Monitoring of common sole Solea Solea (L) captive broodstock from Northern Adriatic Sea over consecutive spawning seasons

The high nutritional quality of common sole Solea solea increases its value for the fishery industry and for the aquaculture sector. To ensure the expansion of its production, it is necessary to implement farming and broodstock management technique to produce high quality eggs and larvae. This work summarizes eight years of study on reproductive performances, growth and parental contribution of a common sole broodstock from the Mediterranean-North Adriatic Sea. The broodstock (11 females and 13 males) reached the peak of fecundity after 5/6 years of captivity, with a production of 296,476 and 376,541 7 103 of total eggs kg 121 female with a fertilization rate of 31.6 \ub1 18.3 and 41.9 \ub1 23.8 %, respectively. Results shows that variations in temperature cycles are pivotal for a successful breeding season, and body condition during the first 3 years of captivity was the most important parameter positively correlated to parental contribution for both males and females. Parental contribution was assessed by eight species-specific microsatellite loci during the first 3 years of reproduction. Although the two sexes displayed different temporal trends, parentage assessment demonstrated an overall increase in the number of active breeders. However, only 13 couples out of 50 produced the 70.4 % of the larvae in year 5, confirming the same reproduction behavioural pattern in Mediterranean common sole than that observed both in Senegalese sole and in common sole of Atlantic origin. This work provides valuable data needed to understand the mechanisms behind the maturation characteristics of this species and support future strategy for the establishment and management of Mediterranean common sole aquaculture

Novel PCR-based assay for rapid identification of Red Fluorescent Proteins in GloFish and GloFish x wildtype zebrafish (Danio rerio) hybrids

none4noTwenty-five zebrafish presenting three different colour variants were collected and analysed by molecular markers in order to define their species and to verify if the unusual colouration presented by two morphotypes was due to genetic engineering or were natural colour variants obtained by selective breeding or spontaneous mutations. The three morphotypes collected were (a) an unusual reddish-pink (suspected red GloFish®), 15 specimens confiscated by the operative ecological core of police officers; (b) the black/blue striped colouration typical of wildtype Danio rerio (five specimens) and (c) an hybrid morphotype with an atypical flashing red pigmentation of skeletal muscle and a blue-black striped pigmentation of skin (five specimens obtained by crossing suspected GM danios with wildtype line) obtained by crossing wild type danios with fish confiscated by police. Despite the three different colourations presented, all analysed samples were unequivocally Danio rerio, excluding the possibility of belonging to different species or natural variants, which should carry different skin colours. Except the five wild-type danios, all other samples analysed should belong to an engineered variant and thus forbidden by EU GMO legislation. Here we designed a new highly reliable and affordable PCR-based assay able to identify the presence of red fluorescent proteins not only in the 15 parental GM samples but also in the five F1 hybrids created ad hoc. The cross-breeding experiment clearly demonstrated that the exogenous construct made by red fluorescent protein under a fast-muscle promoter was inherited by F1. For this reason in our opinion also cross-hybrids obtained by GM danios and wildtype zebrafish should be included in the list of organisms regulated by GMO legislation. Finally, the obtained results suggest that the PCR-based assay here implemented could represent a cost-effective test to rapidly identify suspected GM fish, which carry RFP/dsRED isoformsopenC. OFELIO; A. CARIANI; M. TRENTINI; I. GUARNIEROC. OFELIO; A. CARIANI; M. TRENTINI; I. GUARNIER

The influence of diet on the early development of two seahorse species (H. guttulatus and H. reidi): Traditional and innovative approaches

Larval nutrition plays a key role in the development of a sustainable aquaculture where fish development, health and wellness are of prime importance. For some species, satisfactory growth and survival rates are met providing exclusively enriched rotifers and Artemia; however, feeding on copepods during the larval period has been shown to improve growth in both larval and juvenile fish, including seahorses. For the first time, the effects of different diets (Artemia and copepods) on the early development of juvenile seahorses (H. guttulatus and H. reidi) development were analysed by combining biometry, traditional histology and FPA-FTIR Imaging spectroscopy. Survival and growth and biochemical composition on the liver in seahorse were significantly affected by the type of diet offered. The results achieved were related to differences in the digestion of the two types of live preys, mainly dependent on their biochemical composition and permeability of the exoskeleton

The influence of diet on the early development of two seahorse species (H. guttulatus and H. reidi): Traditional and innovative approaches

16 pages, 14 figures, 1 tableLarval nutrition plays a key role in the development of a sustainable aquaculture where fish development, health and wellness are of prime importance. For some species, satisfactory growth and survival rates are met providing exclusively enriched rotifers and Artemia; however, feeding on copepods during the larval period has been shown to improve growth in both larval and juvenile fish, including seahorses. For the first time, the effects of different diets (Artemia and copepods) on the early development of juvenile seahorses (H. guttulatus and H. reidi) development were analysed by combining biometry, traditional histology and FPA-FTIR Imaging spectroscopy. Survival and growth and biochemical composition on the liver in seahorse were significantly affected by the type of diet offered. The results achieved were related to differences in the digestion of the two types of live preys, mainly dependent on their biochemical composition and permeability of the exoskeleton.This study was partially financed by Project UCA2013020101 (CSIC- VigoZoo) and by Università Politecnica delle Marche (Fondi di Ateneo) 2016.Peer reviewe