An opinion paper: emphasis on white muscle development and growth to improve farmed fish flesh quality

Due to rapid depletion of wild stocks, the necessity to cultivate fish is eminent. Current fish farming practices seek to improve flesh quality. The notion that white muscles are the main target of the fishing industry is emphasized. A novel approach is suggested based on the development of white muscles in wild fish from eggs to adults. A compilation of facts about white muscle structure, function and ontogeny is followed by an account of the changes in swimming behaviour and performance related to the use of white muscle during growth from larva to adult. Ecological data narrate early swimming performance with white muscle development and growth, unveiling some of the important natural selection factors eliminating weak swimmers and poor growers from the breeding stock. A comparison between fish culture practise and natural conditions reveals fundamental differences. New approaches following wild breeding processes promise several important advantages regarding the quality of white muscle

The size-structure of corals with contrasting life-histories : a multi-scale analysis across environmental conditions

We report variation in the size-structure of three coral taxa in the Society Islands (French Polynesia) using a hierarchical sampling design that integrates the regional (among three islands: Moorea, Raiatea, Tahiti), island (among three locations around each island), and local levels (among three depths: 6, 12, 18 m, at each location). All coral taxa exhibited strong heterogeneity in their size-structure, with marked variation among depths, locations, and islands. Porites spp. and Acropora globiceps populations at 6 m depth were dominated by smaller size classes compared to other depths. Regional-scale variation was particularly evident for Pocillopora meandrina and A. globiceps, with a higher proportion of smaller colonies found at Raiatea, probably as a result of recent cyclones followed by higher recruitment rates. Porites spp. populations were characterized by a preponderance of larger colonies, and greater size ranges compared to the other two taxa