Loading...
18 results
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 10 of 18
- Osteological development and abnormalities of the vertebral column and caudal skeleton in larval and juvenile stages of hatchery reared solea senegalensis (kaup)Publication . Gavaia, Paulo J.; Dinis, Maria Teresa; Cancela, LeonorThe Senegal sole is a species recently adapted to aquaculture for which little information on larval development is available. This study was designed to describe normal skeletal development and the occurrence of skeletal malformations in Senegal sole reared in captivity. Eggs were collected from natural spawning, incubated until hatching and larvae reared to the juvenile stage in a closed recirculating system. Samples were collected throughout development at regular intervals from hatching to fully formed juveniles. Specimens were stained with alcian blue and alizarin red and observed for skeletal development and detection of anomalies. A high number of malformations were detected, both in the caudal complex and the vertebral column. About 44% of the individuals observed showed at least one malformation and the highest occurrence of deformities was observed in the caudal region and in the vertebral column. Accordingly, 28% of the total deformities identified in this study were detected at those sites and in adjacent arches and spines. The causes were not identified in this study, but the high incidence of malformations may reflect culture problems due to rearing and/or feeding conditions that affect skeletal development.
- Changes in plasma amino acid levels in a euryhaline fish exposed to different environmental salinitiesPublication . Aragão, C.; Costas, B.; Vargas-Chacoff, L.; Ruiz-Jarabo, I.; Dinis, Maria Teresa; Mancera, J. M.; Conceição, L. E. C.Previous studies have shown that Senegalese sole is partially euryhaline in the juvenile phase, being able to adapt to a wide range of salinities in a short-time period, due to changes at the osmoregulatory and metabolic level. This study aimed to assess the effects of acclimation of sole to a wide range of salinities, with a special emphasis on the role of plasma amino acids during this process. Sole juveniles were acclimated for 2 weeks to different salinities: 5, 15, 25, 38, and 55 g L−1. Plasma levels of cortisol, glucose, osmolality, and free amino acids were assessed at the end. Changes in plasma levels of cortisol, glucose, and amino acids indicate that fish reared at 5 and 55 g L−1 were facing extra energy costs. Amino acids seem to play an important role during salinity acclimation, either as energy sources or as important osmolytes for cell volume regulation.
- Can dietary aromatic amino acid supplementation be beneficial during fish metamorphosis?Publication . Pinto, W.; Rodrigues, V.; Dinis, Maria Teresa; Aragão, C.Aromatic amino acids (AA, phenylalanine and tyrosine) are the precursors of thyroid hormones, which regulate metamorphosis in all vertebrates. In fish, this is a critical developmental stage where physiological requirements for aromatic AA may increase. Therefore, it is possible that dietary aromatic AA supplementation may be beneficial to accomplish a successful transition from larvae to the juvenile stage. This work aimed to assess the effect of dietary aromatic AA supplementation on tyrosine metabolism in species with an accentuated (Senegalese sole, Solea senegalensis) and a less marked (gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata) metamorphosis. For this purpose, either species were fed Artemia and subsequently received or not an aromatic AA supplement through tube-feeding, together with a L-[U-14C] tyrosine marker, throughout metamorphosis. Tyrosine was elected as a tracer since the metabolic fate of this aromatic AA is directly linked to the production of thyroid hormones and metamorphosis. Results showed that dietary phenylalanine supplementation did not increase tyrosine retention in Senegalese sole larvae during metamorphosis, suggesting that this species may not be able to biosynthesise tyrosine from phenylalanine at a sufficient rate to supply its physiological requirements until after metamorphosis. Furthermore, dietary tyrosine supplementation effectively increased tyrosine availability in Senegalese sole body fluids at metamorphosis, most likely for coping with metamorphosis-related processes, such as production of thyroid hormones. Therefore, dietary tyrosine supplementation may be beneficial for Senegalese sole during metamorphosis. On the other hand, results indicated that gilthead seabream larvae do not seem to require an additional supply of aromatic AA during metamorphosis, probably because the physiological requirements for tyrosine do not increase during this developmental stage. The different results observed for Senegalese sole and gilthead seabream are probably related to the complexity of metamorphosis that each species undergoes and to the needs for production of thyroid hormones, which seems to affect aromatic AA requirements during this critical stage of development. These findings may be important for physiologists, fish nutritionists and for the flatfish aquaculture industry.
- Improving weaning strategies for Senegalese sole: effects of body weight and digestive capacityPublication . Engrola, S.; Conceição, L. E. C.; Dias, L.; Pereira, R.; Ribeiro, Laura; Dinis, Maria TeresaTo optimize Senegalese sole-weaning strategies, three experiments were performed.The first trial tested four weaning strategies with a10mg sole. Artemia-fed sole grew threefold less than fish fed an inert diet. Sudden weaning (abrupt change from Artemia to inert diet) and weaning with co-feeding produced larger sole than did a late weaning treatment; delayed weaning negatively affected ¢sh growth. In the second experiment, the digestive capacity of early-weaned 1, 2 and 4mg sole was investigated. The highest growth was observed in sole weaned at 4mg. Digestive enzyme pro¢les suggest that sole have an adaptation period to inert diets, with reduced feed intake. This adaptation period is inversely proportional to post-larvae weight. The third experiment examined weaning with cofeeding at di¡erent weights (2,5 and11mg).These studies demonstrate that sole of 5^10mg can be weaned, with high survival rates. On the basis of the digestive enzyme pro¢les, the early introductionof inert diets in co-feeding with Artemia seems to affect intestinal processes in smaller postlarvae. This study also suggests that trypsin and alkaline phosphatase may be used as indicators of nutritional status in sole ofo5mg.
- Different environmental temperatures affect amino acid metabolism in the eurytherm teleost Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis Kaup, 1858) as indicated by changes in plasma metabolitesPublication . Costas, B.; Aragão, C.; Ruiz-Jarabo, I.; Vargas-Chacoff, L.; Arjona, F. J.; Mancera, J. M.; Dinis, Maria Teresa; Conceição, L. E. C.Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) is a eurytherm teleost that under natural conditions can be exposed to annual water temperature fluctuations between 12 and 26C. This study assessed the effects of temperature on sole metabolic status, in particular in what concerns plasma free amino acid changes during thermal acclimation.
- Free amino acids are absorbed faster and assimilated more efficiently than protein in postlarval Senegal sole (Solea senegalensis)Publication . Rønnestad, I.; Conceição, L. E. C.; Aragão, C.; Dinis, Maria TeresaTo improve the formulation of diets for the early stages of marine fish, assimilation rates of free amino acids (FAA) and protein in postlarval Senegal sole (Solea senegalensis) were determined. Fish (2.45 ± 0.87 mg dry weight) were tube fed 36 nL of a diet of FAA containing L-[35S] methionine (FAA diet) or bovine serum albumin, containing L-[methylated-14C]bovine serum albumin (Prot-diet), both at a concentration of 4.08 g/L. A time series was performed, and the amounts of label in incubation water, liver, gut and body carcass were quantified. The FAA diet was absorbed with a 3.5-times-higher transfer rate (P < 0.001) from the gut into the larval body tissues compared with the Prot-diet. The FAA diet also was assimilated with greater efficiency than the Prot-diet (80% versus 58%, P = 0.001). If we assume that the label present in the gut represents amino acids incorporated into the intestinal tissue, the assimilation efficiencies for the two diets were 89 and 64%. Therefore, FAA seems to be superior to protein as a dietary source of amino acids in Senegal sole postlarvae. However, because the absorption dynamics of protein and FAA differ, care should be taken when using the sources together to avoid amino acid imbalance.
- Co-feeding of inert diet from mouth opening does not impair protein utilization by Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) larvaePublication . Engrola, S.; Mai, M.; Dinis, Maria Teresa; Conceição, L. E. C.In most marine species inert diets alone have a poor ability to sustain fish larvae growth and development. Furthermore, results of co-feeding inert diets and live prey are variable, which may be related to the effect of inert diets on digestive maturation and subsequently protein utilization. The aim of the present work was to investigate how different feeding regimes, live feed alone or co-fed with an inert diet, influence protein utilization in Senegalese sole larvae. Feed intake, protein absorption, protein retention and protein catabolism were estimated in sole from 8 to 35 days after hatching (DAH), using 14C-labelled Artemia protein and posterior incubation in metabolic chambers. Postlarvae that were co-fed with an inert diet from mouth opening ate more than postlarvae fed Artemia alone at most sampling ages. Sole Artemia protein digestibility ranged from 56.97 (16 DAH) to 81.32% (22 DAH). Sole larvae that were fed a second meal had a slightly, though significant, higher digestibility than sole fed a single meal. Digestibility was lower in co-fed sole during metamorphosis climax, and similar between treatments at other developmental stages. Retention efficiency remained almost constant during early development, and was not affected by feeding regime. In short, co-feeding of an inert diet from mouth opening does not impair protein utilization by Senegalese sole larvae.
- Stress response and changes in amino acid requirements in Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis Kaup 1858)Publication . Aragão, C.; Corte-Real, Joana; Costas, B.; Dinis, Maria Teresa; Conceição, L. E. C.Fish in aquaculture are often exposed to various stressors that may change their ability to survive or limit growth. Amino acids are used for processes other than growth, including stress response. This study intended to analyse how repeated acute handling stress can affect growth and amino acid requirements in fish. Senegalese sole juveniles were weekly held in the air during 3min (Handling) for 9 weeks; Control groups were left undisturbed. Growth and plasma levels of stress indicators and of free amino acids were assessed at the end of the experiment. Plasma cortisol and osmolality levels showed that fish in the Handling treatment were stressed, but growth was unaffected. Plasma amino acid concentrations indicate that their requirements in stressed fish were altered, which probably reflects the synthesis of proteins or other specific compounds related to stress response.
- How does fish metamorphosis affect aromatic amino acid metabolism?Publication . Pinto, W.; Figueira, L.; Dinis, Maria Teresa; Aragão, C.Aromatic amino acids (AAs, phenylalanine and tyrosine) may be specifically required during fish metamorphosis, since they are the precursors of thyroid hormones which regulate this process. This project attempted to evaluate aromatic AA metabolism during the ontogenesis of fish species with a marked (Senegalese sole; Solea senegalensis) and a less accentuated metamorphosis (gilthead seabream; Sparus aurata). Fish were tube-fed with three l-[U-14C] AA solutions at pre-metamorphic, metamorphic and post-metamorphic stages of development: controlled AA mixture (Mix), phenylalanine (Phe) and tyrosine (Tyr). Results showed a preferential aromatic AA retention during the metamorphosis of Senegalese sole, rather than in gilthead seabream. Senegalese sole’s highly accentuated metamorphosis seems to increase aromatic AA physiological requirements, possibly for thyroid hormone production. Thus, Senegalese sole seems to be especially susceptible to dietary aromatic AA deficiencies during the metamorphosis period, and these findings may be important for physiologists, fish nutritionists and the flatfish aquaculture industry.
- Growth, stress response and free amino acid levels in Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis Kaup 1858) chronically exposed to exogenous ammoniaPublication . Pinto, W.; Aragão, C.; Soares, Florbela; Dinis, Maria Teresa; Conceição, L. E. C.Stressful husbandry conditions are likely to a¡ect growth and amino acid metabolism in ¢sh. In this study, chronic ammonia exposure was used to test the e¡ects of a stressor on growth and amino acid metabolism of Senegalese sole juveniles. The ¢sh were exposed for 52 days to 11.6 mg L 1 [low-TAN (L-TAN)] or 23.2 mg L 1 [high-TAN (H-TAN)] of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), or to 0 mg L 1 (Control). Growth in L-TAN groups was slightly but signi¢- cantly di¡erent from the Control groups [relative growth rate (RGR50.35 0.13 and 0.52 0.23% day 1respectively)]. In H-TAN groups, growth was severely a¡ected (RGR50.01 0.13% day 1 ).