Disappearing scales in carps: Re-visiting Kirpichnikov's model on the genetics of scale pattern formation

The body of most fishes is fully covered by scales that typically form tight, partially overlapping rows. While some of the genes controlling the formation and growth of fish scales have been studied, very little is known about the genetic mechanisms regulating scale pattern formation. Although the existence of two genes with two pairs of alleles (S&s and N&n) regulating scale coverage in cyprinids has been predicted by Kirpichnikov and colleagues nearly eighty years ago, their identity was unknown until recently. In 2009, the ‘S’ gene was found to be a paralog of fibroblast growth factor receptor 1, fgfr1a1, while the second gene called ‘N’ has not yet been identified. We re-visited the original model of Kirpichnikov that proposed four major scale pattern types and observed a high degree of variation within the so-called scattered phenotype due to which this group was divided into two sub-types: classical mirror and irregular. We also analyzed the survival rates of offspring groups and found a distinct difference between Asian and European crosses. Whereas nude × nude crosses involving at least one parent of Asian origin or hybrid with Asian parent(s) showed the 25% early lethality predicted by Kirpichnikov (due to the lethality of the NN genotype), those with two Hungarian nude parents did not. We further extended Kirpichnikov's work by correlating changes in phenotype (scale-pattern) to the deformations of fins and losses of pharyngeal teeth. We observed phenotypic changes which were not restricted to nudes, as described by Kirpichnikov, but were also present in mirrors (and presumably in linears as well; not analyzed in detail here). We propose that the gradation of phenotypes observed within the scattered group is caused by a gradually decreasing level of signaling (a dose-dependent effect) probably due to a concerted action of multiple pathways involved in scale formation

Comparison of Growth in Pike-Perch (Sander lucioperca) and Hybrids of Pike-Perch (S. lucioperca) × Volga Pike-Perch (S. volgensis)

Growth of intensively cultured pike-perch Sander lucioperca (L.) and hybrids of pike-perch females × Volga pike-perch (S. volgensis Gmelin, 1789) males (1.75 g) were compared in a 35-day experiment. Fish were sorted into three groups (50 fish/aquarium): S. lucioperca grown separately (Group P), hybrids grown separately (Group H), and a mixed group of 25 S. lucioperca (Group Mp) grown together with 25 hybrids (Group Mh). The stocking density was 0.44 g/l. Final body weights were 6.83 g, 6.54 g, 5.17 g, and 4.84 g, and specific growth rates were 3.9%/day, 3.75%/day, 3.1%/day, and 2.89%/day, for groups Mp, P, Mh, and H, respectively. The weight, length, and specific growth rates of the S. lucioperca were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those of the hybrids, whether grown separately or together. The feed conversion rate of the hybrids grown separately was significantly higher (1.28 g/g) than all other groups. Further investigation is needed to study the growth performance of larger hybrids, to compare the hybrid with S. volgensis, and to investigate the possibility of cross hybridization

545, 7 pages Comparison of Growth in Pike-Perch (Sander lucioperca) and Hybrids of Pike-Perch (S. lucioperca) × Volga Pike-Perch

Abstract Growth of intensively cultured pike-perch Sander lucioperca (L.) and hybrids of pike-perch females × Volga pike-perch (S. volgensis Gmelin, 1789) males (1.75 g) were compared in a 35-day experiment. Fish were sorted into three groups (50 fish/aquarium): S. lucioperca grown separately (Group P), hybrids grown separately (Group H), and a mixed group of 25 S. lucioperca (Group Mp) grown together with 25 hybrids (Group Mh). The stocking density was 0.44 g/l. Final body weights were 6.83 g, 6.54 g, 5.17 g, and 4.84 g, and specific growth rates were 3.9%/day, 3.75%/day, 3.1%/day, and 2.89%/day, for groups Mp, P, Mh, and H, respectively. The weight, length, and specific growth rates of the S. lucioperca were significantly higher (p&lt;0.05) than those of the hybrids, whether grown separately or together. The feed conversion rate of the hybrids grown separately was significantly higher (1.28 g/g) than all other groups. Further investigation is needed to study the growth performance of larger hybrids, to compare the hybrid with S. volgensis, and to investigate the possibility of cross hybridization

Effects of various hormones on the sexual maturity of European eel (Anguilla anguilla L.) females from farm and lakes

Previously described and alternative methods of the induction of sexual maturation in the European eel were investigated. Weekly administrations of a gonadoliberin agonist (GnRH-A=D-Phe6-GnRH-Ea) did not induce statistically significant effect on the gonads of treated eels in none of the dosages used (0.1 µg and 10 µg/fish). Carp pituitary extract and carp pituitary extract together with a dopamine antagonist caused considerable external changes (increase in eye size) and significant gonadal development in two treatment groups: wild and cultivated stocks. The induction of the ovulation by double amount of CP and gonadoliberin agonist with dopamine antagonist mixture was not successful in a wild stock. Fertilisation of stripped eggs of farm eel was attempted unsuccessfully in, due to low egg quality. An advanced phase of the sexual maturation process could be induced in specimen infected by Anguillicola crassus indicating, that nematode infection is not a limiting factor in the artificial propagation of the European eel

Hatching out goldfish from common carp eggs: interspecific androgenesis between two cyprinid species

We have successfully performed interspecific androgenesis between two cyprinid species. Gamma-ray irradiated eggs of common carp were fertilized with fresh and cryopreserved sperm of three different goldfish varieties and the haploid embryos were then heat-shocked to restore diploidy and to produce viable offspring. Androgenic diploid goldfish progenies from over a dozen different experiments were screened for four phenotypic markers several times. Color and other phenotypic markers characteristic of goldfish were found exclusively among androgenetic goldfish progenies; no markers originating from common carp were detected in over 1500 individuals investigated visually.RAPD assay was used to compare the parents and the offspring at the genomic level. The RAPD pattern of the androgenetic goldfish contained exclusively paternal bands, thereby confirming the results of the phenotypic analysis. According to our knowledge, this is the first successful interspecific androgenesis performed with two different species resulting in viable offspring.Key words: RAPD, whole genome manipulation, nuclear-mitochondrial incompatibility

Duplication of fgfr1 permits Fgf signaling to serve as a target for selection during domestication

The genetic basis of morphological variation both within and between species has been a lasting question in evolutionary biology and one of considerable recent debate. It is thought that changes in postembryonic development leading to variations in adult form often serve as a basis for selection . Thus, we investigated the genetic basis of the development of adult structures in the zebrafish via a forward genetic approach and asked whether the genes and mechanisms found could be predictive of changes in other species. Here we describe the spiegeldanio (spd) zebrafish mutation, which leads to reduced scale formation in the adult. The affected gene is fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (fgfr1), which is known to have an essential embryonic function in vertebrate development. We find that the zebrafish has two paralogs encoding Fgfr1 and show that they function redundantly during embryogenesis. However, only one paralog is required for formation of scales during juvenile development. Furthermore, we identify loss-of-function alleles changing the coding sequence of Fgfr1a1 that have been independently selected twice during the domestication of the carp (Cyprinus carpio). These findings provide evidence for the role for gene duplication in providing the raw material for generation of morphological diversity

Cryopreservation of European eel (Anguilla anguilla) sperm using different extenders and cryoprotectants

Experiments were carried out on the sperm cryopreservation of artificially induced eels. The effects of several extenders and two cryoprotectants on the motility of spermatozoa were investigated. The highest post-thaw motility was observed with the combination of Tanaka's extender and DMSO as cryoprotectant. Further dilution after thawing resulted in complete loss of motility in samples frozen in presence of DMSO while sperm frozen with methanol as cryoprotectant retained its motility after further dilution

Cryopreservation of sperm of two European percid species, the pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) and the Volga pikeperch (S. volgensis)

Experiments were carried out on sperm cryopreservation of two European percid fish species, the pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) and the Volga pikeperch (S. volgensis) . Two experiments were conducted on pikeperch sperm. In the first, the effects of three extenders (Glucose, KCl, Sucrose) and two cryoprotectants (dimethyl-sulfoxide: DMSO, methanol: MeOH) were tested on motility and fertilization. In the second, the effects of two dilution ratios (1: 1, 1: 9) and two cryoprotectants (DMSO, MeOH) on hatching were investigated. In the experiment on Volga pikeperch the suitability of using cryopreservation for fertilization was investigated. In the first experiment on pikeperch the highest post-thaw motility (28 ± 21%) and fertilization rate (43 ± 12%) was found with DMSO as cryoprotectant in combination with Glucose extender. In the second, the highest hatch rate (41 ± 22%) was observed with MeOH as cryoprotectant and 1: 1 sperm dilution ratio, however no significant difference was found among the results. In the experiment on Volga pikeperch hatch rates with cryopreserved sperm (60 ± 2%) did not significantly differ from the control (60 ± 6%). Contamination of sperm with urine seems to be a key problem in the success of sperm cryopreservation of these species

Tracking of the hormonally induced maturation of female eels by computed tomography

Female European eels were kept in artificial seawater for a trial period of 14 weeks. Three fish were injected intra-abdominally with carp pituitary suspension (twice a week) and human chorionic gonadotropin (every 2nd week), with the aim to induce artificial maturation. Three further fish were not treated (control). Fish were not fed during the trial. The treated fish were scanned by computed tomography (CT) every second week (the controls only at the start and at the end of the trial) to follow changes in body composition. Notable decreases were shown in total body pixel number (body volume), total body fat content, total fillet volume and fillet fat content during the experiment. Changes were more pronounced in the treated group than in the control. The abdominal volume strongly increased in the responding fish throughout the trial. The ovary volume increased measurably, while its fat content increased only until the 8th week, after which a decrease was measured. Tissue volumetric estimations of the ovary were also supported by histological results. A so-called volumetric gonadosomatic index (gonad volume/total body volume × 100) was developed for the quantitative characterisation of eel maturation