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Early Development and Growth of Fishes

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A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Aquatic Animals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 15233

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Prof. Dr. Dariusz Kucharczyk

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Department of Ichthyology and Aquaculture, Warmia and Mazury University in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland
Interests: fish biology; fish reproduction; fish physiology; conservation biology; fish biodiversity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Krzysztof Kupren

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Department of Tourism, Recreation and Ecology, Institute of Engineering and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Interests: fish reproduction; early ontogeny of fish
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Early ontogenetic development and fish growth are among the many critical issues that strongly impact intensive aquaculture. The development of protocols to produce stocking material for further breeding (e.g., for fattening) requires the careful examination and description of early development stages: embryonic, larval, and juvenile. The multiplicity of species used in commercial and conservative aquaculture and the continuous increase in the number of aquaculture finfish species make it imperative to thoroughly investigate and identify the critical aspects of fish development and growth. This applies to both the influence on the development and growth of biotic factors, such as the type of food, its chemical composition, the content of essential amino acids as well as fatty acids and vitamins, the content of active feed additives, feeding frequency, and stocking densities, or abiotic factors, such as water quality parameters: temperature, salinity, pH, content of nitrogen compounds, etc. This Special Issue focuses on an overview of the research on various aspects of the embryonic, larval, and juvenile periods of all freshwater, brackish, and marine fish species, both wild and farmed. Potential topics are as follows:

Technical and environmental aspects of finfish rearing protocols;
Ecology;
Behavior;
Nutrition;
Physiological and genetic aspects of early ontogeny;
Anatomical and morphological development, growth patterns;
Diseases, treatments, and veterinary requirements;
Management, social, and economic aspects of larviculture.

Prof. Dr. Dariusz Kucharczyk
Prof. Dr. Krzysztof Kupren
Guest Editors

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

8 pages, 643 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Comparison of Diploid and Triploid Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) Physiological Embryonic Development

by Callum Howard, John F. Taylor, Herve Migaud, Alejandro P. Gutierrez and Michaël Bekaert

Animals 2023, 13(21), 3352; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13213352 - 28 Oct 2023

Viewed by 915

Abstract

Diploid and triploid Atlantic salmon show distinct physiological differences including heart, brain, and digestive system morphology, propensity for certain deformities, temperature tolerance as eggs and once hatched, and different nutritional requirements. Whilst several studies have looked in detail at the rate of embryogenesis in diploid salmon, no study has compared the rate of embryogenesis between ploidies from fertilisation to hatch. This study based its assessment on a seminal paper by Gorodilov (1996) and used the same techniques to compare the rate at which triploid and diploid embryos developed morphological characteristics. Whilst no significant difference was found, this study provides well-needed justification for the assumption that both ploidies develop at the same rate and gives scientific weight to studies which involve manipulation at these stages of development. Two factors that did differ, however, were the timing of hatch, and mortality. Triploids hatched more quickly than diploids and reached 50% hatch at a significantly earlier point. Triploids also suffered from a significantly higher rate of mortality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Development and Growth of Fishes)

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6 pages, 650 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Nighttime Lighting Influences on the Plankton Feeding and Growth of Juvenile Pacific Bluefin Tuna, Thunnus orientalis

by Tomoki Honryo, Yoshifumi Sawada and Yasunori Ishibashi

Animals 2023, 13(19), 3128; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13193128 - 07 Oct 2023

Viewed by 603

Abstract

During fingerling production of Pacific bluefin tuna (PBF) Thunnus orientalis, heavy mortality can occur immediately after juveniles are transferred from nursery tanks to sea cages; however, nighttime lighting can moderate this mortality. Additionally, various live prey aggregate due to nighttime lighting in practical sea cage culture of PBF. Here, we investigated whether the growth and viability of PBF juveniles could be improved through promoting feeding on live prey that aggregate under nighttime lighting. Two treatment groups were established using land-based tanks under constant environmental conditions, one in which the juveniles were fed live prey at night (night-feed in four replicate tanks) and the other in which juveniles were not fed during the night (control in four replicate tanks). Although the survival rate did not differ significantly between the two groups, growth was significantly improved in the night-feed group, in which 69–78% of the juveniles showed evidence of feeding during the night. Thus, nighttime lighting plays a vital role in the aggregation of various live prey. PBF juveniles consume these prey in sea cages, which promotes their growth. This may partially serve as a countermeasure against the heavy mortality observed in sea cages. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Development and Growth of Fishes)

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11 pages, 1305 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Growth Priorities of the Four Riverine Cyprinids during Early Ontogeny

by Krzysztof Kupren, Joanna Nowosad and Dariusz Kucharczyk

Animals 2023, 13(14), 2345; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13142345 - 18 Jul 2023

Viewed by 707

Abstract

Growth patterns during early development of four species of riverine cyprinids, common dace (Leuciscus leuciscus L.), ide (Leuciscus idus L.), chub (Squalius cephalus L.) and common barbel (Barbus barbus L.), over 30 days of rearing, were analyzed. The study period covered three successive phases of larval development (preflexion, flexion, postflexion) and part of the juvenile development. The growth analysis carried out in the present study shows that significant allometric growth occurred mainly in preferentially localized body parts (head and tail) and was also associated with an increase in body height. The replacement of temporary structures (e.g., fin fold absorption) and the appearance of definitive structures around 21 mm TL (beginning of the juvenile period) corresponds to a stabilization of the relative growth of most parts of the body. This is probably due to the fact that the studied species had completed the most important part of the remodeling process (metamorphosis) and had achieved a body shape that allows juveniles to colonize faster water habitats. The results also indicate that individuals of species that are less developmentally advanced at the time of hatching (common barbel, chub) show greater initial dynamics of change in growth rate than individuals of species whose individuals are more advanced in ontogeny (common dace, ide). In addition, the small differences observed in growth parameters between successive periods analyzed, supported by the results of previous studies on these species, probably reflect the lack of abrupt changes in the behavior and habitat of the species studied. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Development and Growth of Fishes)

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10 pages, 675 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Fecundity, Fertilization, Hatching, and Gonadosomatic Index of Exotic Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) and Native Clarias macromystax (Gunther, 1864) under Semi-Arid Conditions of Nigeria

by Yuzine B. Esa, Abdulrahman Muhammad Dadile, Fadhil Syukri, Annie Christianus and Mohammad Y. Diyaware

Animals 2023, 13(11), 1723; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13111723 - 23 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1401

Abstract

The study evaluates the hybridizations between two African catfish, C. gariepinus and C. macromystax, using artificial reproduction. Fecundity and gonadosomatic index were assessed, and growth performance at different developmental stages was evaluated. The results indicated that both species possess a similar gonadosomatic index. The parent C. gariepinus possesses significantly (p < 0.05) higher male reproductive quality than C. macromystax. Fecundity was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the female parent of C. macromystax and lower in C. gariepinus. The highest fertilization rates and hatching rates were achieved in the hybrid cross of ♀C. macromystax × ♂C. gariepinus (♀Cm × ♂Cg) which also recorded the lowest deformed larva rate. Survival rates at the larval stage were more than 80%, with the highest record of survival in the hybrid ♀Cm × ♂Cg. However, survival rates in the fry stage were lower than 70%. The hybrid cross (C. macromystax × C. gariepinus) outperformed the parental cross of C. macromystax but was not significantly similar to the parental cross of C. gariepinus. The study revealed the potential of the hybrid ♀C. macromystax × ♂C. gariepinus, and hybridizations of ♀C. macromystax × ♂C. gariepinus (♀Cm × ♂Cg) are indeed possible and proved to have a better growth and survival rate under semi-arid conditions, which would contribute significantly to the improvement of C. macromystax production in captivity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Development and Growth of Fishes)

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13 pages, 2783 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Long-Term Effects of a Short Juvenile Feeding Period with Diets Enriched with the Microalgae Nannochloropsis gaditana on the Subsequent Body and Muscle Growth of Gilthead Seabream, Sparus aurata L.

by María Dolores Ayala, Noemí Balsalobre, Elena Chaves-Pozo, María Isabel Sáez, Alba Galafat, Francisco Javier Alarcón, Tomás Francisco Martínez and Marta Arizcun

Animals 2023, 13(3), 482; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13030482 - 30 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1001

Abstract

Currently, microalgae are used in fish diets, but their long-term growth effect is unknown. In this experiment, juvenile seabream specimens were fed with microalgae-enriched diets for three months, and then transferred to a microalgae-free diet for 10 months to assess long-term effects up to commercial size (≈27 cm and ≈300 g). The juvenile diets contained Nannochloropsis gaditana at 2.5 or 5% inclusion levels, either raw (R2.5 and R5 groups) or cellulose-hydrolyzed (H2.5 and H5 groups). The body length and weight were measured in 75 fish group⁻¹ at commercial stage. The size, number, and fibrillar density of white muscle fibers and the white muscle transverse area were measured in nine fish group⁻¹ at commercial stage. The results showed the highest body weight in H5 at commercial stage. The white muscle transverse area and the white fibres hyperplasia and density also showed the highest values in H5, followed by H2.5. In contrast, the highest hypertrophy was observed in C and R2.5, being associated with the lowest muscle growth in both groups. These results showed a microalgae concentration-dependent effect in hydrolyzed diets as well as an advantageous effect of the hydrolyzed versus raw diets on the long-term growth of Sparus aurata. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Development and Growth of Fishes)

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14 pages, 732 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nursing of Pike-Perch (Sander lucioperca) in Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) Provides Growth Advantage in Juvenile Growth Phase

by Géza Péter, Jovanka Lukić, René Alvestad, Zoltán Horváth, Zoltán Nagy, András Rónyai, Péter Bársony and Uroš Ljubobratović

Animals 2023, 13(3), 347; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13030347 - 19 Jan 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2319

Abstract

This study aimed to estimate the efficacy of two pike-perch juvenile production technologies: exclusive Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) culture (the RAS group) and pond larviculture with a transfer to the RAS at the 42nd day post-hatch (DPH). Both direct weaning on dry feed (the Pond-D group) and 10-day gradual weaning using bloodworms (the Pond-B group) after transfer to the RAS were evaluated in pond-nursed fry. Their survival and morphometric indices were monitored after the RAS habituation period (first 10 days), after the 18-day post-habituation period and after an additional 30 days of on-grow. Our results indicate a negative allometric growth of the pond-nursed fish during the nursing period, which was slower (p < 0.0001) in comparison to the RAS-nursed fry (16.3 ± 0.4 vs. 17.8 ± 0.7%/day). After transfer, these fish grew faster than the RAS-nursed fry (7.7 ± 0.1, 4.9 ± 0.5 and 6.1 ± 0.6 during habituation, 8.5 ± 0.6, 9.3 ± 0.5 and 6.7 ± 0.1%/day during post-habituation period, in the Pond-B, Pond-D and RAS groups, respectively). However, four weeks afterwards, the RAS-nursed fry were again superior in terms of growth (4.0 ± 0.1, 3.6 ± 0.2 and 4.6 ± 0.2%/day, for the Pond-B, Pond-D and RAS groups, respectively), and this was accompanied by a significantly lower feed conversion ratio in this group. Although the survival of the RAS-nursed fry during the nursing period was lower in comparison to the pond-reared fry (11.3 vs. 67.3%), the RAS seems to provide a long-term growth advantage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Development and Growth of Fishes)

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16 pages, 2168 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Bee Pollen on Growth Performance, Intestinal Microbiota and Histomorphometry in African Catfish

by Joanna Nowosad, Szymon Jasiński, Martyna Arciuch-Rutkowska, Hany M. R. Abdel-Latif, Marcin Wróbel, Mateusz Mikiewicz, Łukasz Zielonka, Ihor Y. Kotsyumbas, Viktor P. Muzyka, Oksana M. Brezvyn, Grzegorz Dietrich and Dariusz Kucharczyk

Animals 2023, 13(1), 132; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13010132 - 29 Dec 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2443

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the dietary effects of honeybee pollen (BP) on growth parameters, intestinal microbiota, hepatic histoarchitecture, and intestinal histomorphometry of African catfish Clarias gariepinus juveniles. The feeding experiment was carried out in a recirculating aquaculture system under controlled conditions for 21 days to achieve more than a 10-fold increase in weight in fish from the control group. Fish were fed well-balanced commercial feed without any supplements and served as a reference group (group C) and other diets enriched with varying BP levels as 1% (BP1), 2% (BP2), and 3% (BP3). Results showed a significant (p < 0.05) effect of the dietary BP not only on the growth parameters (such as final body weight: 5.0 g to 6.6–7.5 g, weight gain: 0.23 g/d to 0.31–0.35 g/d, body length: 84.7 mm to 93.8–95.9 mm, and specific growth rate: 11.7%/d to 13.1–13.7%/d, group C vs. experimental groups, respectively) but also on the development of beneficially important gut microbiota, such as lactic acid-producing bacteria. In BP-enriched groups, an average of 45% higher body weight gain was observed compared to those reared in the control group. The histological analysis showed that dietary BP may have a positive effect on the development of the intestinal tract and may enhance the absorption of nutrients with the potential ability to maintain a normal hepatic histoarchitecture of the treated African catfish. The results obtained suggest the optimum level of BP additive to feed for African catfish should be 1%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Development and Growth of Fishes)

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19 pages, 3008 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Dietary Supplementation with Aurantiochytrium sp. on Zebrafish Growth as Determined by Transcriptomics

by Hao Yang, Yanlin Huang, Zhiyuan Li, Yuwen Guo, Shuangfei Li, Hai Huang, Xuewei Yang, Guangli Li and Huapu Chen

Animals 2022, 12(20), 2794; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12202794 - 16 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1636

Abstract

The marine protist Aurantiochytrium produces several bioactive chemicals, including EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), and other critical fish fatty acids. It has the potential to improve growth and fatty acid profiles in aquatic taxa. This study evaluated zebrafish growth performance in response to diets containing 1% to 3% Aurantiochytrium sp. crude extract (TE) and single extract for 56 days. Growth performance was best in the 1% TE group, and therefore, this concentration was used for further analyses of the influence of Aurantiochytrium sp. Levels of hepatic lipase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, acetyl-CoA oxidase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase increased significantly in response to 1% TE, while malic enzyme activity, carnitine lipid acylase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthase, and malondialdehyde levels decreased. These findings suggest that Aurantiochytrium sp. extract can modulate lipase activity, improve lipid synthesis, and decrease oxidative damage caused by lipid peroxidation. Transcriptome analysis revealed 310 genes that were differentially expressed between the 1% TE group and the control group, including 185 up-regulated genes and 125 down-regulated genes. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) pathway analyses of the differentially expressed genes revealed that Aurantiochytrium sp. extracts may influence liver metabolism, cell proliferation, motility, and signal transduction in zebrafish. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Development and Growth of Fishes)

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15 pages, 1590 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Tributyrin on Growth Performance and Pathway by which Tributyrin Regulates Oligopeptide Transporter 1 in Juvenile Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus)

by Zhimin He, Na Liu, Yuyang Cai, Na Yang, Gen Li, Yang Xiao, Xiaomei Zhou, Shenping Cao, Fufa Qu, Jianzhou Tang, Suchun Liu and Zhen Liu

Animals 2022, 12(19), 2498; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12192498 - 20 Sep 2022

Viewed by 1263

Abstract

The nutritional functions of tributyrin (TB) have been extensively studied, but questions remain regarding its influence on the growth of juvenile grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) and the regulation pathway to PepT1 in the intestine of grass carp. To answer the remaining questions, feeding trials, cell trials, and peritoneal injection trials were conducted in this study. The results showed that an appropriate level of TB (0.5 g/kg and 1.0 g/kg) supplementation in feed significantly promoted the growth performance of juvenile grass carp. The expressions of intestine genes (CDX2, SP1 and PepT1) related to oligopeptide transportation increased in the 0.5 g/kg TB group of feeding trials and both the 5 mM and 10 mM TB groups of the intestine cell trials, respectively. Subsequently, the injection trials of inhibitors CDX2 and SP1 demonstrated that the inhibition of CDX2 or SP1 decreased the mRNA expression of PepT1. Finally, the results of independent or combined treatments of TB and the inhibitors suggested that CDX2/SP1 mediated TB regulation on PepT1. These findings may help us to better understand the functions of TB on growth and PepT1 oligopeptide transportation, which could be modulated by dietary TB through the CDX2/SP1-PepT1 pathway in juvenile grass carp. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Development and Growth of Fishes)

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12 pages, 753 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Water Salinity on the Growth and Survivability of Asp Larvae Leuciscus aspius (Linnaeus, 1758) under Controlled Conditions

by Roman Kujawa and Przemysław Piech

Animals 2022, 12(17), 2299; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12172299 - 05 Sep 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2014

Abstract

The effect of water with a salinity 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 ppt on the growth and survivability of asp Leuciscus aspius (L.) larvae was investigated. A control sample consisted of asp larvae reared up in freshwater (0 ppt). Larvae were fed for 21 days with nauplii of the brine shrimp Artemia salina. Water salinity was observed to have a considerable effect on the growth and survivability of asp larvae. In addition, saline water extended the life span of Artemia salina nauplii, which resulted in their prolonged availability to asp larvae. Asp larvae showed low tolerance to the salinity of water, reaching 9–11 ppt. Depending on the degree of salinity, the mean final weight of larvae varied from 122.6 to 139.4 mg, at body lengths from 23.8 to 25.6 mm, respectively. The best body length increments were recorded among asp larvae maintained in water with a salinity of 3 ppt. Depending on the level of water salinity, the final survivability of asp larvae ranged from 16.9 to 94.5%. The highest and increasing mortality was demonstrated among the larvae reared in water of the salinity equal to 11 ppt. It is not recommended to rear asp larvae in water with a salinity above 7 ppt due to the low survivability and large differences in the body size of the larvae that managed to survive. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Development and Growth of Fishes)

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