Otolith morphology and total length relationships in <em>Schizothorax grahami</em>

Otolith is important for studying fish populations and life histories. In this study, the dominant species of Schizothorax grahami in the source section of the Chishui River was taken to understand the relationships between otolith morphology and total length (TL). Results showed a large difference between the four TL groups (A/B/C/D), except group B is similar to group C. The combined discrimination success rate of linear discriminant analysis was 62.2%. Group A and D's success rate is the highest, at around 75%. Meanwhile, the success rate for Group B and Group C is below 65%. The one-way ANOVA of the Shape Index and the Canonical analysis of Principal Coordinates with two coefficients (Fourier coefficients and Wavelet coefficients) showed that Group B is similar to Group C, with a large difference from the other two groups. When TL was greater than 100 mm (the pearl organs appearing), the otolith growth was lower changing. Otolith morphology still changes with growth after sexual maturity in fish, so the larger fish is more useful for conducting otolith morphology studies for accurate evaluation and management of local fishery resources

Morphological variation of endemic <em>Gymnocypris chilianensis</em> (Cyprinidae) collected from three inland water systems in Qilian Mountains, China

To explore the morphological differences among different geographic populations of Gymnocypris chilianensis, 29 measurable traits and 13 landmarks on 191 individuals of 10 geographic populations were collected from three different inland water systems, i.e., Shiyang River, Heihe River, and Shule River, in Qilian Mountains, China. Multivariate statistical methods were used to compare morphological differences among the populations, such as principal component analysis, cluster analysis, discriminant analysis, and visual analysis of landmark data. The results showed that: (1) There were significant morphological differences between groups of G. chilianensis. The Shiyang River basin differs significantly from populations in the other two basins. (2) The inter-population differences were mainly reflected in the length of the trunk and tail, and the difference between trunk and caudal fin had the most obvious characteristics, proving the tail being the main direction of variation. This research provides an effective theoretical basis for the fine management and accurate protection of G. chilianensis germplasm resources

Comparative analysis of the structural and compositional change of spotted sea bass (<em>Lateolabrax maculatus</em>) gut microflora following <em>Aeromonas veronii</em> infection and the effects of <em>Lactobacillus plantarum</em> on these changes

Growing evidence suggests a close relationship between gut microbiota and infectious diseases. However, the specific role of gut microbiota in host-pathogen interactions during aquaculture-related infections remains poorly understood. This study investigated the diversity and composition of gut microbiota communities in Aeromonas veronii-infected Lateolabrax maculatus using high-throughput sequencing. The results revealed significant changes in the structure and composition of L. maculatus gut microbiota after A. veronii infection. Over time, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes decreased significantly, while Proteobacteria increased significantly after A. veronii infection. Most intestinal bacteria showed a decline in abundance over time, with probiotics (such as Lactobacillus) experiencing a significant decrease and pathogens (such as Aeromonas) showing a significant increase. Conversely, no differences were observed in the structure and composition of gut microbiota between healthy L. maculatus and those infected with A. veronii after treatment with Lactobacillus plantarum; no changes in relative abundances of other bacterial phyla or genera except for Aeromonas. Furthermore, intestinal flora's structural diversity and composition differed significantly from untreated L. maculatus infected with A. veronii. These findings suggest alterations in the structure and composition of gut microbiota following A. veronii infection. L. plantarum can maintain a dynamic balance within the intestinal flora, reducing the potential risk of pathogen infections

The Phonological History of Tai Nüa: Implications from the Sino-Baiyi Manual of Translation

Although the phonological history of Tai Nüa can be roughly demonstrated through comparison of its modern dialects against their reconstructed ancestor, namely, Proto-Southwestern Tai, neither the chronology nor the pathway of the transformative sound changes can be established in detail with any certainty. This study demonstrates a more fine-grained understanding of both the chronology and pathway of the sound changes through the examination of the recently available Sino-Baiyi Manual of Translation, a Chinese-Tai Nüa section of bilingual glossary books produced for diplomatic use during the Ming Dynasty. By comparing the phonological inventory of Tai Nüa as attested in this manuscript against the pre-established list of all characterizing sound changes from Proto-Southwestern Tai to Modern Tai Nüa dialects, we chronologize all the sound changes into the pre-16th versus post-16th century changes. Employing the pre- & post-16th century changes as the demarcating criteria, we tentatively propose a tripartite chronological division of Tai Nüa into 1) Old Tai Nüa, 2) Early Modern Tai Nüa, and 3) Modern Tai Nüa dialects

Chronology of Registrogenesis in Khmer: Analyses of Poetry and Inscriptions

This study examines the phonological changes in Khmer, focusing on the loss of onset voicing, the emergence of register contrast, and the development of a bifurcated vowel system. By analyzing rhyme pairs from Khmer poetry (16th-19th centuries) and spelling variations in Khmer inscriptions (late 7th-mid-18th centuries), I propose a chronology of these changes. The results indicate that vowel mergers resulting from vowel bifurcation in the rhyme pairs appeared from the 17th century onwards. Additionally, spelling variations reflecting the loss of onset voicing and the vowel mergers were observed in inscriptions dating back to the late 16th century. These findings align with previous research, suggesting that both the loss of onset voicing and the vowel bifurcation occurred in the late 16th century. However, the relative chronology of these changes remains uncertain since evidence for both changes emerges around the same time

Isolation of <em>Lactobacillus plantarum</em> CMT1 from shrimp intestine and its effects on growth and survival of the whiteleg shrimp, <em>Litopeneaus vannamei</em>

Probiotics are widely applied in aquaculture, which can improve the growth, survival and health of aquatic animals. The aim of this study was to isolate and evaluate a Lactobacillus strain from the intestine of healthy whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. A total of 20 Lactobacillus isolates showed rod-shaped morphology, gram-positive, non-motile, non-spore forming, and catalase and oxidase negative. Among the isolates, strain CMT1 exhibited the highest antibacterial activity against Vibrio parahaemolyticus and extracellular enzyme activity, which was selected and identified as Lactobacillus plantarum CMT1 based on 16S rDNA gene sequencing. This strain was also chosen to evaluate its effects on growth and survival of the whiteleg shrimp as a feed supplement. Four different diets were prepared, including the control (a commercial diet without L. plantarum CMT1) and three different concentrations of L. plantarum CMT1, viz. T1 (10^6 CFU kg diet^-1), T2 (10^7 CFU kg diet^-1), and T3 (10^8 CFU kg diet^-1). After a 56-day feeding trial, the growth parameters in the T3 group had the highest values and showed a significant difference compared to the other groups. The survival rates of shrimp fed T2 and T3 diets were significantly higher than those in the control diet (p Lactobacillus counts in T2 and T3 groups increased significantly from day 28, which indicated that L. plantarum CMT1 could sustain its population in the intestine of shrimp. However, the total Vibrio sp. count in the T2 and T3 groups was significantly lower than that in the control group (p L. plantarum CMT1 could be used as a potential probiotic for shrimp aquaculture, and the recommended level of the probiotic strain CMT1 is 10^8 CFU kg diet^-1

Analysis of bacterial community of <em>Labidochromis caeruleus</em> reared in RAS with various feeds

The electric yellow cichlid (Labidochromis caeruleus), renowned for its exceptional ornamental value, enjoys widespread popularity among aquarium enthusiasts and holds significant economic value in the market. This study employed high-throughput sequencing technology to analyze the microorganisms in the circulating water of the electric yellow cichlid cultivated with six different types of feeds. Statistical results showed that the compound feed group exhibited the highest specific growth and mass gain rates. In contrast, the water flea and brine shrimp groups showed lower rankings with significant differences. 51,084 to 64,626 effective sequences were obtained and clustered into 127 to 848 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). The research findings indicate a remarkable bacterial diversity in the breeding environment of electric yellow cichlids with higher levels in the water flea and brine shrimp groups, and the lowest level in the compound feed group; the dominant bacterial phyla in all six experimental groups include Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Parcubacteria, and Cyanobacteria; Comparative analysis using the COGs database revealed significant differences (P<0.05) in the metabolic pathways of 24 functional microbial genes among the experimental groups