ALBERT

Description: Brazilian sardine, the most important resource along the southeastern Brazilian coast, presented great variations and declines in its stocks. The main factors contributing to this are: oceanographic structure changes; recruitment failures; excessive catches of juveniles and increase in fishery effort. In spite of this, no alterations in the density-dependent parameters were detected. Consequently, methods analysing the condition of the larvae coupled with methods determining growth using sagittae otolith increment width were applied to evaluate growth under experimental conditions. The results of the readings on the sagittae were compared with the age of the laboratory-reared sardine larvae and confirmed that increments are formed on a daily basis. Under poor feeding conditions, sardine larvae showed a low growth expressed by dry weight, RNA/DNA ratio and tryptic enzyme activity and by the narrow and low contrast increments in the otoliths. The results of the biochemical indices showed an unexpected decline in the feeding group coupled with a decrease in width of increment numbers 8 and 10. Other factors than food availability were affecting the condition of the larvae and might be indicative of physiological processes and ontogenetic changes occurring in sardine larvae.

Description: Standard length, dry mass and RNA : DNA ratio measurements of 3876 Atlantic cod Gadus morhua larvae and juveniles from 26 families of recruit (fish during their first year of spawning) and repeat spawners (fish which were in their subsequent spawning season) reared in two mesocosms (2500 and 4400 m3) under semi-natural conditions were analysed over a period of 10 weeks using microsatellites. Larvae from recruit spawners were significantly longer and heavier at hatch and throughout the 10 weeks. RNA : DNA ratios from recruit spawner offspring were only significantly higher at week 1. The smaller (2500 m3) mesocosm was characterized by low plankton density during the transition from endogenous to exogenous feeding followed by a higher density during the metamorphosis period (weeks 4 and 5), with the reverse pattern evident in the 4400 m3 mesocosm. Patterns of larval growth followed patterns of zooplankton density. Significant differences in RNA : DNA ratios between the mesocosms at all comparable sampling dates were found and within each mesocosm individual fish exhibited a wide range of growth and condition responses under the same environmental conditions. RNA : DNA ratios as a function of size differed in the amount of variability between mesocosms, indicating that the higher food density led to a higher proportion of well-conditioned larvae in the first 3 weeks. Food availability probably has a major role in determining offspring growth and condition, with limited effects due to maternal effects in cases where the broodstock females are approximately of similar size and condition.

Description: Somatic growth and nucleic acid content were studied in North Sea houting Coregonus oxyrhinchus larvae fed exclusively on dry diets at 2 temperatures (8.4 and 17.5°C) during a 32 d rearing experiment. The higher temperature enhanced growth significantly. Mean dry weights at the end of the experiment were 3.6 mg (SD = 1.07, range 1.4 to 5.7 mg) and 31.5 mg (SD = 21.9, range 3.6 to 96.0 mg), and mean standard lengths were 17.7 ± mm (SD = 1.6, range 11.8 to 19.6 mm) and 25.5 mm (SD = 4.2, range 17.0 to 35 mm), respectively. Significant responses to temperature were also found in the nucleic acids. However, these differences were not as remarkable and gave indications that differences in protein growth between treatments was based on protein biosynthesis being driven by the activity of the ribosomes, rather than their number. The use of the degree-day approach to normalize the data clearly showed the temperature-dependence of somatic growth. Only small differences in growth and nucleic acid content were observed in the comparable range of the first 280 degree-days in fed fish. In non-fed fish, the starving potential was very similar (approx. 350 degree-days). Shifts in growth pattern from predominantly hyperplasia to predominantly hypertrophy were detected, with ongoing growth at both temperatures.

Description: To test the effects of diatom production on larval fish growth and condition, laboratory experiments were performed with larval North Sea cod reared on different algal food chains. These food chains were based on cultures of (a) the diatoms Skeletonema costatum and Thalassiosira weissflogii; (b) the dinoflagellate Heterocapsa triquetra; (c) the flagellate Rhodomonas baltica; (d) a diet composed of both Skeletonema and Heterocapsa food chains (1:1), and (e) a starvation group. These algae were fed to cultures of adult Acartia tonsa. Copepod eggs were collected, hatched, and the N1 nauplii (200l−1) were fed to post-yolk-sac larval cod. Results indicate that larval growth rates are significantly influenced by the content of essential fatty acids of the algal food source: growth rates were positively correlated with the content of DHA (C22:6ω3) and negatively with EPA (C20:5ω3). The ratio of ω3/ω6 fatty acids in the algal source had no significant effect. The highest and lowest growth rates were observed in food chains based on H. triquetra and T. weissflogii, respectively (means for days 14–16 of 4.0 and −4.7). The mixed diatom/dinoflagellate diet resulted in intermediate growth rates and condition. Regressions of growth rates against EPA and DHA content indicated no inhibitory effect of diatom production on growth in larval cod.

Description: Abstract Vinciguerria nimbaria larvae caught in August/September 1998 above the plateau and in the deep water area around the Great Meteor Seamount were analysed for nutritional condition and growth based on RNA/DNA ratios, size in length, dry weight, and otolith increment pattern. Data analysis was based on the following hypothesis: Due to its oceanographic features ("Taylor" column, retention area) the Great Meteor Seamount favours growth and nutritional condition for larval fish. Vinciguerria larvae caught above the plateau of the seamount showed significantly higher dry weights compared to the oceanic area, although the nutritional condition as measured by RNA/DNA ratios and dry-weight to larval-size relationships did not show any significant differences. Age-structure analysis based on otolith increments and growth rates indicated no significant differences between the sampling areas. Kurzfassung Beeinflusst die Große Meteorbank Wachstum und Ernahrungszustand von Fischlarven, insbesondere Vinciguerria nimbaria? Der Ernahrungszustand und das Wachstum von Vinciguerria-nimbaria-Larven, die im August/September 1998 iiber dem Plateau und im Tiefseebereich der Großen Meteorbank gefangen wurden, wurden mittels RNA/DNA-Analysen, Langen- und Gewichtsbestimmungen und anhand der Otolith-Tagesringstruktur analysiert. Folgende Hypothese wurde gepriift: Aufgrund ihrer hydrographischen Besonderheiten (Taylor-Säule, "Retention"-Bereich) ermöglicht die Meteorbank besseres Wachstum und eine bessere Ernahrungslage fur Fischlarven. Vinciguerria-Larven aus dem Bereich oberhalb des Seeberges hatten im Vergleich zum ozeanischen Bereich signifikant hi:ihere Trockengewichte, die RNA/DNA-Verhaltnisse und die Gewichts-Langen-Beziehungen zwischen den beiden Untersuchungsgebieten sowie die Altersverteilungen und Wachstumsraten zwischen beiden Gebieten ergaben keine signifikanten Unterschiede.

Description: One of the effects of fishing is a reduction in average age and size in exploited fish stocks, leading to an increasing proportion of recruit spawners in the stock. Current management practice assumes equal viability of offspring from first time spawners and from repeat spawners, despite the fact that that first time spawners often produce smaller eggs than older spawners. The aim of this EU-project is to follow offspring from families of first time spawning and older cod, reared under identical and semi-natural conditions in marine enclosures (mesocosms). The parental origin of the larvae is identified using microsatellite DNA methodology. The advantage of this approach, compared to traditional laboratory rearing, is that rearing conditions are close to natural conditions, and all larvae are reared in the same environment. This eliminates the tank-to-tank variability often observed in traditional rearing experiments. The fish are reared from hatching, through the larval and juvenile stages, until sexual maturity. Growth rates, survival and nutritional condition will be measured using methods such as RNA/DNA ratio and otolith micro increment analysis. The results will be related to parental origin and quality measures of the eggs. It is intended to incorporate the results into management models for improvement of fishery management strategies. In this paper we will focus on a description of the project