An integrated closed system for fish-plankton aquaculture in Amazonian fresh water.

A prototype of an integrated closed system for fish-plankton aquaculture was developed in Iquitos (Peruvian Amazonia) in order to cultivate the Tiger Catfish, Pseudoplatystoma punctifer (Castelnau, 1855). This freshwater recirculating system consisted of two linked sewage tanks with an intensive rearing unit (a cage) for P. punctifer placed in the first, and with a fish-plankton trophic chain replacing the filters commonly used in clear water closed systems. Detritivorous and zooplanktivorous fishes (Loricariidae and Cichlidae), maintained without external feeding in the sewage volume, mineralized organic matter and permitted the stabilization of the phytoplankton biomass. Water exchange and organic waste discharge were not necessary. In this paper we describe the processes undertaken to equilibrate this ecosystem: first the elimination of an un-adapted spiny alga, Golenkinia sp., whose proliferation was favored by the presence of a small rotifer, Trichocerca sp., and second the control of this rotifer proliferation via the introduction of two cichlid species, Acaronia nassa Heckel, 1840 and Satanoperca jurupari Heckel, 1840, in the sewage part. This favored some development of the green algae Nannochloris sp. and Chlorella sp. At that time we took the opportunity to begin a 3-month rearing test of P. punctifer. The mean specific growth rate and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of P. punctifer were 1.43 and 1.27, respectively, and the global FCR, including fish in the sewage part, was 1.08. This system has proven to be suitable for growing P. punctifer juveniles out to adult, and provides several practical advantages compared with traditional recirculating clear water systems, which use a combination of mechanical and biological filters and require periodic waste removal, leading to water and organic matter losses.

Analysis of the black-chinned tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron heudelotii reproducing under a wide range of salinities: from RNA-seq to candidate genes.

The black-chinned tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron heudelotii is an ecologically appealing model as it shows exceptional adaptive capacities, especially with regard to salinity. In spite of this, this species is devoid of genomic resources, which impedes the understanding of such remarkable features. De novo assembly of transcript sequences produced by next-generation sequencing technologies offers a rapid approach to obtain expressed gene sequences for non-model organisms. It also facilitates the development of quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assays for analysing gene expression under different environmental conditions. Nevertheless, obtaining accurate and reliable qPCR results from such data requires a number of validations prior to interpretation. The transcriptome of S. melanotheron was sequenced to discover transcripts potentially involved in the plasticity of male reproduction in response to salinity variations. A set of 54 candidate and reference genes was selected through a digital gene expression (DGE) approach, and a de novo qPCR assay using these genes was validated for further detailed expression analyses. A user-friendly web interface was created for easy handling of the sequence data. This sequence collection represents a major transcriptomic resource for S. melanotheron and will provide a useful tool for functional genomics and genetics studies.

Gender determination in the Paiche or Pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) using plasma vitellogenin, 17beta-estradiol, and 11-ketotestosterone levels.

Arapaima gigas is an air-breathing giant fish of Amazonian rivers. Given its great economic and cultural importance, the aquaculture development of this species represents an evident solution to face the decline of wild populations. In captivity, reproduction occurs generally in large earthen ponds where stocks of a few tens of brooders are maintained together at the beginning of the rainy season (December-March in the Peruvian Amazon). Fry production relies on the spontaneous formation of male and female pairs, which build a nest, delimit a territory and guard the offspring for at least 20 days from other congeners and predators. However, as sex determination of A. gigas is not possible by morphological criteria, it is very difficult to optimize reproduction conditions and fry production in each pond, which seriously hampers the culture of this species. This situation prompted us to develop sexing methodologies based on (1) the detection of female specific plasma Vitellogenin (Vtg) using an enzyme immuno assay (EIA), and (2) the determination of plasma 17beta-estradiol and 11-ketotestosterone levels for immature specimens. The Vtg purification was performed by electro-elution after polyacrilamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) from plasma of 17beta-estradiol treated A. gigas juveniles. Two different Vtg molecules were isolated, (Vtg(1) and Vtg(2)) with 184 and 112 kDa apparent molecular masses, respectively, and two antibodies were raised in rabbits for each Vtg molecule. Adult fish were 100% accurately sexed by Vtg EIA, while 100% of immature fish and 95% of adults were accurately sexed by 17beta-Estradiol and 11-Ketestosterone ratios. We also observed different color pattern development in male and female adult fish (6-year-olds) around the reproductive period.