Effects of CO2-induced ocean acidification on the early development, growth, survival and skeletogenesis of the estuarine-dependant sciaenid Argyrosomus japonicus
- Authors: Erasmus, Bernard
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Argyrosomus , Argyrosomus -- Growth , Argyrosomus -- Mortality , Argyrosomus -- Ecology , Argyrosomus -- Physiology , Ocean acidification , Marine ecology -- South Africa , Carbon dioxide -- Physiological effect
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/60585 , vital:27799
- Description: Although it is increasingly accepted that ocean acidification poses a considerable threat to marine organisms, little is known about the likely response of fishes to this phenomenon. While initial research concluded that adult fishes may be tolerant to changes predicted in the next 300 years, the response of early life stages to end-of-century CO2 levels (~ 1100 µatm according to the IPCC RCP 8.5) remains unclear. To date, literature on the early growth and survival of fishes has yielded conflicting results, suggesting that vulnerability may be species dependant. The paucity of ocean acidification research on fishes is particularly evident when one considers larval skeletogenesis, with no robust studies on its impacts on bone and cartilage development. This study addresses the early life embryogenesis, hatching success, growth, skeletogenesis and survival of an estuarine-dependant species. Dusky kob (Argyrosomus japonicus) were reared in a control (pCO2 = 327.50 ± 80.07 qatm at pH 8.15), intermediate (pCO2 477.40 ± 59.46 qatm at pH 8.03) and high pCO2 treatment (pCO2 910.20 ± 136.45 qatm at pH 7.78) from egg to 29 days post-hatch (dph). Sixty individuals from each treatment were sacrificed at the egg stage and at 2, 6, 13, 18, 21 and 26 dph, measured and stained using an acid-free double- staining solution to prevent the deterioration of calcified matrices in fragile larval skeletons. The proportion of bone and cartilage was quantified at each stage using a novel pixel-counting method. Growth and skeletal development were identical between treatments until the onset of metamorphosis (21 dph). However, from the metamorphosis stage, the growth and skeletal development rate was significantly faster in the intermediate treatment and significantly slower in the high treatment when compared to the control treatment. By 26 dph, A. japonicus reared in high pCO2 were, on average, 47.2% smaller than the control treatment, and the relative proportion of bone in the body was 45.3% lower in the high pCO2 treatment when compared with the control. In addition, none of the fish in the high pCO2 treatment survived after 26 dph. It appears that the combination of the increased energy requirements during metamorphosis and the increased energy cost associated with acid-base regulation may account for reduced growth, skeletogenesis and poor survival in high pCO2. Regardless of the driver, the results of this study suggest that the pCO2 levels predicted for the end of the century may have negative effects on the growth, skeletal development, and survival during metamorphosis.
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- Date Issued: 2018
The metabolic physiology of early stage Argyrosomus japonicus with insight into the potential effects of pCO2 induced ocean acidification
- Authors: Edworthy, Carla
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Argyrosomus , Argyrosomus -- Growth , Argyrosomus -- Mortality , Argyrosomus -- Larvae -- Ecology , Ocean acidification , Marine ecology -- South Africa , Carbon dioxide -- Physiological effect
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/51417 , vital:26094
- Description: Ocean acidification is a phenomenon associated with global change and anthropogenic CO2 emissions that is changing the chemistry of seawater. These changes result in elevated pCO2 and reduced pH in seawater and this is impacting marine organisms in various ways. Marine fishes are considered generally tolerant to conditions of ocean acidification; however, these assumptions are based on juvenile and adult fish tolerance and the larval stages have not been frequently assessed. Furthermore, it has been suggested that temperate species, particularly those with an estuarine association, may be tolerant to variable CO2 and pH. This study used an eco-physiological approach to understand how the early life stages of Argyrosomus japonicus, an estuarine dependent marine fisheries species found in warm-temperate regions, may be impacted by ocean acidification. The metabolic response of early stage larvae (hatching to early juvenile stage) was assessed under conditions of elevated pCO2 and reduced pH in a controlled laboratory setting. Small volume static respirometry was used to determine the oxygen consumption rate of larvae raised in three pCO2 treatments including a low (pCO2 = 327.50 ± 80.07 µatm at pH 8.15), moderate (pCO2 477.40 ± 59.46 µatm at pH 8.03) and high treatment (PCO2 910.20 ± 136.45 µatm at pH 7.78). These treatment levels were relevant to the present (low) and projected conditions of ocean acidification for the years 2050 (moderate) and 2100 (high). Prior to experimentation with ocean acidification treatments, baseline metabolic rates and diurnal variation in oxygen consumption rates in early stage A. japonicus was determined. Distinct ontogenetic structuring of metabolic rates was observed in early stage A. japonicus, with no cyclical fluctuations in metabolic rate occurring during the 24 hour photoperiodic cycle. Pre-flexion larvae showed no metabolic response to ocean acidification treatments; however post-flexion stage larvae showed metabolic depression of standard metabolic rate in the moderate (32.5%) and high (9.5%) pCO2 treatments (P = 0.02). Larvae raised in the high pCO2 treatment also showed high levels of mortality with no individuals surviving past the post-flexion stage. Larvae raised in the moderate pCO2 treatment were unaffected. This study concluded that ocean acidification conditions expected for the end of the century will have significant impacts on the metabolism of early stage A. japonicus, which may result in reduced growth, retardation of skeletal development and ultimately survival as a result of increased mortality. Furthermore, the timing of reduced metabolic scope will significantly impact the recruitment ability of A. japonicus larvae into estuarine habitats. This could ultimately impact the sustainability of A. japonicus populations. Most importantly, this study highlighted the need to consider the combined effect of ontogeny and life-history strategy when assessing the vulnerability of species to ocean acidification.
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- Date Issued: 2018
The effect of dietary fish oil replacement with soybean oil on growth and health of dusky kob, Argyrosomus japonicus (Pisces: Sciaenidae)
- Authors: Rossetti, Nani Adami
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Sciaenidae , Fish culture , Argyrosomus -- Growth , Argyrosomus -- Feeding and feeds , Argyrosomus -- Health , Fish oils as feed , Soy oil , Lipids , Eicosapentaenoic acid , Docosahexaenoic acid
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5272 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005116 , Sciaenidae , Fish culture , Argyrosomus -- Growth , Argyrosomus -- Feeding and feeds , Argyrosomus -- Health , Fish oils as feed , Soy oil , Lipids , Eicosapentaenoic acid , Docosahexaenoic acid
- Description: Lipids are essential components for fish because they contain fatty acids that are vital for regular growth and health. Fish oil is rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are essential fatty acids for carnivorous fish, and therefore this product has traditionally been used as the main source of lipids in fish feeds. However, with declining fisheries resources worldwide and the rapid expansion of the aquaculture industry pressuring this finite resource, such ingredients are becoming less available and more expensive. It is therefore necessary to explore the utilization of ingredients that are sustainable and competitive alternatives to fish oil in marine finfish feeds. This work investigated the effects of the substitution of fish oil with soybean oil on the growth performance, feed efficiency, fatty acid composition of the liver tissue and some health parameters in juvenile dusky kob, Argyrosomus japonicus; an increasingly popular sciaenid marine aquaculture species in South Africa. Six diets (18 % total lipid and 46 % protein) with increasing percentage substitution of fish oil with soybean oil (1, 14, 28, 42, 56 and 70 %) were fed to juvenile kob. After 84 days of feeding these diets to the fish, no significant differences in fish length and weight between treatments were observed. However, there was a significant trend of a decrease in specific growth rate, ranging from (± standard error) 0.87 ± 0.06 to 0.72 ± 0.04 % body weight day⁻¹, and condition factor, ranging from 1.59 ± 0.03 to 1.54 ± 0.02, with increasing vegetable oil replacement in the diets between days 56 and 84. There were no differences in red blood cell count, haematocrit and haemoglobin concentration after 206 days of feeding. However, visceral fat index (VFI) increased significantly from 1.08 ± 0.17 % for fish fed diets with 28 % soybean oil, to 2.24 ± 0.15 % for fish fed diets with 70 % soybean oil. Similarly, hepatosomatic index (HSI) increased significantly from 0.84 ± 0.08 % to 1.80 ± 0.12 % in the control diet and the 56 % soybean oil diet, respectively. After 206 days of feeding, fish fed diets with 42 to 70 % soybean oil showed greater number of lipid vacuoles in the liver, which were also larger in size, and hepatocytes nuclei were displaced to the cell periphery. The fatty acid composition of the liver tissue strongly corresponded to the fatty acid composition of the diets. Linoleic acid accumulated in the liver of the fish fed increasing soybean oil in the diets. In contrast, EPA and DHA decreased from 13.63 to 1.97 %, and 14.34 to 3.28 %, respectively, in the liver tissue of fish fed diets with increasing soybean oil content; consequently the n-3/n-6 ratio was also significantly reduced with inclusion of vegetable oil in the diets. The trend of decreasing growth rate with increasing oil replacement towards the end of the trial corresponds with increases in VFI, HSI, as well as the fatty acid accumulation and lipid vacuoles in the liver. This suggests that dusky kob is less able to metabolise soybean oil at increased substitution levels which would account for the poorer growth at higher levels. The dependence of fish on dietary marine oil decreased significantly with each inclusion of soybean oil in the diets. Nonetheless, the calculations based on the nutrient ratio presented positive outcomes for all treatments, that is, values of marine oil dependency ratio were below one for all treatments. It is concluded that soybean oil can replace fish oil in formulated diets for dusky kob up to a level of 28 % of total dietary lipids, as evidenced by the good growth and feed efficiency, and no apparent negative health effects observed up to this level.
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- Date Issued: 2012