Use of endoscopy for gender and ovarian stage determinations in Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) grown in aquaculture     

Avshalom Hurvitz  Karen Jackson  Gad Degani  Berta Levavi-Sivan   《Aquaculture (Amsterdam, Netherlands)》2007,270(1-4):158-166

The Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) is native to the Caspian Sea, the Black Sea and the Azov Sea. It used to breed in the main incoming rivers, until dam construction in the mid 20th century blocked upriver spawning migration. Aquaculture of Russian sturgeon has only recently begun, prompted by their declining populations in natural habitats and the rise in meat and caviar prices. However, information on their gonadal development and puberty under culture conditions is incomplete.

Because sturgeons have no external sexual dimorphism and there are no external markers for sexing, internal examination of the gonads must be employed for gender identification as well as to monitor their development. The present study describes endoscopic and histological observations of the gonads of young Russian sturgeons aimed at identifying gender and monitoring ovarian developmental stage in females up to the age of 6 years, when they enter their first puberty cycle, as well as at 7 years of age, when they have completed vitellogenesis, under culture conditions. This information, as related to fish age and size, is of vital importance to commercial farming of Russian sturgeon for caviar production and reproduction.

For gonadal observations in both sexes, we used an endoscopic system consisting of a 4 mm, 14 cm long cystoscope sheath incorporated with fiber-optic light transmission, connected to a halogen cold light source and a miniature videocamera with a control unit attached to a color monitor. This system allowed us viewing of the fish's abdominal organs, and to save pictures of selected areas of the gonads on a computer as the fish's personal record. Ovarian biopsies were taken in parallel for histology at typical stages of gonadal development.

Gender could be identified with this system as early as at 3 years of age and the sex ratio under culture conditions of females, males and unidentified gender were 55, 40 and 5%, respectively.

Not only did large differences occur in the developmental stages of female of the same age group, but also ovarian development was highly asynchronous at the early vitellogenic stages. In late vitellogenesis, at the “gray egg” stage (1600–2600 μm diameter), the oocytes were quite regular in size and color, and remained so until the final stages of maturity.

Our study suggests that endoscopy is an efficient method for both gender identification at an early age, and for determination of gonadal development stage in sturgeon aquaculture. The ability to see the whole intact gonads of anesthetized fish can reveal important management and research information, with minimal damage or stress to the fish.  相似文献   

What is a whale?     

Berta A 《Science (New York, N.Y.)》1994,263(5144):180-181

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Skeleton of the Oldest Known Pinniped, Enaliarctos mealsi     

Berta A  Ray CE  Wyss AR 《Science (New York, N.Y.)》1989,244(4900):60-62

A nearly complete skeleton of the archaic pinniped Enaliarctos, found in late Oligocene or early Miocene rocks (approximately 23 million years old) of California, provides new evidence on the origin of pinnipeds. Enaliarctos retains many primitive features expected in the hypothesized common ancestor of pinnipeds. Skeletal modifications seen in Enaliarctos document swimming adaptations and indicate that pinnipeds primitively used the axial skeleton and both fore and hindflippers as sources of propulsion. Elongate hindlimbs with prominent bony processes (reflecting powerful musculature) suggest that Enaliarctos was more active on land than modern pinnipeds.  相似文献   

Weeds,aphids, and specialist parasitoids and predators benefit differently from organic and conventional cropping of winter cereals     

Berta Caballero-López  José M. Blanco-Moreno  Nicolás Pérez-Hidalgo  José M. Michelena-Saval  Juli Pujade-Villar  Emilio Guerrieri  José A. Sánchez-Espigares  F. Xavier Sans 《Journal of pest science》2012,85(1):81-88

The aphid–natural enemy interaction in winter wheat fields constitutes a complex system that has been frequently studied because of its implication for biological control. However, not all of the aphids living in cereal fields are crop pests, as there are also aphids living on weeds that may serve as alternative hosts or prey for aphid parasitoids or predators. In this context, a concomitant survey of the plant and insect communities was conducted to understand how different plant communities affect the abundance and richness of aphids and the interactions with their natural enemies. The plant community was split into functional groups (grasses, legumes and forbs), and the aphid community was divided into feeding groups according to their host preferences (specialists in grasses or forbs). The grass aphids, which dominated the total aphid catches, responded positively to grass cover, which was particularly enhanced in the conventional fields. Conversely, the forb aphids, which mainly conditioned the total species richness of the aphids, were closely correlated with the local abundance of legumes. The system of cereal aphid-parasitoids was enhanced in the conventional fields, where the abundance of grasses was higher, whereas the legumes of the organic fields indirectly played a key role in enhancing the richness of the parasitoids and the abundance of predators. Our findings indicate that a bottom-up effect exists throughout the plant community, aphids, and aphidophagous insects and that plant community characteristics should be considered to better understand cereal aphid control.  相似文献   

Leaf structure and function of sweet cherry tree (Prunus avium L.) cultivars with open and dense canopies     

Berta Gonalves  Carlos M. Correia  Ana Paula Silva  Eunice A. Bacelar  Alberto Santos  Jos M. Moutinho-Pereira 《Scientia Horticulturae》2008,116(4):381-387

Variations in morpho-anatomy, chemical composition, gas exchange and stem water potential (Ψ_stem) were studied in leaves of Prunus avium L. cultivars with different growth habit: Burlat and Summit (upright, dense canopies), and Van (spreading, open canopy). Light transmittance was highest in Van canopies. Therefore, Van allowed an easier penetration of the visible radiation through the canopy, which improves photosynthetic rates, especially at harvest. Conversely, no differences in Ψ_stem were found among cultivars. Van showed the highest leaf mass per unit area and variations in this parameter were mainly associated with alterations in leaf thickness than in leaf density. Leaves of Summit and Van were thicker than those of Burlat, mainly due to increased palisade and spongy parenchyma thickness. However, Burlat leaves had the highest palisade/spongy ratio. Total chlorophyll concentration per area and the chlorophyll a/b ratio were always higher in Van leaves than in the other two cultivars. In contrast, Van leaves had the lowest concentrations of soluble carbohydrates and starch. In dense canopies of Summit and Burlat, light reduction caused a notable increase in the relative concentration of total phenols. The above results provide useful information about the biological behaviour of sweet cherry cultivars with open and dense canopies in order to help the agronomical decisions regarding the local environmental conditions and the consumers’ preference. In particular, it is important to manipulate factors such as orchard exposure, row orientation, plant spacing, training system and pruning, which are able to reduce shading in the canopy.  相似文献   

Efficacy of medical grade honey in the management of canine otitis externa – a pilot study          下载免费PDF全文

Emi Maruhashi  Berta São Braz  Telmo Nunes  Constança Pomba  Adriana Belas  José Henrique Duarte‐Correia  Ana Mafalda Lourenço 《Veterinary dermatology》2016,27(2):93-e27

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Citral and linalool chemotypes of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lippia alba</Emphasis> essential oil as anesthetics for fish: a detailed physiological analysis of side effects during anesthetic recovery in silver catfish (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhamdia quelen</Emphasis>)     

Carine de Freitas Souza  Matheus Dellaméa Baldissera  Adriane Erbice Bianchini  Elisia Gomes da Silva  Rosa Helena Veraz Mourão  Lenise Vargas Flores da Silva  Denise Schmidt  Berta Maria Heinzmann  Bernardo Baldisserotto 《Fish physiology and biochemistry》2018,44(1):21-34

The viability using Lippia alba essential oil as an anesthetic for fish was studied, particularly with respect to physiological effects during recovery. Anesthesia of silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen) using 100 and 300 μL L^?1 of two different chemotypes of L. alba essential oil (citral EO-C and linalool EO-L) prevented the increase of plasma cortisol levels caused by handling, but did not avoid alterations in energetic metabolism. Silver catfish did not have increased the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive species in the kidney and liver during recovery after anesthesia with either EO, avoiding lipid damage. On the other hand, fish anesthetized with EO-C showed higher protein carbonylation levels, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione S-transferase activities and non-protein thiol group levels in both tissues compared to controls. Our results suggest that both oils show antioxidant capacity, but anesthesia with EO-L does not cause damage to lipids or proteins, only temporary changes, typical of physiological adjustments during recovery from anesthesia. Therefore, EO-L is an effective anesthetic for silver catfish with fewer side effects than EO-C.  相似文献   

Influence of stage of development in the efficiency of nitrogen fertilization on poplar     

Berta Lasa  Ivan Jauregui  Iker Aranjuelo  Sandra Sakalauskiene  Pedro M. Aparicio-Tejo 《Journal of plant nutrition》2016,39(1):87-98

Poplar cuttings (Populus x euroamericana) were planted in pots and grown in a greenhouse for four months with drip irrigation. Two nitrogen (N) doses of 60 and 120 kg nitrate (N-NO₃^?) ha^?1 (labeling with ¹⁵N stable isotopes) were applied at one (time I), two (time II) and three months after of the plantation (time III). The aim of this study was to determine the N-fertilizer application method that resulted in optimal N-uptake by a short-rotation of poplar crop during first year of growth. Our data revealed that NUE (N use efficiency) was largest in the last part of the experiment. The larger development of those plants at this stage enabled the improved absorption and assimilation of N. Furthermore, ¹⁵N also revealed that supply of N at three months post-planting generated more biomass and increased the N reserves in the stem; a key factor for ensuring the optimum regrowth during the second year.  相似文献   

Silver catfish Rhamdia quelen immersion anaesthesia with essential oil of Aloysia triphylla (L'Hérit) Britton or tricaine methanesulfonate: effect on stress response and antioxidant status     

Luciane Tourem Gressler  Ana Paula Konzen Riffel  Thaylise Vey Parodi  Etiane Medianeira Hundertmarck Saccol  Gessi Koakoski  Sílvio Teixeira da Costa  Maria Amália Pavanato  Berta Maria Heinzmann  Bráulio Caron  Denise Schmidt  Susana Francisca Llesuy  Leonardo José Gil Barcellos  Bernardo Baldisserotto 《Aquaculture Research》2014,45(6):1061-1072

Responses to anaesthesia with essential oil (EO) of Aloysia triphylla (135 and 180 mg L^?1) and tricaine methanesulfonate (MS222) (150 and 300 mg L^?1) were assessed in silver catfish. Exposure to the anaesthetics elicited a stress response in the species. In the case of MS222, it was displayed as a release of cortisol into bloodstream, elevation in hematocrit and plasma ion loss. The EO presented cortisol‐blocking properties, but increased haematocrit and disturbances of hydromineral balance were observed. Liver antioxidant/oxidant status of EO and MS222‐anaesthetized silver catfish was also estimated. The synthetic anaesthetic induced lipoperoxidation, notwithstanding increased catalase contents, whereas the naturally occurring product was capable of preventing the formation of lipid peroxides, possibly due to combined actions of catalase and glutathione‐S‐transferase. Anaesthetic efficacy was also tested via induction and recovery times. Overall, the promising results obtained for the physiological parameters of the EO‐treated fish counterbalanced the slight prolonged induction time observed for 180 mg L^?1. As for 135 mg L^?1, both induction and recovery times were lengthy; despite that, the EO was able to promote oxidative protection and mitigate stress. None of the MS222 concentrations prompted such responses concomitantly.  相似文献   

Fish anesthesia: effects of the essential oils of Hesperozygis ringens and Lippia alba on the biochemistry and physiology of silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen)     

Cândida Toni  Alexssandro Geferson Becker  Larissa Novaes Simões  Carlos Garrido Pinheiro  Lenise de Lima Silva  Berta Maria Heinzmann  Braulio Otomar Caron  Bernardo Baldisserotto 《Fish physiology and biochemistry》2014,40(3):701-714

The anesthetic activities of the essential oils (EOs) of Hesperozygis ringens (EOHR) and Lippia alba (EOLA) and their effects in silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen) after anesthesia and recovery were investigated. Fish (32.19 ± 1.24 g) were submitted to one of the following treatments for each EO: basal group, control, or anesthesia (150, 300, or 450 μL L^?1 EO). After that the anesthesia was induced or simulated and the biometric measurements were completed, fish were transferred to anesthetic-free aquaria to allow for recovery. Fish were sampled at 0, 15, 30, 60, and 240 min after recovery. At time 0 of recovery, the ventilatory rate was lower in the groups anesthetized with either EO. In comparison with the basal group, control fish showed an increase in plasma glucose, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and Na⁺ levels and a reduction in Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase activity at 0 min of recovery. Plasma levels of ammonia and Na⁺ were lower in the fish anesthetized with EOLA (450 μL L^?1) and EOHR (all concentrations), respectively, than in the control fish. Additionally, lactate, AST, alanine aminotransferase, K⁺ plasma levels, and gill Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase and H⁺-ATPase activities were higher in the fish anesthetized with either EOHR or EOLA than in the control fish. The EOs promoted slight changes in silver catfish that enabled both an adaptive response and the recovery of most of the measured parameters after 240 min regardless of concentration or EO that was used. These findings support the use of EOHR and EOLA as anesthetics for fish.  相似文献