scholarly journals A Severe Microsporidian Disease in Cultured Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus L.)

Author(s):  
Alejandro López-Verdejo ◽  
Francisco E. Montero ◽  
Fernando De la Gándara ◽  
Miguel A. Gallego ◽  
Aurelio Ortega ◽  
...  

Abstract One of the most promising aquaculture species is the Atlantic bluefin tuna ( Thunnus thynnus ) with high market value; disease control is crucial to prevent and reduce mortality and monetary losses. Microsporidia Balbiani, 1882 (Fungi) are a potential source of damage to bluefin tuna aquaculture. A new microsporidian species is described from farmed bluefin tunas from the Spanish Mediterranean. This new pathogen is described in a juvenile associated with a highly severe pathology of the visceral cavity. Whitish xenomes from this microsporidian species were mostly located at the caecal mass and ranged from 0.2 to 7.5 mm. Light and transmission electron microscopy of the spores revealed mature spores with an average size of 2.2 × 3.9 μm in size and a polar filament with 13–14 coils arranged in one single layer. Phylogenetic analysis clustered this species with the Glugea spp. clade. The morphological characteristics and molecular comparison confirm that this is a novel microsporidian species, Glugea thunni sp. nov. The direct life cycle and the severe pathologies observed makes this parasite a hard risk for bluefin tuna cultures.

2011 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivona Mladineo ◽  
Jan Lovy

AbstractAn undescribed species of Microsporidia Balbiani, 1882 was isolated from the muscularis mucosa of the intestinal mucosa of the reared Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus). Transmission electron microscopy showed that the pyriform unikaryotic microsporidium, measuring 3.6 μm ± 0.08 in length and 1.8 μm ± 0.04 in width (inferred from TEM sections), had two layers of 14–17 coils of polar filament and a robust manubrium of the filament. No developmental stages were observed in xenoma. Phylogenetic analysis of the small subunit rRNA showed closest similarity with Kabatana spp. (88.4%), clustering the microsporidium together in a sister group with K. takedai and Kabatana sp. (JI-2008)/K. newberryi clade. While recognized Kabatana members show ovoid, rounded to pyriform spore, lack of sporophorous vesicle or xenoma, 3–10 coils of polar filament in 1–2 rows and are localized within cytoplasm of trunk muscle, the new species is markedly pyriform, xenoma forming, with many filament coils in 2 rows and parasitizing smooth intestinal muscle. Since morphological features were not typically congruent with any of Kabatana spp. so far described and molecular clustering indicated paraphyletic position within Kabatana clade, we suggest assigning described species to collective group Microsporidia, as Microsporidium milevae sp. nov., until more evidence permits potential formation of the new genus.


Author(s):  
Akihiro Shiroza ◽  
Estrella Malca ◽  
John T Lamkin ◽  
Trika Gerard ◽  
Michael R Landry ◽  
...  

Abstract Bluefin tuna spawn in restricted areas of subtropical oligotrophic seas. Here, we investigate the zooplankton prey and feeding selectivity of early larval stages of Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABT, Thunnus thynnus) in larval rearing habitat of the Gulf of Mexico. Larvae and zooplankton were collected during two multi-day Lagrangian experiments during peak spawning in May 2017 and 2018. Larvae were categorized by flexion stage and standard length. We identified, enumerated and sized zooplankton from larval gut contents and in the ambient community. Ciliates were quantitatively important (up to 9%) in carbon-based diets of early larvae. As larvae grew, diet composition and prey selection shifted from small copepod nauplii and calanoid copepodites to larger podonid cladocerans, which accounted for up to 70% of ingested carbon. Even when cladoceran abundances were <0.2 m−3, they comprised 23% of postflexion stage diet. Feeding behaviors of larvae at different development stages were more specialized, and prey selection narrowed to appendicularians and primarily cladocerans when these taxa were more abundant. Our findings suggest that ABT larvae have the capacity to switch from passive selection, regulated by physical factors, to active selection of presumably energetically optimal prey.


2008 ◽  
Vol 92 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 242-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piero Addis ◽  
John Mark Dean ◽  
Paola Pesci ◽  
Ivan Locci ◽  
Rita Cannas ◽  
...  

PLoS ONE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. e0141478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrique Rodriguez-Marin ◽  
Mauricio Ortiz ◽  
José María Ortiz de Urbina ◽  
Pablo Quelle ◽  
John Walter ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deirdre Brophy ◽  
Naiara Rodríguez-Ezpeleta ◽  
Igaratza Fraile ◽  
Haritz Arrizabalaga

Abstract Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) from the two main spawning populations in the Mediterranean and Gulf of Mexico occur together in the western, central and eastern Atlantic. Stock composition of catches from mixing areas is uncertain, presenting a major challenge to the sustainable management of the fisheries. This study combines genetic and chemical markers to develop an integrated method of population assignment. Stable isotope signatures (δ13C and δ18O) in the otolith core of adults from the two main spawning populations (adult baselines) showed less overlap than those of yearlings (12–18 months old) from western and eastern nursery areas suggesting that some exchange occurs towards the end of the yearling phase. The integrated model combined δ18O with four genetic markers (SNPs) to distinguish the adult baselines with greater accuracy than chemical or genetic markers alone. When used to assign individuals from the mixing areas to their population of origin, the integrated model resolved some (but not all) discrepancies between the chemistry and genetic methods. Some individuals in the mixing area had otolith δ18O values and genetic profiles which when taken together, were not representative of either population. These fish may originate from another Atlantic spawning area or may represent population contingents that move away from the main spawning areas during the first year of life. This complexity in stock structure is not captured by the current two-stock model.


2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 115 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. HATTOUR ◽  
W. KOCHED

The present study analysis size and weight-frequency composition of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus thynnus) fattened in Tunisian farms for the period 2005-2010 and compare these morphometric parameters with those from wild bluefin tuna landed on 2001 at Sfax port (Tunisia). A total of 6,757 wild and fattened bluefin tuna were measured as straight-line fork length and 49,962 were weighted. Average value of K for wild BFT was 1.59 and respectively 2.43, 2.32, 2.15, 1.61, 1.79 and 1.90 for Fattened BFT after 5-6 months from 2005 to 2010. Length frequency of fattened bluefin showed clearly a substantial increase in juvenile rate. The percentage which was 21.4% in 2005 reached 31.3% in 2009. For weight distribution, 73.3% of the fish caught in 2001 are below the annual mean (75.7 kg), while means 71 to 72% of fattened fish were under annual mean weight. Year 2009 is exceptional because only 57% of fattened fish were under the mean weight. This demonstrates that the fish caught are becoming increasingly small. Mean weight for fattening period (77 to 124 kg) are obviously higher than those of the wild fish (75,7kg).This study showed an increment in the amount of specimen under first sexual maturity which will not have the chance to spawn.


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