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For a variety of reasons, many humans choose to adopt children. More surprisingly, adoption is fairly widespread in the animal kingdom, even though it would seem to counteract the basic premise of Darwins theory of evolution, which suggests that animals should…

The gross value of Australias fisheries production is forecast to rise by one per cent to $2.4billion in 201213. The real value of Australian fisheries production declined significantly over the past decade, attributable to a decrease in the value of productio…

The rapid rise and growth of finfish and crustacean aquaculture has been due, in part, to the availability and on-farm provision of feed inputs within the major producing countries. If the aquaculture sector is to maintain its current average growth rate of 8 …

The aquaculture industry has grown dramatically, and plays an important role in the worlds food supply chain. Antimicrobial resistance in bacteria associated with food animals receives much attention, and drug use in aquaculture is also an important issue.

Growth-enhancing transgenic biotechnologies have attracted considerable interest from the global aquaculture industry, particularly with regard to Atlantic salmon. However, similar to domesticated strains, concerns have been raised regarding the ecological and…

Commercial diets for channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) are typically composed of protein and energy sources of plant origin supplemented with lysine, vitamins, and minerals. A small amount of animal protein may be included. The predominant protein source i…

There has been increasing interest in growing hybrid catfish (female channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus male blue catfish I. furcatus) in Mississippi and the Southeastern region of the United States. Data presented in this report evaluate dietary protein leve…

Each year billions of animals make annual migrations to escape adverse environmental conditions. Migration is a spectacular and important biological phenomenon, but studying what drives animals to make these arduous journeys is extremely difficult. Food and cl…

The high value of fresh tuna is largely attributed to the red colour and firm but tender texture of the thin pieces of raw flesh served as sushi or sashimi. A range of factors has been reported to affect the colour and visual appearance of the tuna flesh, alon…

The emergence of epizootic shell disease in American lobsters Homarus americanus in the southern New England area, USA, has presented many new challenges to understanding the interface between disease and fisheries management. This paper from Kathleen M. Castr…

This paper uses an index number profit decomposition approach to examine recent drivers of change in profitability in two key Commonwealth prawn fisheries, the Northern Prawn Fishery and the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery. The results reveal that a divergence in …

Dr Dominique van der Mensbrugghe, FAO, gave the second lecture in the Teagasc/RDS lecture series. Here he summarises the main points of his lecture: Will we run out of natural resources needed for food production?.

Fish and other seafood products are getting more and more attention among consumers due to its health benefits. These benefits are in particular linked to the valuable long chain omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), …

Extending the shelf life of fresh catfish fillets would make it possible for catfish producers to increase the length of time in the supply chain and make it more feasible for processors to produce fresh, never-frozen, tray-packed products that can be sold in …

Viral Encephalopathy and Retinopathy (VER) is a viral infectious disease affecting more than 50 marine fish species worldwide and it is considered one of the most important threats for mariculture in the Mediterranean, write Niccol Vendramin et al, University …

To maintain healthy ecosystem in aquaculture ponds and hatchery tanks bioremediation is the best biotechnology process, says Dr A. Venkateswara Rao, technical manager for Neospark Drugs and Chemicals. Pathogens as well as immunity suppressive agents can be eli…

The current trend towards increasing intensification and diversification of global aquaculture has led to its dramatic growth, thus making aquaculture an important food-producing sector that provides an essential source of aquatic protein for a growing human p…

Although antibiotic growth promoters in the diets of fish may promote growth and improve feed conversion and survival rates, public concern over cross-resistance to humans led to a ban on the use of such substances in the EU. Research has thus turned to other …

Adaptation to different ecological environments is thought to drive ecological speciation. This phenomenon culminates in the radiations of cichlid fishes in the African Great Lakes.

Due to poor growth, survival and abnormal pigmentation during larval development of halibut, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of photoperiod on growth, survival, food consumption and pigmentation in larvae reared under four light regimes.

The Batrachoididae family is a group of marine teleosts that includes several species with more complicated physiological characteristics, such as their excretory, reproductive, cardiovascular and respiratory systems.Manuel A Merlo, University of cadiz, looked…

Ten generations of domestication selection has caused farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. to deviate from wild salmon in a range of traits. In this study, the effects of environmental stress on mRNA expression levels of seven genes related to oxidative stres…

Studies conducted with gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata L.) have determined the maximum dietary replacement of fish meal and oil without compromising growth or product quality.

Roy P. E. Yanong, University of Florida IFAS Extension, provides information on pentastomid infections in fish. Mr Yanong describes how the parasites affect fish and how infections can be treated.

Fishing and the production of fish and fish products in Azerbaijan declined considerably in the early 1990s, with annual fish production falling from more than 20,000 tonnes in the early twentieth century to just 1,570 tonnes by the end of the century. Fish im…

The fibrous threads helping mussels stay anchored in spite of waves that sometimes pound the shore with a force equivalent to a jet liner flying at 600 miles per hour are more prone to snap when ocean temperatures climb higher than normal.

A new Seafish report shows that the food chain should be the first choice for discarded fish that could be landed under a future discard ban, but when that is not practicable then utilisation for fishmeal or fish oil reduction for animal feed, is currently the…

Aquaculture has the potential to make a significant contribution to the increasing demand for aquatic food in most world regions; however, in order to achieve this goal, the sector will have to face significant challenges, including the production intensificat…

Oxidants are used in aquaculture as disinfectants or to enhance water quality. Hydrogen peroxide and sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate can be sources of dissolved oxygen in emergency situations where mechanical aeration is not possible, writes Claude E. Boyd, Aub…

The Australian New South Wales government looks at the prospect of farming yabby. Yabby (Cherax destructor) is the best known of the hundred or so freshwater crayfish species found in Australia (not to be confused with the saltwater yabby, ghost shrimp or pink…

Endogenous microbiota play essential roles in the hosts immune system, physiology, reproduction and nutrient metabolism. Research led by Matteo A. Avella, University of Marche, Ancona, Italy, treated zebrafish from birth to sexual maturation with Lactobacillus…

Among multigene families, ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes are the most frequently studied and have been explored as cytogenetic markers to study the evolutionary history of karyotypes among animals and plants. By applying cytogenetic and genomic methods, Rafael T N…

In a study, tilapia were fed fish oil or vegetable oil based diets for five months, then switched to a fish oil finishing diet for three months. Results showed growth and feeding efficiencies were not significantly compromised, writes Nicholas Romano et al, Un…

This paper by Anthony Charles of Saint Marys University, Canada, provides a preliminary exploration of current debates over the nature and interaction of rights within small-scale fisheries, and the connection of these rights with issues of global trade, subsi…

Processing of shrimp Artemia cysts is an important factor in price determination. Alireza Asem, Iran, therefore looks at new concepts for hatching quality and evaluation of Artemia.

In commercialization and high stocking density of culture practice, feeding has a significant contribution for fast growth and high yields. Aquafeed has many ingredients in highly balanced nutritious components for enhancing the digestive mechanisms in fish an…

Some countries in Southeast Asia are embarking on anchored Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) programmes to boost fish production and to increase food security. This advisory note from the FAO was written to provide guidance to fisheries managers and fishers on the…

Just when traceability scares have retailers across the world running for cover, one French retailer can justifiably feel that more than 40 years of working alongside food producers has been vindicated, writes Peter Crosskey.

Seafood is among the most traded food commodities in the world, and growing, writes istein Thorsen, trie principal consultant.

Roy P.E. Yanong, University of Florida IFAS extension, discusses the fish health management in recirculating aquaculture systems. As Part 3 of a three part series, this article looks at general recommendations in the design and maintenance of recirculating aqu…