). The cod-end selectivity of prawn trawling was investigated by fitting a fine-mesh cod-end cover to commercial trawl nets to measure the size of fish passing through the cod-end. A Leslie–Delury depletion experiment involving trawling the same area over four consecutive nights was used to determine the catchability coefficients of snapper and butterfish. The size of snapper and butterfish caught on the trawlable grounds ranged from 3 to 18 and 5 to 20cm fork length (FL), respectively. Ontogenetic changes in habitat preference meant that snapper were susceptible to commercial trawling only between approximately 9–17 months of age. Retention of snapper and butterfish in the trawl nets increased with increasing length, with the deeper-bodied snapper retained at smaller lengths. Catchability coefficients also increased with fish length. A single trawl pass was estimated to remove up to 57% and 52% of juvenile snapper and butterfish, respectively. The rate of natural mortality (M) for juvenile snapper was estimated to be high; mean M =2.58 (92%year−1). Catchability of butterfish was low prior to their sexual maturation and trawling is assessed not to be a threat to this species. To reduce the impact of prawn trawling on snapper recruitment in Denham Sound, restricting trawling from areas where juvenile snapper are in high abundance, combined with fish escape panels, would be preferable to increasing mesh size in commercial trawl gear. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]